, 1883-04-19
Weekly Argus.
ALLEN WEIR, Edjtorand Proprietor
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1883

AS India is the growing rival Of tn
United Safes in the supply Of whea
for the British market, America
wheat shippers will be Interested il
a report on Indian wheat production
by or consul general at Calcutta
H. Matson. In the February numbe
OF the consular reports Matson's con
clusions ere as follows: That India
can produce an average quality Of
wheat at as low cost to the produ
Ger as ihc most favored locality il
the United States; that she can now
supply the European market with
about 100000 bushels annually, and
possesses facilities for increasing this
supply 20 an almost unlimited extent;
owing to the great elasticity Of
home consumption, and to the vast
amount of land awaiting cultivation;
that in quality, cheapness Of transpor-
tation, facilities for handling, safety
against damage during transit
and stability of the money exchange
American wheat, especially that from
the new Northwest, has such adyan-
tages that there need be no serious
apprehension on account Of Indian
competition at legitimate prices; but
that in order to maintain this advan-
tage, it is absolutely necessary that
America should keep pace with India
in her efforts to reduce and maintain
freights at the lowest possible mini
mum. On the other hand it is an
indisputable fact that Indian wheat
has already become, and will continue
to be, very important factor in the
grain markets of Europe, and q check
against high prices brought about
either by speculation OF any other
unnecessary OF artificial means. ri
nally, that upon this basis of a fab
average crop throughout the world,
the American farmer will have to pre-
pare himself to reduce the cost o.
production to the lowest minimum,
and be content with small profits, or
else wheat growing in India viii be
stimulated to such an extent that
subsequent competition may become
extremely formidable.
1t now appears that the monitors
now in course OF construction are to
be made really formidable vessels.
They are to be provided with turrets
of steel DETECTING armor, which will
be- impenetrable by any missiles ex
cept those of the 100-ton guns of the
Italians and the 61-ton guns Of the
British. The Mantomoah, on her
trip from Norfolk to Washington,
showed full ten knots an hour and
was steamed without any difficulty
IL therest Of the monitors prove to
be as fast as this one no fault need be
found with them as the vessels are in
tended for harbor defense, but the
turrets have to be made in England,
because we have neither the machin-
cry nor trained workmen necessary
for their construction, and the only
guns we have to man the monitocs
with are old fashioned smooth bores,
into which rifed tubings have been
placed. These reconstructed guns
are next to worthless, compared with
the heavy cannon now used on the
British war ships. We might buy
guns from Krupp, but with the block
ade of our ports which England could
maintain it would be very difficult to
get them into the country. This
movement of our government Of
building ships without arranging for
suitable guns with which to arm them
reminds us forcibly Of man who
purchased fine carriage for his fami-
lys use, and after buying found he
had DO horses suitable to haul it, and
no means of obtaining them.
In Foochow, China, a debtor who
failed to come to time at the annual
snttlnment. which. according To Chi