New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-01

Our heaviest imports were in 1861, when
they amounted to 444 ,S89 bags, against 76l-
423 at all other ports, including New York
and Baltimore. In the ten years from lS50-0l
to 1880, inclusive. the total imports from
Brazil into the United States were 9. 924,00S
bags, of which 3,993,SSl were at New Or
leans, leaving $3.50, III for all other ports,
including New York and Baltimore. To have
done our former proportion of the trade, the
imports at this port for the last coffee year
should have been, In round numbers, $4,000
bags. or about 339, 900 bags in excess of our
actual import of 203,945. We confidently
anticipate large proportionate increase III
our trade, but apprehend that long time
will elapse before New Orleans i'm
ports Will bear their former rela-
ton to the total at all the ports.
The railroad has done more TO
change the channels of trade than any
other cause and regarding the connections
OF Baltimore with the interior, its being
the true flour market for Brazil, and the
enterprise of its importers and merchants,
we look TO this nOrthermost of Southern
cities as destined not only to keep IN adj
vance of our own, but very soon to Outstrlp
New York. In this connection it will be
observed that while the past years imports
at New Orleans show an increase OF bi,2O3
bags, the increase at Baltimore was - blO.
1t NAV strike some of our Western friends
with surprise that while our imports from
Rio Janeiro have been so large, we have
sent hardly anything worth noticing ID re-
turn Two cargoes of St. Louis flour, and
third shipment, making in all 730l bbls,
are all that have been sent hence to that
port, or about one for one hundred-SoO,OOO
of flour exported and S5,000,GO0 of coffee
imported. Nevertheless, value has been
sent for value, and as, from the course OF
. the trade, there must have been serious
loss on several eargoes, it is not unreasonable
to suppose that our exports have exceeded
in value the amount imported. western
-four, as general thing, is not suited to the
Brazilian market, in which Southern hour,
ground from Southern wheat, has been, for
many years, preferred to that made from
Northern wheat The Maryland and Nir-
ginia mills command the preference there,
and the course of the trade has been TOR
Baltimore clipper brigs and barhs TO go
out with cargo of Southern -four ana re-
turn to New Orleans with coffee. complet-
ing the triangular voyage with a cotton
freight to the North.
AS a general rule, the supply Is pro-
portioned to the demand; but there has
been no time since the war when double
the amount of imports could not have found
ready market, and when stocks OF any
magnitude were left over, as IN the years
1868 and 1869 it was because the importers
held them for an advance. II we expect,
then, to revive the trade, and restore 1t to
its former palmy condition, we must begin
by increasing the imports. 1t the import
trade can be stimulated by reduction in
charges or otherwise, we have no appre,.
hension of its being checked by want of
demand Not only is Southern consump,,
ton steadily increasing from the augmented
amount taken by the negro laborers, but
there is much larger demand for the West
and Southwest, which has been promoted
by rapidly increasing population and
greater facilities of transportation.
The following shows the aggregate i'm
ports at other ports as well as at New Or
leans for the decade before the war and
four wears since: