The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-09-06
END OF THE COMMERCIAL. YEAR.

| A'E>" W.
The commercial season which elttls
tomorrow, has been a remarkable one.
Despite the general depression, the lie
cline in the value of property, the
lscarcity of money, anta a large prevail
ing distress among the people, the Ope-
rations in trade and commerce exhibit
Il gratifying and encouraging increase
and progress in every branch and pro-
iduct.
The first cheering fact established by
the showing of last years operations, Is
the increase OF our foreign imports-onc
| OF tho most important evidences Of our
commercial progress.
The value of these imports from for
eign countries figures up $l9,9l6, ,22s5,
against SIS, 5O2 900 Of last year, and is
tho largest since tho war. This increase
is duo chiefly to the leading articles of
import, to-wit, coffee, sugar and salt,
for the distribution OF which Now Or
leans has advantages over an other
ports. When these advantages begin
| to bc further appreciated, and certain
obstacles to our foreign commerce arc
| removed, these articles of foreign pro-
duction will seek this port In preference
! to all others, as by far the cheapest for
| the supply of tho vast and growing
Mississippi Valley.
The value Of the exports from this
city has hcen *iO1 ,99f 81 |, against $780,
3s2,975 of last year. In MI tho great
staples except sugar, there has been Il
heavy increase in amount and aggregate
value.
or tho great cotton crop OF last year,
Iaggregating 3, ,93j 900 bales, New Orleans
has received moro than her usual pro-
portion of gross receipts, say i,t07 600
bales, against ,OG9,ON Of last year
prices ruling generally tho same, as the
increase Of the past season in money
value over tho preceding season may
he stated in round numbers ut from
clovcn to twelve millions Of dollars in
this article alone.
In tobacco, another of the staples
which has heretofore contributed
largely to Our commerce, there has been
AN increase OF receipts, tho number of
hogshcads received to date being SO, 1856
against 81 ,426 OF last year. This trade
would appear to be slowly returning to
us. Before the war our receipts ave-
ragged "a, 600 hoesheads, and even for
ono season ran up above 9O,O 900, but va
rious causes developed during tho war
contributed to divert Il large portion of
this product. This year tho trade has
been retarded and receipts checked by
tho scarcity and high prices of freight.
1t Is the same cause which cut down
our grain receipts to Il figure but little
over that of last year. Large shipments
of grain We're held in reserve for this
port, iii expectation of I'll augmentation
OF facilities for transportation abroad,
which hope, however, was not realized.
This want and demand for vessels was
felt in all the ports, but was aggravated
here by Il sudden appearance of tho bar
at the Passes, which tho parties cm-
pl,ycd by the government to have re-
moved failed in their undertaking, and
thereby produced u most unhappy and
disastrous interruption of our commerce.
Despite these difficulties there has
been a large increase in the receipts of
provisions, especially of hulk pork,
lard, etc.
, In saccharines nlOne-tlle product on
of I4Ouistann-has there been
any decline in the production and in
the prices thereof, on the preceding
year. According to Capt. Bouchcrcau,
the following is tho statement Of the
two seasons:
s"e"r-1s72 ,7s 7s-hogsno"''s.. los. .:2o
Molassos-ls72 ,7s-rallors...~ s.s95,6ao
-lS1l-'72- ....lD,Ol9,M,S
Vl iENSt WVn ;lDStlt
a halfa cent pound, for good fair, lc:.s
than the year preceding.
Such have been the main features of
the operations Os last season in the sta
Plo products of the country. There has
been nothing to discourage our people
in these exhibits. 1t is doubtless true
that the city, or retail trade, has not
been ncOrrcspondlngly prosperous and |
but %his, as we'll as the
decline Of value of property, and the |
general depression of our people, is not !
due to any decline or diversion of the |
great essentials Of a nourishing conn
n,crce, to-wit, largo receipts of products !
for handling exchange and OK Xt'ort;,tion.
We have far more than our proper
tinnal share of this great basis of tho
prosperity of all cities. Our great OBJ
staclt's and drawbacks are purely polit-
iral. ~. q. Ityr,lH.
OF SIR SAMUEL BAKER. |
Tho i'nft Mali Gazette of August 18th, |