The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-23


This large excess in the consumption of foreign
merchandise is readily accounted for, without
supposiDg that any great substitution of such
merchandise for domestic productions has taken
place amongst the American people generally. It
i explained by the fact that large shipments from
this and other countries have gone to Califor-
MIA, either direct by the route via Cape Horn,
or from the ports Of the Pacific and the Eastern
and China seas. The population Of California
domestic industry is almost exclusively en-
gagged in mining pursuits. But there appears on
the face ofthe returns, from which our data are
derived, problem, which, at first sight. is diff
fcult to solve The total consumption of the
United States is exhibited as greater than its
production large though the latter is. When at
tentvely examined, however, the difficulty disap-
pears 1t is stated by the author of the return that
Gin ascertaining the price of crops, those of the
New York price current for January, 1853, have
been taken, and a deduction therefrom of if
teen per cent has been made to cover expenses
OF transportation and commercial charges.n
This would have been correct had the object
been merely to show how much Of the value of
the productions Of the country went into the
pocket of the actual producer. But it is not
correct in comparison between the exports
and imports Of the country. The cost of trans
port from the far Western States to the great
marts of consumption is equally return for
the capital invested in canals railways, steam
boats and labor, as the products themselves,
estimated at the place Of their growth,
are the return to the grower for his
capital. rent, seed, and labor. Those pro-
ducts-the surplus of which, when II arrives at
the great marts ofconsumptioD is exchangeable,
or nearly so, for all that Is required of foreign
growth or manufacture-have been distributing,
along the thousands ofmiles which they have ira
versed from the far-ofT west, fertilizing stream
Of wealth, whose foY has supported and glad
dened many thousands Of happy homes. And
to show the fallacy Of modern, or merely Gus
tom house statistics as determining the position
Of commercial nation. it should be borne in
mind that not only ore the gains of that nation
healthiiy distributed amongst its population
through the means Of its internal traffic. but
that they are also in part composed ofthe profit
upon it, shipping engaged in transporting its
productions to foreign markets Had we re-
turn OF the large amount Of money yearly earn
cd By the shipowners and commanders and off
GERS. and the crews Of the United States. we
should cease to be surprised that. no.withstand-
ing her large consumption both Of domestic and
foreign productions, we so seldom hear Of any
very serious balance oftrade against her
1t is an undoubted fact, however.
that America has of late been sailing very close
TO the wind in the way Of expenditure-living,
in fact, nearly, If not quite, up to her income.
She has done this, Notwithstanding the vast pro-
dIctiveness of her new Californian possessions.
which in 1850 yielded 10000, 900 dollars, and
have since tbs rather increased than diminished.
But we must not be blind to the fact that she is
still, and even more energetically than at any
former period Of her history, heaping up the ma
terials of her future greatness Letus turn for
moment, in proof OF this, 10 the rapid progress
which she has !. recently been making as
maritime power. In 1910, the amount Of tom
mage belonging to the United States, Of oil
descriptions was 2,l30,773 tons. In 1850 1t
was 1886 454 tons; and In 1852 it was 4,138-
43g tons. having increased, during the twelve
years. 2,007 ,696 tons, or little over "a per
cent. In lS42 the American tonnage entered
from foreign into American ports, was l,5l0,111
tons, and in 1851 1854, $40 tons, having more
than doubled in nine years. The clearances-
were in 1892 536, 45l tons and in 1885, l, 3.200,-
5l9 tons, having also more than doubled in the
nine years. Notwithstanding this display Of
energy and enterprise, the American shipowner
and builder bad not overtaken the requirements
OF their country, caused BY the amazing deve-
lopcment Of Its commerce and production during
these years for we find the entries of foreign
hips increased from 1875 tons in 1912, to
I,939,09l in 1851, and the clearance from Ta0,-
ISL 10 1912. TO l,929.535 in 1851. To show the
extent oftbat Development we find from the
Above data that whereas the commerce Of the