Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-12-21


increased importation and consumption OF foreipt
merchandise. Bn, II las been already stated, thai
the whole impofatons were of late so unnsuall,
large, rs with Other causes hereafter explained moi
only 10 forbid any reasonable cspetta,io OF Their
increase III 1880 but In render reduction prob
able; and II is further believed, a careful inquiry
viii show, that the consumption Of all kinds of for
! srn merchandise III the United States ha. rene.
tally enlarged III smaller ratio than Is supposed
! by many. and especially that tic use of snoh rs
pays duties, which Is ile cardinal test Of our ic
eepts irom customs will rather lessen than IN
crease IL 1896. aud be- not materially enlarged till
alter lsi2. BY the table before referred To, &c J
"hehiS the nost accurate the rds of the Tlca-
suly enable me 10 prepare, il will be what our
consumption o foreign merchandise of all kinds
has been DUNG each oil the last forty FIVE years.
By comparing, not single Years, with others,
bnt series al three years, for instance
lIo2, %. and a with other SIMILAR series after
intervals III ten NentS, and paving less regard 10
the his and ihifd seiles, as the former resi- on es-
Inmates made nov, and mol on valuations NJ tn,
time aud the latter being III period OF wall ton
iifernla, tor apn,de II appears tia, the average in.
crease OF consumption al all foreign merchandise
has been mol tlnee per cent. annually III the last
thirty wears aud has been mol equal To the increase
III our population during the same period b, over
one and hall per cent.
he lhe increase oi thu latter has also been
Nclv uniform, VARYING between ever, census, and
10, the whole time very steadily between toul and
hall and five per cent thai II the former has llne-
tnateG largely, RISING under the great impulse ps-
IN In credit industry aud enterprise hN the adop-
tlon al our Constitution, Ia near s,Ncn per cent.
yearly during most al thu FIRST ten years, and then
iahne 10 only ahoo, one per cent. the next twenty
Years. After thai, by one ri thos customary tides
IN trade Which almost periodically occur soon
after checks 10 overriding, an exhaustion of old
stock ii goods, aud enlarged means Ia purchase,
ltom abundant crops, Their hph prices, OF an,
otler can,e, the rate OF increase IN consumption
rose again and by oi so many ire. goods,
and especially the Unprecedented imports oi So, eic
III 1888 and 1881, amounted, on IN average, du-
nne thu asl ten Years, In four per cent annually.
Deduct, however. that excess Of specie alone,
and the increase would moi much exceed three
per cent ON the consumption III all Kinds oi lot
e1en merchandise whlp On that al such merchants
dist rs pass duties, therehas, rs before brendeaed
u preai decrease; aud there sno likelihood of much
permanent increase, TIL the whole imporintions
shall be preally augmented, 81 til, tariff apan ,A-
tended 10 a hrger isl oi articles. BY The ension-
n, reflns ri thai llde from opposllo causes, and
The greater Substitution ot some Kinds OF ,onIes-
lie products, IL Is believed that the above rate oi
increase - 10 all foreign articles, viii ara SOON
decline, and p,obababIy remain much below that
oi population, until new legislation, the
seailal alterations GOING On i'll the iat,n, shall
mhefIay enlarge the amount oigoods paving du-
". As the eapneity ot the country 10 purchase for
een goods will, all other things remaining equal
he then enlarged III the ratio OF what il does NOT
pay for dut,cs, such alterations when their inlu-
cncc shall be l0lN fell III 1872, will, ~ The great
alteration, i'll 1882 and 1893 have already done,
doubtless tend apaln Ia augment sonIcw hat the
whole importation al foreign articles. Another com.
parati,c view, and perhaps more striking, ui tn,
consumption. IL, that according 10 III" val
ne of the articles, estimated At the custom
house, il, average amount III 100 and '9l
was about seyon dollars per head 10 poula-
tor E; in 1900 AMI 1901. over ten dollars per
head in 1910 and II, about seven; but IN 1920
and - only about SIX aud III 1880 aud 81 only
about live, OF one-hali OF VIA, ii thirty years
before.
This pred, difference has probably arisen, no,
only from the increased domestic production oi
CERTAIN manufactures, such ootionS, woollens, salt
and iron, ard Of some articles more mmcdiatcl,
connected with agriculture, such ~ sugar ~ nrolas.
scs, but from fall IN the price OF many articles
making the vauo les. # similar quantity con-
snmed, aud from the greater extension OF our pop
nlation INTO the West, where the independent ha-
bits OF the people, and the comparatively cuhan-
eed cost oi foreign articles, would tend 10 cause
mailer consumption OF them than near the sea-
hoard. where Their price slower, il is eusioma-
~ 10 depend more on foreign supplies
il will be noticed that all the above computations
have been made Of the value, and not the quaint
lies, OF the articles consumed. The latter woul,
BIZ more difficult 10 exhibit IN great detail an,
i lnlncss. But II they could he, Il c result would
in a view connected with political economy, h,
none satisfactory, AS showing moro clearly TIN
comparative habits OF our population nj dlllcrcn
] periods because prices. especially OF some man
uflctnrcS, have fallen during The last forty years
probably on an average, over fifty per cent, ant
I our whole consumption OF foreign articles has
without doubt, diminished more in value than il
quantity.
But the difficulties before mentioned have pre-
vented any further exhibit, coupled with the cir
eunslancc, that, in respect To the amount Fl du
ties, the inquiry now most pertinent and material
the result, III tn. present state OF the tariff, "onlt
be much less important than some might At lr,
imaenc, as il would bc wholly unallercd in all ca
Sc, of specific rates of duty, whether the values o
the quantities be detailed in the statements. an'
equally unaltered in over half Of all the foreign
goods now imported, thcy beng al present free
aud the rate of increase IN their consumption b.
additions to population or other causes, hat III:
no influence whatever on the revenue.
Uenrr IN looking TO the future, it is essential /,
notire thai il the increase in consumption OF all 10
rrien good, should continue Ia be on anasoragc I'll
1912, as LARGE as duiin. the last thirty years,
would only add yearly about one and one quar-
rmllons Ia the imports of goods which are nov