The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-12-05


regulations had made them familiar with
whose legal and judicial requirements
and experience seem to fit them for the
work OF interpreting and applying the
new statute. The chief aim of the law il
to secure honest valuations Of all duitable
merchandise and to make these valuations
uniform at all our ports of entry. 1t had
been made manifest by congressional
investigation that a system OF un dervalu
alton had been locg in use by certain
classes of importers, resulting not only in
a great loss of revenue, but in q most in
tolerable discrimination against honesty
1t is not seen how this legislation when
it is understood can be regarded by the
Icitizens of any country having CONNER.
cial dealings with us as unfriend dly. II
any duty is supposed to be excessive let
the complaint be lodged there. It will
surely not be claimed by any wel-dis
posed people that a remedy may be sought
and allowed in system of quasi SNUG
Cling. - y - -
The report Of the Secretary of Agri>
culture deserves especial attention, in
view of the fact that the year has been
marked in q very unusual degree by
agitation and organization among the
| farmers looking to an increase in the
profits of their business. It will be found
that the efforts OF the department have
been intelligentIy and zealously devoted
| to the promotion of the interests in
trusted TO its care. A very substantial
improvement in the market prices of the
leading farm products during the year is
| noticed. The price of wheat advanced
| from 81 cents in October, 1889, to $1.004
in October, 1890; corn from 81 cents TO
SOL cents oats from 194 cents to 43 cents,
and barley from SO cents to 78 cents.
The meats showed substantial but-not
so large an increase.
The export trade in live animals and
fowls shows very large increase. The
total value of such exports for the year
ending July 80, 1890, was $50, 900, 900,
| and the increase over the preceding year
was over $15,000,Oo0. Nearly two hum
dred thousand more cattle and over
forty five thousand more hogs were ex.
ported thanin the preceding year. a@@ss
The export trade in beef and pork pro
duets and dairy products was very largely
increased, the increase in the article Of
butter alone being from Is, ,504 ,978 pounds
to 29,748, ,O42 pounds, and the total increase
in the value of meat and dairy products
exported being 34,OOO,O0O. This trade,
so directly helpful to the farmer, it is
believed will be yet further and very
largely increased when the system of
inspection and sanitary supervision now
provided by law is broug bit fully into
operation. ..
The information given by the Secro-
tary Of the progress and prospects of the
beet sugar industry is full of interest.
1t has already passed the experimental
stage and is commercial success. The
area over which the sugar beet can be
successfully cultivated is very large, and
another field crop of great value is offered
to the choice of the farmer.
The Secretary of the Treasury concurs
in the Recommendation of the Secretary
of Agriculture that the official super
vision provided by the tariff law for
sugar Of domestic production shall be
transferred to the Department. of Agri-
culture.
congratulate the Congress and the
country upon the passage at the first
session Of the Fifty first Congress Of an
unusual mum Der of laws of very high i'm
portance. That the results of this Iegis-
lation will be the quickening and enlarge
ment of our manufacturing industries,
larger and better markets for our bread
stuffs and provisions both at home and
abroad, more constant employment and
better wages for our working people, and
an increased supply of safe currency
for tho transaction of business l do not
doubt. Some of the measures were en-
acted at so late a period that the beneficial
ah hn
contemplation of Congress have as yet
but partially manifested themselves. 3.
The general trade and industrial con
ditions throughout the country during
the year have shown a marked improve
ment. For many years prior to 1888 the
merchandise balances of foreign trade
had been largely in our favor, but during
that year and the year following they
turned against US. 1t is very gratifying
to know that the last fiscal year again
shows balance in Our favor of over
$68, 600, 900. The bank clearings, which
furnish good test of the volume of bust
ness transacted, for the first ten months
of the year 1890 show, as compared with
the same months of 1889, an increase for
| the whole country of about S.4 per cent,
while the increase outside of the city of
New York was over l3 per cent. During
the month of October the clearings of the
whole country showed an increase Of 81
per cent. over October; 1889, while out
side of New York the increase was III
per cent. These figures show that
the increase in the volume of business
was very general throughout the country
That this larger business was being
conducted upon safe and profitable basis
| is shown by the fact that there were 300
less failures reported in October, 1890,
than in the same months of the preceding
year, with liabilities diminished by about
81, 100000. The value Of our exports of
domestic merchandise during the last
year was over $l15, 900, 900 greater than
the preceding year, and was only ex-
ceeded once in our history. About $780,
600, 900 of this excess was in agricultural
products. asGsfr1ea-.s -. 5oou
The general testimony is that labor is
everywhere fully employed, and the re.
ports for the last year show a smaller
humber OF employees affected by strikes
and lockeuts than in any year since 1884
The depression in the prices OF agrieul
tural products has been greatly relieved