New-York tribune., 1886-05-02
COMMERCE. AND INDUSTRY.
A BOOK BY A BRITISH STATISTICIAN.

A 30 IL B1 Il Bkl l~li 81 il'i.hN'
ESSAYS IL FINANCE by ROBERT GHFtN. New
York: g. Z. pntnams sons, l,-6. sVo al PIP
Though Mr. Giien Is president OF the BRUSH "a
tistica Society his essays are not dry' Dut lui"
large interest for the people OF every lanL Tor
his reputation this is an untlmey book II -
largely devoted to an optimistic view Of Brush Il
dustry based upon figures which we're iar mono
true from two to five years ago, when these pap''s
were written, than they are now, and eNhipi'lh-
condition of Brush working people aud Blti'h
trade winch uuhlppIy no longer exists. To the
general reader IT may be rccAoned "A comfort
though to students 1t Is certainly fault, tn1t
tab g, 70 winch lr Giea often refers as " II tie
Aopendix prove to De not IN tnls volume al al,
but IN various appendices to various other volumes
published by the statistical society or otherwise.
The student Is thus compelled 10 take Dir. Giitens
results on trust, SO To speak. having little oppor-
tunity to verify them by reference To works access
bc I'm tins country.
Mr. Glfler presents great body of Information,
however. tending To show that the Increasing eN-
cess of British imports over exports Is really due -
tie increasing earnings of British shipping IN he
world carrying trade. lie concludes that thc'J
earnings average 60 for sail and Il5 for sicah
tonnage and amount to EGO 100000 yearly FOR
which payment is made III goods imported. laitoI
the reasoning upon wncn much space Is spent. an
attempted cOmparison of exports and imports OF All
nations Is rendered laughabIy barren by hrs M
taken eupOOslti0n that substantial ly all reported
imports Of a countries are valued ut the point ot
arrival, and not as in this and some other cou1-
tries fore gn points of Shipment. Besides 1t IS easy
toanswcr as Nh. GIifen himself ans orsargunc3iso Of
protectionlSts drawn from COMPARISONS OF the Tor
eign trade of different nations. that such returns
are 20 liable to error rs to yltate any COMPARISON
based on them Bat a. 10 the ruass OF evidence ac-
cumulated to prove that British Shipping NdS
enormously prof able "A few years ago. /. l. Ju>t
now enough TO listen TO the loBg-drawn wall or
British shp-bullders and shp-Owners. OF too'-
serve that the unexImpod depression IN BiIii i
iron industries Is attributed chiefly to the oN'l-
crowding and the financial collapse OF tine carIyn!
trade If not carried on at au absolute loss, .h'
business Is certainly worse paid than nyOthci, aud
instead of warrantng IN optimistic view, - Father
ca Gu atcd 10 excite the pity Of those whose aOor
is more prottably employed.
Mr. Citizens treatment OF the tarlil question Is 80
crude and coarse that It 1T times reminds one oI
Professor Sumner. Thus he speaks page 273l ol TO
advocates OF protection as ignorant poiltlcItus,
surely an ignorant class everywhere, VINO ihiilA
they can snatch petty advantage Tor some i'i-
ticular tradeD This from Mr. Robert Giicl. alO Il
Bismarck, and the leading statesmen OF France and
this country is almost worthy oi Il Yale professor
lie reasons page 2iI that If any country de'el-
oDs new manufactures So that II no longer ht'n'
e. buy the same products abroad, the Original IT,
mand of the country which now mannia'tuit;
something IL formerly brought from Lngland MoHn
be found TO remain IN the worlds market, lhO|sA
for something e.se A statstIcIan of moderate a.
ta,nmcnts ought To see that. If surplus ioI export
canals The product OF 10000 farmers. and If lait
OF those farmers turn TO producing c.Oth or >'co'
formerly bought abroad. and eat the iooi lhe ~
naming ZOO produce, there Is lett 30 surplus az"
the country Is not therefore poorer, bht rcheI "'
cause moro harmonlous!y developed IL It's i"'
| dustry. H.. nm
the whole the British working people are III n,,''t
condition than they were MY years aH' Az" @ '''
there has been IA great tendency oi prices d""H-
wand, while their wages have largely 'H' d''.' 90
But III using the mex number ior W nt'n 80 ''',
Cillen praises Professor Je.onS. hot it''i'.,'
! the tact that its deceptive Tendency Ia 49, oen 49,
| nc,trdlv uontcl out oates of comparison are care.
! ieSsly omitted. and tine fact that the hgnr,S '"r
usually those OF January seem, 10 o' '''''''''
! overlooked by the author himself ... .,o
The least sensible ar of the entire Nolul' - 20
array OF figures 10 prove that the ohl.'v .t
! within twenty five years must become 50 iulN S''
fled arriculturally that the cnaracIe oil us i1""r
trv must change and It's ability 10 compete III u
rculture wlth other countries must ncII " -
vanish. MI. Gilien masines tn' a,a'icnInrin an1
and their capacity III thdt respect ~ 'y .
developed. But everybody knows 'hat 'iSSn ',Sa
/ and unused land can bo found IN al Wv
/ older States and within hSe mllcs oi ~
City Hail. New-lork. which II cultivated Won"
yicid per acre than amy farm III Vi'io % ,'tr "
| nOis t.oing 10 OHIO. and taking the mrs. '"un',
! which contains no city and only one WIS,
/ 3 300 population there Is found IN D"rke Noin -
/ nnnulotinu of scvcnty -onc 10 the square mile j.
/ dur,uo .nouph wheat tor - 40 900 mhab t8nIo, @"t
/ cmonoR corn for 100 900 inhabitants aud ehou, u
potat es for 10000 inhabitants. ana Svt ", -
ihlul oi the land stIii reInalns a IOiesi ~" -, -
ret of the land occupied. thls county Wo"'v I'm
| nort IN PROSPEROUS agriculture population ~ wv
10 tie square mIc. and at ne sAme ,'"o ~,
- GOO 900 square miles ot unsettled l"II" J." -. M
United Staics would support az "du'''"nt' ',,,,
latlon oi zoo, 900 O0O people N aEI ui'u'' 80
besides as many usole chsas'd "a supp"
,,,,,,, w,ut, OF iaIm, H. and on,uniihg t"'ll P'
tr,,ttu, of tie remarkable Cb ahSc' Ia
,h. - ,,nl,tlon of European countries. Mr.. "lhoo
IS siugulariy interesting. Bat his ~ h,,
! .hont thc United StateJ secined4 tlhgeu y, .
Rrtish hostility to tho American financial PoneS'