The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-02
wEDNE-pAY. NAY >. i,71
How Much Cnmncrce nn.ein In. 10 Losc.

paItmcni has lust brcu published. w. uc,d
not point out the hnportnrt hearing of such
u document un the productive caracitic- 81
The northern cmpir' aud on tie 'i"outiali =,
bourcc- of Il Go, crum,ut row committed tO
IN undertaking OF which mo- man can luictcil
the cost or the end.
There is no doubt that the present exhibit
reveals much progress a. compared with
ihc figures of -piuc iprmcr wears. The to-
tai importNtuu- of ISIS. for example. were
valued at only ninety million dollal- tho
paper ro'ii'lr being estimated at sixty cents.
by 1870 this aggregate had been swollen g.
two hundred millions. four years later tn
two hundred aul eighty while Ia the fiscal
year now summed up We find it touching a
still higher point. namely. three hundred and
eighteen millions of dollars. CHANGING mcrr-
~ at this side of the account. IL T. obviOu-
that the demand for foreign pruduci-
in Russia has grown during tn
last decade with aluio-i unoN1mplcd
Iapidity; amt thi-. 80 far a. il gue-,
may doubtless be taken a. an iuloN of
social mclioraiiun We may note, too. A.
suggestive. the distribution 81 imports
among the several ports Of tine empire
those of the Baltic being credited with two
fiiths and those of the Black ena and Not
with only tenth ui the whole quantity. the
remainder passing across the land iront"'.
Unless. therefore. England should bccnmc
party 60 the pending contest, there sccln-
10 he no reason why Ru-~ip should not CON
tinue 10 crafty her taste for foreign ware.
provided she can find the money To pay IOr
them On that point however. grave Guuht
would be- cast 10y certain other nct- stated
in this report. apart from more general tpl-
Blderatons.
II il when We raise the question of export
that We encounter the dark side of the Ru-.
sian ledger. The total value of natr.
products chiefly grain and other raw mate
rial. sent ont Of the country ia 1873 fell short
pf two hundred and thirty millions showing
deficit when offset against imports ~ mora
than fifty millions 81 dollars. BY decnm-
posing the above aggregate W. obtain re-
suits -til more uniavoiahle in view
Of existing circumstances We lind that
nearly onc-thrl Of tho whole export
comes from the -o-caiied hiack earth
zone -kirting the Black sea, wncrc The
stcppc system of agriculturcprcyail= Thi-
fertile region ranks chief among the graua-
rc- 81 Russia. and it. surplus crops have
hitherto constituted a mails u .torof thrua.
tion3d wealth. But tine -caliug of tho Bo--
phoru- has cut III this ~ourcc. for il is un-
likely that an extremely detective railway
system can insure land transport to any
considerable quantities of Tie cereals which
normally flow out through odessa and the
ports Of the Crmca m the ratio Of the
diminished outflow W. should expect hu-
ports to tall or and with them. of course.
the customs, an important element oi do.
imperial rovcudc.
Not only VIII the oxpot Of surplus -tl-
plr- bee partially arrested by tire rrc-ont
wal, hut Il would APPEAR from This rrpur
that the productive capac,ti'- 81 Russia had
already hrEm % wane. b l- % significant
fact that hr exports ni l,i5 wrfr hut tc.
slightly larger than those of two ycar
before, while they actually fell h.-
hind those of 1874 10y thirty millions col.
dollars. Whom w. consider that such We
the state of things m year OF proioW1
peace We cam hardly douht tina, the with
drawal Of a ftacti"n OF the population from
agriculture must accelerate the tcuueucp
g. decline. We may note further that Oh,
shortcoming above ctcd was wholly charge
able on the Baltic ports and the channels oi
land transport, while tine only piugle--i,c
llgulc- are credited o. the prpc-r quart .
now cncctW,ly walled OIL Damaly. th. Ao .-
boz of thc E.ach -ea
We are tuld ,nlt tho ponnlo~- tramp may
whistle ina presence If tA' highway
and 80 at tin- iu.oture iiu- ia can t'kr
some comfort in tho tholght THAT very lttl,
of her ca. .tu is ahoAt on the Ligi. seas.
just how large d proportional carrying
trade has lain In ior.gn haud-, and nuat t.
the exact caparii s. tur ha--ru Delcuu-
trit |I I ..