New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-01
OUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE MARKET

| the proper head. These reviews, some
thing like Folks messages, are rather lons
and prosy, but there is no way Of escap
ing the infection, and we, Uncommon will
our contemporaries open our columns K
the annual mass of commercial enlighten
ment
1t will be seen that the las been {
general increase in the receipts Of pro
duce and corresponding decline IL
prices. With the exception of sugar
cured hams, there has been a decline il
the whole market.
Cotton exhibits the most notable in.
crease Of Southern products, amounting
to more than qnar,cr of a million OF
bales, and the increase in the total crop
of the United States will prove to be about
100000. This result shows the folly OF
relying upon the predictions Of those who
sit in their back offices and make guesses
at the cotton crop, predicated upon
the number Of bales they are holding for
a rise, and their consequent interest in a
popular belief of short crop. Last year
there were estimates made, and generally
accepted, that the crop Of 1870 would not
exceed 100000. This amount is nearly
600, 900 less than the official figures will
show when the tables are made up.
At first. it was commended that the freed
men could not be depended upon to work
steadily throughout the year, as in the
days of slavery; and now that the colored
people have given the lie to that SANDER,
and shown that however idle and shiftless
the white population of this State may be,
they at least are ready to perform their
duties, We hear Of complaints that they are
more slovenly and less skillful as free men
than they were as slaves. A flimsey excuse
that half blind man can see through is
regarded as better than none, and the want
Of industry, energy and financial ability
shown by the planters is attributed to the
fault of the colored laborers. There is
no proposition clearer or more admissible
than that with more laborers there would
be more bales Of cotton made; and with
cheaper labor there would be more profit
to the planter. But we hardly con-
slider it an object to be desired to increase
in a marked degree these profits. The
good results of working the lands Of this
State are now felt by the poor laborers as
we'll as the planters. Previous to the war,
the latter were, as general rule, little
else than stewards for Wall street bankers,
of whom they obtained their capital, and
to whom they paid about all the profits in
the shape of interest. Until labor became
free, the poor man in the South derived
but little benefit from prosperous season.
The colored people were compelled to
work for nothing, while their oppressors
received the profits. What blessed thing
it would be to have the good old system
revived, so that our planters could again
earn their bread and wine and whisky and
means to defray gambling expenses by the
sweat of other brows than their own.
We were not far enough removed from
the effects Of the war to expect large
yield of sugar. There was, however, an
increase of about three thousand hogs
heads, besides much greater quantity of
cane reserved for seed than was the
case the previous year. 1t is estimated
that it will require, at least, two seasons
more to put Louisiana sugar raising upon
a basis at all proportionate to the capabil-
tiles of the soil. We had now and then a
prosperous year previous to the war, but
an almost total failure would occur now
and then, although the laborers could be
persuaded" to accomplish a vast amount
of extra work. The elements could not
be controlled.
Rice and corn have received care and
attention, and the yield of each is yearly
on the increase.
The receipts and shipments Of leading
articles of Western produce show that
New Orleans has been little more than
local distributing market There has
been a marked increase in the receipts of
corn and flour, and a pretty fair export
business has been done in the latter
Pork has done but little better than hold
its own, while tobacco rather shows d.
minution. The fearful charges for insur-
ance, wharf dues, commissions, towage,
pilotage, warehousfng, drayage, ETC.,
have pretty completely trammeled our
transit trade, and forced shipments across
the continent by rail or the Erie Canal.
The enterprising projectors Of grain
elevator have reaped inadequate results,
not at all equal to what they had reason to
expect.
But we are glad to perceive signs Of an
awakening on the part of many OF our
merchants who have heretofore held that
renting store and opening a ledger were
all that is required to bring. business and
insure fortune. They begin to see that
in order to compete with Northern men
they must adopt the modern improvements
of railroads, cheap transportation, low
charges and untiring vigilance. Our
business is not likely to come upon us
again in an avalanche, but must be built
up slowly and on solid foundations 1t
will then come to stay.
But backward as our production and
commerce show to have been, the result
has been more for the benefit Of the Ia