New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-17
MR. WELLSS FACTS AND EGURES.

Dr. WEBLSS FACTS And FlGUREo.
Mr. Wells, though he reported an immense
and disproportionate increase of all our great
industries during the four years which imme-
diately followed tho close of our great Civil
War, now sees Git to represent the state OF
things as entirely different from that he then
asserted. He says we are consuming less Tea
and Coffee per head than we did before the
War; that we are using fewer Boots Shoes,
and Hats
while It is positively known that tie consumption Of
Cotton Cloth measured in pounds wdslcss In the United
states during year 1870 with 39OOJ0 OF people than
twas in 1859, with 3),0O0O)0"
OF course, such assertions are easily made;
but they are not true Who does not know
that our machinery is more effective now than
ten or twelve years ago. and that we have been
building Mt least five new mills or factories for
every one we have closed2 Orr Wooden facto-
ries have nearly doubled in number since 1859 !;
and tho new ones arc mainly located in the
new States and Territories, where they ought
10 be. The best blankets made in the country
are those of San Francisco; Colorado is making
several varieties of serviceable WOOens from
her own Wool, and is just starting her second
or third factory; Minnesota is making excel
lent Cotton and Woolen fabrics while the great
machine-shop5 OF Lowell are filed with orders
for projected Cotton mills in tho South
ern States, which three months are re-
quired to complete. The Cotton manufac-
ture at the South is among our most prosper
Ous and growing industries, and has been 50
ever since the War. Atlanta is as yet tho
center of this development; but we hope to
chronicle the starting of at least dozen fac
tories in Texas within the next five years.
Her Germans are already manufacturing excel
lent Woolens to satisfactory profit; railroads
will soon increase their mills to at least
dozen. We are certainly not exporting more
than five per cent. of all these fabrics, while
our facilities for producing them have been
increased not less than twenty-five per cent
since 1852 Mr. Weiss assertion that we con-
sumo less than then is simply absurd.
He gives our Exports for the calendar year
1870 at $j0},0000O0 currency, equal to $780,
100000 in gold. Is not this decided increase
on the average of our last ten years of Free
Trade1 1t surely is. But he cavils that it is
made up of Cotton, $219,313,OOO; PetrOleun
and other Oils, $31,G92OOO; Breadstud5, $685.
OO0,O0O; Tobacco, $i8,OOO,OO0; Provisions, $780,
100000; Bullion, SGGOOO,OOO "leaving bat
comparatively triDing amount to represent
"the value of the exported surplus of all
"other industries"
1t seems to us that this cavil is incOnsder-
ate and peevish. We export those articles
which, owing to our abundance Of cheap and
fertile soil, we can produce to greatest adyan-
tage as compared with other nations. We ex-
port Cotton, Wheat or Flour, Pork, Cheese,
Lard, &C., because the lands wherein we pro-
duce them are far cheaper than those Of older
and more densely poopled countries. We ex-
port Bullion, because ours has recently become
the largest producer of Gold and Silver of any
nation. The Precious Metals form part of
our annual harvest, like Wheat or Barley. We
send abroad what we can best spare.
Mr.. Wells indeed asserts that :" every dollar
taken from White Pine has cost the country
a dollar and quarter to get it y which
may be true, though we doubt it but, since
our people CW dig and crush at White Pine,
what are you going to do about it'll II they
preferred to make Boots for dollar per day,
we might export Boots instead of Gold but
they do MT; so we wear out our Boots in gold
diggings and export Bullion instead of Boots.
If we had Free Trade instead of Protection,
we should do just the same.
MIR. Wells quotes commercial circular as
giving our consumption of Sugar ION the At
lantlc slope at 1,lOt093,7GO pounds in 1869,
against $685. 100 pounds in 1852 and gives
our population on this slope at $4,000, 900 in go,
against 3O,OO000O in 80. But this is an over
estimate of the population this side of tho
Rocky Mountains in 80, and fails to recognize
the fact that, owing to the higher price of
Sugar, our domestic production from Sorg-
hum, the Maple, &c, has largely increased
since 80.
Mr. Wells fails to consider the fact that our
currency has been approaching or hardening
since the present Administration came into
power. He does, indeed after complaining
that bank loans have not been extended, add
a note stating that, the Greenback dollar hav-
ing appreciated fifteen per cent. since January,
1868, less amount of currency is required to
transact tho business of the country. And yet
he urges that more mercantile failures occurred
In 10 than iu 'G9. and more IN 20 than