The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-29
OUR BRITISH GOODS.

OUR BRITISH GOODS.
Statements derived from the Bureau
OF Statistics show that during the ten
months ending October 81, 1875. our i'm
ports from Great Britain amounted, in
round numbers, to SIG, 100000; and that
the amount during the corresponding
period of'1S74 was little over $2O,00O,-
600. A diminution of imports to the
amount Of S. 900, 600 in ten months, from
England alone, as against last year,
must be considered as a material item
in our favor, amounting to nearly $5,-
100000 per annum.
1t does not follow that this country is
less able, by that much, to pay Tor inn
ported goods this year than last. Ii
signifies that our people are content to
do without British goods to that extent;
and We thereby save for home use the
coin, to that amount, that must other
wise go to pay for the price of British
goods.
The statistics referred to reveal, how
ever, some important facts that ought to
be impressed upon public attention.
Among these is the fact that, while our.
own cotton mills are murmuring because
Of depression in business and lack Of a
market for our manufactured goods, we
purchased from the British manufacture
ers nearly seyenty-fve millions of yards
of cotton piece goods. This was about
ten million yards more than we bought
in 1874. We bought British ready-made
clothing to the amount of $420, 900. But,
fortunately, this is but about half the
amount bought 10 1874, when the amount
reached $795, 900. And yet the query is,
why we should ever import ready-made
clothing. With all our facilities for
manufacturing haberdashery, too, we
bought this year from British manufac.
turers in this line of goods to the amount
of s., ,407,0 900. which is, however, $4,000
less than Tor last year.
Our hardware importations from the
British shops also show a falling off
from last year OF $305, 900, and still reach
the large sum Of $2,4l0, 900 in 1875. And
yet we can make just as good hardware
as England can. We bought from the
British foundrIes about $4,000 tons of
abroad iron this year, while our own
iron.works are many Of them silent for
want OF market. But this amount i'm.
ported is only one-ffth of what we
brought over from England last year.
With a range of territory adapted to
the raising of fax larger than all OF
Great Britain, and with equal skill to
manufacture it, we nevertheless, during
the first ten months Of 1875, brought
over, from British looms, no less than 81
millions of yards Of linen piece goods.
And this was three millions less than In
1874. We also bought s72e,0OO worth Of
British salt. And OF woolen goods, in
cluding broadcloths, worsteds, and car
pets, we patronized the British manu-.
facturers 10 the liberal extent Of .tfty-taco
millions Of yards. But this, immense
though it be, for country teeming with
sheep and wool and factories, is yet ten
millions of yards less than in 1874.
While it is kind Of negative consola-
lion in knowing that the aggregate
amount of our foreign purchases is grow.
ing small by degrees and beautifully
less, it is still a wonder why it should
be that with country producing the
iron, the cotton, the wool, the fax, in
limitless abundance, from which all
these foreign goods are made; and with
artisans as skillful, and machinery as
perfect, as any in the world, we should
yet be buying our goods in such immense
amounts from abroad, while our fac.
tories are languishing on half-time work
or altogether silent. This is the marvel
that the abstruse wisdom OF political
economy ought to explain, but does not
II our material, our mechanics, and our
machinery, were inferior to the British
the explanation would already be made
But they are not.
That national interchange OF commodi
ties should from time to time occur
when markets were fluctuating or over
stocked, would be most natural unde
the common circumstances OF commerce
But why one nation should supply an
other TO such a vast extent, when tha
other had within itself all the product
and capabilities for supplying itself wit
the same goods, is rroblem that need
solution Ns