Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1884-03-28
OVEgPR0DUcT,oN

~ Vompic' ,
competent cOn'mercialists both in this
country and in England a. uoll q. from
our own observations. that Tie year 1888
was Disappointing one in AIN, erery
department OF trade, fr although the
aggregate volume Of business wa. great
er' both IN quantities and valu,. than
in 1882, profits have been seriously
curiaiIed Prices Of the twenty-five SC.
lectcd articles Of food, raw n,a,.ri,s
and manufactured goods chosen as a
basis OF comparison are five per ceut.
lower than last year, and te, no, cen,
lower than the year before. Mannfac-
lures, shippers, aud wholesale dealers
have striven to recoup themselye. for
their lcssened profit on each yard or
pound by increasing the number Of
yards and pounds; but the only eject
/ as been to cause an unusual number Of
business failures in the latter part Of the
years, showing that the limits Of demand
have been reached.
The fact that food supplies have been
abundant, and that the average priee Of
wheat for the year has been consideraby
less per bushel than for 1882, is an i'm
portant matter for our agricu,turist. %
consider. 1t would seem, in spite Of all
that political economists tell US, a.
though the world had at last reached
state Of general ovcrproduction, +" and
not merely Of disproportionate produc-
ton. We have been led to believe dat
since products of all kinds are merely
exchanged for each other, there could
be no such thing as general oycrproduo-
tiou; but here we have tue fact before
us of an excessive supply of agricultural
products coexisting with an excessive
supply of manufactured products and an
excessive supply Of mcaus of trans
portation. both by land and water. This
Of things is by no means con
fined to the United States. and it sug.
gcsts the inquiry are we approaching q
where everybody win have so
much to sell that nobody can sell any
thing at profit ?
As regards agricultural products de-
mand is in proportion, to a great extent,
to population. That is to say, if, by
some means, all such products could
be doubled in short time. there would
be an embarrassing fall in prices, and
commercial equilibrium could only
be restored by a doubling Of population.
For although wants multiply with the
means Of satisfying them as regards most
things produced by labor, they do not
multiply as regards food. Enough is
as good as a feast, AMI while human
desires may take an infinite range
in the way of fine houses, clothing.
books, pictures etc, they are limited
fortunately, to a nearly uniform quantity
of bread and meat per day. 1t an ex-
cessive quantity of those is produced, il
can only be taken at a profit to the pro
Queer after population has correspond,
ingly increased
We in America have been surprised
to learn within The past few months that
our command of the grain markets of
the world has been brought in dispute
by the wheat fields of India, South
America, Russia, Australa and Egypt.
Whatever the increased rompetition of
these countries results from, the fact is
plain that we have not SO good a
market to sell in as we have been aCcus
toned to for long time When wheat
falls below a dollar bushel in Chicago,
bad times are in prospect
1t behoovcs our farmers to take note
of these things aud to adopt some early.
and intelligent methods for their protcc-
ton. In settling these questions they
will probably come into collision with
the politicians, and about this We shall
have something to say hereafter.