New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-04-07
BUSINESS COMPARISONS.

Some days since We gave the comparative receipts
Of produce at this port the river for three years
1,ast We now give the comparative receipts for FIVE
yeal from tie 1stof enlherof each yearup To the
3ist Of March, say seven months tits for
TO 90 into extended details TO prove that the trade
of ourcity is on the decline. Figures sustain the as
sertion that the country produces any returns te
the cultvators Of the soil, our city will continue tc
increase in Importance and grandeur. OF the in
creasing productions ofthe great West we shal
assuredly receive good share Of the yearly increase
There are no railroads in the country that can com
pete with the mammoth steamboats, which now navi
gate the Mississippi river in the transportation 0
freight 1.-THE residents Of the West who reside II e
immediate vicinity Of the great railways entertain
the opinions which have obtained 50 great currency
during the past two three years, that the gigantic
trade Of the West to be diverted from its natural
highway towards New Orleans, and SO 20 northern
cities, they would not yearly yea, almost noh1y,
be adding to the number Of STEAMBOATS, naYtsaelns
the Mississippi and its tributaries There are not more
than two Or three railroads in the States That
win even pay their loans their bonds and mortgages,
and every seven OF years they viii all have to be
rebuilt out Of two hundred and fortyfye railroads
III The United States many of them in the West
there are only twenty ve, the stocks Of which are
above par. The stock Of the remaining two hundred
and twenty ranges from nothing, or o. up to 80 and
as but fall below forty per cent discount.
| Does the stock Of the peoples great highway, the
mighty Mississippi ever depreciate in this manner ?
We merely alude to this comparison Of the costs Of
railway carriage and water transp ortation to aay
those apprehensons which peryade the public mind,
in some sections of the superiority Of railroads over
water courses. We are asked to consider the low
stage of the rivers, for many months Of the year to
which we can add as a set off, the interruption to
railroads from ice and snow as has been the case dl-
ring the past winter.
OF the great utility Of railroads to our own city
there cannot the least doubt In actwe feel their
usefulness every day, and regret the extreme apa-
thy and inattention Of the two great which are
now PRESSING, one west and the other north and
east They, however, will only, at certain periods
Of the year, come in competition with the great
steamboat interests. Steamboats, will undoubtedly
continue TO Increase yearly they have for twenty
five years past; and the increasing business of the
country will be equally divided between the two great
powers, railways and steamboats,. It is not our in
tention however, to give dissertation on railroads,
and we proceed to comparisons.
In making up these comparsons.of receipts Of pro-
duce below we have availed ourselves of our files
for thepast and drawn on the New Orleans Price
Current previous years. The statements will be
found correct rs be gathered from 50 extended
facilities. 5,=t
II will be observed that there are only wanting
a few thousand bales Of cotton to make up the
quantity for this year to that Of 1923, The average
receipts of the five years 142 1855 hhds.;
the average receipts Of nolasses 22S0ll barrels per
annum II will be noted that only in two seasons
has the quantity o. 1nolasses been in excess Of the
present year The sugar and nlolasses sold and de-
liyered from plantations are not included. The re
ceipts Of -four for 1854, 1884, 1858, 1852, are very
uniform, In 1873 they weie larger 1865 being q
season Of deficient harvest, as Is manifested IA the
short receipts being but atrfe over oe-haf Of the
three proceeding years j wheat the increase is
/ enormous, being one miloIfve hundred and twenty
thousand bushels for the present year, against fifteen
Thousand bushels only in ls55 : 100000 bushels in
1864, 6s 600 bushels in 1888, and 10000 bushels in
1852, being an ncreaseof fur hundred and nineteen
percent over any year for thast seven years In corn
increase is three undredper cent over last year.
In potatoes there is inore8e over last year. but
falling off from 52 and '53. The communication with
the West in those years Wasnot DISTRACTED nearly
three months by ice. In all ther articles the figures
snea for themselves f858 9i 35 }E@FA