The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-08
Wednesday. May s. 1878!
SOMETHING ABOUT BREAD.
Where England's Bread comes from
and what it Costs.

statements concerning the question OF
bread in England which may be of use to
the statesmen and political economists in
this great wheat growing section of the
world. For something over hundred
years England has paid more for her
bread than any other nation and has at the
same time grown rich. Previous to that
time England was an exporter of wheat.
Now, instead Of sending bread to other
nations, she imports more than two-thirds
of the bread of her own people. Many
economic writer's insist that nation cannot
safely buy from other nations any consid-
cradle part of its food. 7
AS late as 1886, q British economist
wrote: IAN inconsiderable state or colony
may, it is true, without much danger OF
which oblige it to be habitually dependent
upon the soil of other countries for the
food OF its inhabitants; but a very little
inquiry and very simple calculation
would suffice to convince US that this can
never be the case with q numerous people"
This dangerous condition has now come to
degree, for the United Kingdom to-day
buys fully one-half it's entire food supply
from other nations.
Forty-two years ago, when that book
was written, such state of affairs seemed
no way likely to occur, In the early years
of this century the war with Napoleon
had made the import of breadstuffs un
usually large. From the close of that war
10 ha Of ruha nd
largely declined, and about that year had
dwinded to the small amount of 244, 400
bushels. From that very time, however, a
considerable increase set in, and in 1910 it
had .reached over 100000 bushels, a
figure that had never been approached
before. The real development of the
trade in foreign breadstuffs mag be said to
be wholly within the last forty years. Be-
fore that, the consumption of foreign food
was comparatively insignificant A brief
notice of the change, tom being an ex-
porter of wheat to becoming an importer
to the exteqt of two thirds of the whole
bread supply, may be of interest In all
tbe calculations, wheat, meal. and flour
have been reduced to an equivalent of
bushels Of wheat. That is the practice of
the customs authorities. Where redac-
tons of money have been made, the
pound sterling is considered equal 10 IS
currency, the shilling to % CENTS aud the
penny TO two cents of American money.
From 1900 to 1870, the United Kingdon
exported wheat and -four to the aver, .oo
quantity OF /, l0T, 900 bushels annual r.
two years only of that decade did 1he
port exceed the export, Jr the pey jnr
cade, tive years show-,d nm eyre - ue
port, and the ntL G. - 'eS Va "a
4ne whole decade ave an average
excess OF import of 344 800 bushels yearly.
From 1880 to 1890, Tx years still showed
a balance OF exports of wheat aud -four,
but the recorGl Tor the decade is again on
the side OF the imports. and the average
excess Of import amounted to 1S6, 400
bushels yearly. In the last decade of the
century, only one year showed an excess of
export, aud for the entire decade the
average excess Of imported wheat was
2,o72,SO0 bushels year. Since the year
1900, England has exported wheat but
one year on balance. That one lucky yeal
was 1908. In the first ten years of the
century the import was very high, owing Il
the war. The average import was 4,597,
600 bushels yearly. The war continued
through part Of the next period. and tn
average import was now 4. S33, 900 bushels
From 1920 to 1880 the record is better
and the average import reached but 2, 945
900 bushels. A remarkable decline 10 th
wheat now set in, aud in 1885 it was bu
221,S64 bushels. The import Of the fol
owing year, though somewhat larger, wa
still ridiculously small. The Britons wer
then trying to keep out foreign grain alto
gcther by their corn laws. 1t really locke
as it they intended to again raise all the
own bread. An increased import 500
began, however, and in 1888 no less tina
l4,S24.000 bushels came from abr
From this time the average incrS- d
been very rapid. ,se
In the year following A.
corn laws the inn re raneal of
nearly dn"r .,,ort OF v heat and A.
"'' .,led. and in J $40 it was 81, q
.,y bushels. Until II go this last fig
was rarely equalled. In 1862 the imp
was unusually larg', }, being over 93.OO0,t
bushels. Iu the next ten years this
not euualled, To g usual import being alb
G5,O0OD00 bu5hels yearly. But IN !
the import o! 1862 was exceeded,
since that year level has been !
mauenty reached at least 10000!
bushels higher than in prev
wears. In 1877 wheat and wheat f
were imported to the quantity of 1853
600 bushels, valued at $203, IFS 900.
wheat grain alone amounted to 100, 100,
bushels, valued at 1859, 100000.
-four amounted to over 4, 1884 900 barr
valued at $34,0l500O. The import
wheat and -four in 1877 exceeded tina
the previous year by more than $4,000,
bushels. give the import of wheat,
not of other grains because, though
mense quantities of corn and oats are
ported, they are not here classed as brt
stufFs, though large amounts Of both
In fact, used as human food.
If the population of the United KineC
were increasing at like pace with the {
sumption OF foreign bread all these hgI
would go for nothing But the popula
is not SO increasing. In l84l it was
ISL 200; in 1877 it was estimated at
444,O0O by the usual rate of incre
Each person consumes annually on
average about 300 pounds of whea
other bread grain. In the first ten y
OF this century the average annual i'm
OF wheat was slightly more than pei
head. 10 the second decade the im
per head was rather less than six qua
and in the third decade not more ths
the second From 1880 to 1910
average import per head was again a
peck, perhaps little more. In the
lS4O the import per head az pound
large increase, and now more than
seventh the quantity required by
person. la 1912 the average wa
pounds; in 1916, AZ pounds; in l85
was 81 pounds: in 1884 nearIy73 poU
In 1860, it reached ll9 pounds; an
1862, nearly 1875 pounds. Then it fe
for a number of years, sinking in l8
1919 .,