The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-27


not been wet, but the balls and shells will be
almost total loss. If they had been made
into cartridges they would have been In tin
cases, and 50 protected. The value or the
cargo Is S979,OOO. The steamer will be floated
in two or three days.
p The American consuls at Savanilla and Ba-
ranouilla report great improvement in the
trade between the United States and the Re-
public of New Grenada. For the year ending
September 3d. 1873, the gain In American
tonnage entering the port OF Savanlla over
the year previous was 5423 tons, and the eX-
ports to the United States increased from
S788,231 02 in 1877 to S2,07 ,130 70 in 1779-an
increase over last year OF 81 ,282,8 899 II. The
principal exports were bark, copper and hides
Consul Pellet does not give the value OF the
imports OF American goods into New Gre
NADIA through the port OF Savanilla, but
writes to the State Department at Washing
ton as follows:
sWere American goods pressed on the mar
ket with half the energy which English and
German are, and the same credits given,
there Is no reason why, within one year, me
to the United States. American goods are
considered in every way OF better quality,
they are finished to @ greater degree OF per-
fection, and packed In more attractlve
stvle So everything else being equal, they
would soon force the English and German
goods out Of the market"
Similar statements have reached the de-
partment from the accredited agents of the
government in many other States OF South
America. The large trade we had with those
States twenty years ago we lost, almost
wholly, during the war, with the loss OF our
carrying trade, and are only now slowly re-
gaining it, The great obstacle to its full re-
covery is our high protective tariff, which
prevents us from entering fully into that sys'
TEN Of exchange Of commodities upon which
O. profitable commerce is based.
THE FALL, TRADE AND PRICEs.--In all our
large cities there are pleasant evidences OF re-
tries are visibly revving. The shops and
factories are more active, and although the
rate Of wages among mechanics ana opera
tives is lower, in correspondence WIN tne
lower prices Of various commodities, we begin
to hear rather less Of the want OF employment
on the part of the working classes Our mer-
chants and dry goods dealers are doing bet
ter, and trade wears q healthier aspect A
similar report comes to us from Philadelphia
and New York. In the latter city the pr1ncl--
pals Of the two great houses OF A. L. Stewart
K Co. and Clafln Il Co. have expressed the
opinion that not only is there marked i'm, ii,
provement in general trade, but that q SUI
more decided change may be looked for in
the early future. Prices have reached what
is believed to be their lowest point, and the
goods that find the readlest sale are those
that enter into general consumption. AS an
evidence of the decline in prices, udge Hill,
ton, representing the house OF A. L. Stewart
& Co., gives the following figures as show
Ing the cost per yard in.lS77 and 1878 Of lead
ing lines of dry goods: ~ - o. os
1878, from 70 cents to 81. Dress goods novel
ties, 1877, from 50 to So 50; 1878, from 81 tt
So So Camel's hair goods, 1877, from 81 so K
So 50; 1878, from 81 to 81 Is. Prints, 1877
from 10 cepts to l2 cents; l070' from cents
The above articles, as Judge Hilton re
marks, cover the necessities Of the average
buyer. For silks the competition betweeI
the home and foreign manufacturer makes L
difficult to get at standard of value. Ho
siery is said to have declined about 80 pei
cent, the exception being fancy silk hose
which vary in price according to the tints il
fashion. Carpet goods have also declined IL
on being approached on the subject ex
pressed views similar to those held by Judg
Hilton. He stated that all the palmer kind
of goods were in better demand; that tn
principal sales were Of goods that are ab5o
1utely< needed, and that merchants willis
limiting their purchases Of expensive goods
are unusually careful in selecting them. Al
this is In exact accordance with the experienc
of our Baltimore merchants. 1t shows tha
we have passed what in mechanics i
called "the dead point" OF course the &C
tivity in all branches of trade and business
as yet only comparative. But as the move
ment progresses it will gather impetus. 1t i
one of the best signs. Of the times that we ar
getting to be more dependent on our own re
sources and less upon those OF foreign maj
kets. We are now manufacturing, man
things that we used to buy abroad. The tine
sorts of woolen goods, brocades and veiyetS
ing for the highest refinement Of taste AM
the rarest artisticskil we continue to import
but Inore cautiously and In lesser quantitie
than we did III the flush times that succeeded
The war. In consequence Of this improve