The daily gazette., 1881-11-28

OUR EXPORTS OF RRRADsTUFFs.-
Mr.. Richard Ii. Edmund has present.
ed the figures showing the immense
increase in the breadstuff exports of
the United States in the last few years
| in an article In the November Inter-
national Revisw "During the past
six years we have sent TO foreigh
countries more wheat than during the
preceding half century, and within
these six years our experts Of that
staple have nearly trsbled. We ex-
ported 55, 900, 600 bushels in 1876 and
about $50, 900, 900 during the year
ending June 80, 1881. OF all the
wheat and -four exported during the
past sixty-one years about thirty-eight
per cent in value is the product of the
last six and about twenty per cent oil
the last two years. OF wheat aud
-four reduced TO wheat the exports
have increased in quantity from 75,-
900, 900 bushels in 1874 to 1875, 900, 600
bushels in 1881, and in value from
s9s, 600, 600 to s2ll, 900 900.
Turning to Indian corn we find The
figures not less striking. The.quan>
tity of this staple sent abroad during
the past six years is greater than the
quantity exported during the proceed
ing fifty five years, and the exports
have been steadily increasing, except
that they we're less this year than last.
Excluding meal, which is no small
item, VIZ supplied foreign countries
with 100000 bushels OF corn in
1876, $4,000, ,0o0 in 1880 and 9l, 900 900
in 1881, while the exports have risen
in value from $33, 900, 900 in 1876 to
S63, 900 900 in 1880 and $50, 600, 600 in
1881. The total value of the bread
stuffs, including wheat flour, corn aad
meal, which we sent abroad was
$263, 600, 900 during the year ending
June 80, 1881, and S2s0. 900, 600 during
the preceding year"
1t is very important to the int erests
of the whole people that the export OF
breadstuffs shall be retained. The
consequence of the loss Of the sale of
these exports would be felt in every
industrial enterprise. Should there
be no sale for the surplus -four, wheat,
corn and meal that is produced it
would remain on the hands Of the
cease to pay their usual dividends be-
cause of the loss of freights IL
would not bc needed nor would iron be
required to lay new tracks or repair
old ones. The number OF conductors,
brakesmen. engineers, firemen, laber-
ers and clerks that are requited in the
transportation of these hundreds of
millions of dollars worth of bread
stuffs to the seaboard would be
thrown out of employm ut and how
many men would also be dispen sed
with in the carbulding and machine
shops it is hard TO estimate. But the
matter does not stop there. The far
nsrs would have to discharge theil
laborers, who would seek the cities
and towns for work. Tho consequence
of this is easily seen. We need not
point it out. Tho effect of the stop.
page of freights upon the railroads
after 1874 is too recent to need
elucidation now. The recovery of the
railroads in the last four years in con
sequence OF the fleights from tht
immense crops Of grain is well under
stood. But nearly as great loss al
the labor would be the loss oil thi
money for the breads uifs. The far
mers and grain merchants who receiyi
hundreds of millions of dollars in golt
: and silver for the breadstuffs, expen,
1t all with our merchants, mechanics
laborets and others. The loss OF th
money could not fail to be a calam 1t
to the industrial interests and woul,
certainly result in panic similar t,
that of 1873, if not worse. Just i'm
agine the effect upon the fifteen thou
sand miles of railroads that is nov
projsctei to be built next year, an,
the mills that are preparing to get GU
the steel rails for these roads, togethe
r with the locomotives, cars, ties
bridges, &c. 1t is a matter of tn
. deepest interest that every edor
should be made to keep our expoi
q trade in breadstufTs, in whicn Engl4n
= Is our greatest customer.