Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-01

|
that the efforts Of the department. have bee,
intelligently and sealously devoted to the pro
motion Of the interests intrusted 70 it, care.
Avery substantial Improvement in the marke
year 10 noticed. The price Of wheat advanced
from 81 cents in October, 1889, to $l.00H il
October, 1880; corn from 81 cents to 50h cents
oats from I9h cents to IS cents, and barley
from 6S cents TO Is cents. Meats showed . sub
stantial but not so large an increase. Thu
export trade in live animals and fowls shows 9
very large increase; the total value of such
exports for the year ending June 80, 1890, wal
$33, 600 900, and the increase over the preceding
year was over 81, 000, CO., Nearly zoe, 900 more
than in the preceding year. The export trade
in beef and pork products and in dairy products
was very largely increased, the increase in the
article Of butter alone being from 1884, Ye
pounds to 29,74S,oi2 pounds, and the tota
increase in the value Of meat and dairy products
exported being So, 600, 600. This trade, SC
directly helpful TO the farmer, it il believed
will be yet further and very largely increased
when the system Of inspection and sanitary
supervision now provided by hw h brought
fully into operation.
The efforts Of the Secretary to establish the
healthfulness Of our meats against The dispar.
aging imputations that have been put upon
them abroad have resulted in substantial pro-
gress. Veterinary surgeons sent ont by the
Department are now allowed to participate in
the inspection Of the live cattle from this coun-
try landed at the English docks, and during
the several months they have been on duty no
case Of contagious pleuro-pneumonia has been
| reported. This inspection abroad and the do
nestle inspection of live animals and pork
products, provided for by the act Of August 80,
| 1890, will afford as perfect guaranty for the
wholesomeness Of our meats offered for for
| eign consumption as il anywhere given to any
food producs, and its non-acceptance will quite
clearly reveal the real motive Of any continued
restriction of their use; and that having been
made clear, the duty OF the Executive will be
very plain. 800
The information given by the Secretary of
the progress and prospects of the beet-sugar
industry Ia full Of interest. II has already
passed the experimental stage and is a CONNER
cial success. The area over which the sugar
beet can be successfully cultivated ia 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 supervision provided by the
tariff law for sugar of domestic production shall
be transferred to the Department Of Agri-
| culture.
THE CIVIL SERVICE
The law relating to the civil service has, 50
| far as can learn, been executed by those hav-
| ing the power Of appointment in the classified
service with fidelity and impartiality and the
| service has been increasingly satisfactory. The
report OF the Commission shows O large amount
Of good work done during the year with very
limited appropriations.
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
congratulate the Congress and the country
| upon the passage at the first session Of the
Fifty-frst Congress Of an unusual number Of
laws Of very high importance. That the results
of this legislation will be the luickening and
enlargement of our manufacturing industries,
larger and better markets for our breadstuffs
| 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 the transaction OF business.
do not doubt. Some Of these measures were
enacted at so late period that the beneficial
effects upon commerce which were in the con-
temptation of Congress have as yet but partially
manifested themselves.
The general trade and industrial conditions
throughout the country during the year have
shown a marked improvement. For many
years prior to 1888 the merch andise balances of
foreign trade had been largely in our favor,
but during that year and the year following
they turned against ne. 1t is very gratifying
to know that the last tisca! year again shows a
bank clearings, which furnish a good test of
the volume of business transacted, for the first
ten months Of the year 1880 show, as compared
with the same months Of 1889, an increase for
the whole country of about 81 per cent, while
the increase outside of the city of New York
was over IS per cent. During the month Of
October the clearings Of the whole country
showed an increase Of 81 per cent over OctO-
Der, 1889, while outside Of New York the in
crease was M 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 il shown by the fact
| that there were three hundred less failures re-
ported in October, 1880, than in the same
month Of the preceding year, with liabilities
diminished by about IS 200. 600.
The value of our exports Of domestic
mt rchandisn during the last year was over
S115, 0OO, COO greater than the preceding year,
and was only exceeded once in our history.
agricultural products. The production
Of pig iron-always good gauge
Of general prosperity-is shown by a recent
census bulletin to have been l5S per cent
greater in 1880 than in 1880, and the production
Of steel $50 per cent greater. Mining in coal
has had no limitation except that resulting
| from deficient transportation. The general
| testimony is that labor is everywhere fully en-
ployed, and the reports for the last year show
smaller number Of employees affected by
strikes and lOckouts than in any year since
| 1884. The depression in the prices Of agricul-
| tural products had been greatly relieved and q
| buOyant and hopeful tone was beginning to be
felt by all our people.
These promising influences have been in
| some degree checked by the surprising and
| very unfavOrsble monetary events which have
| Recently taken place in England. 1t is crafty
ing to know that these did not grow in any
degree out Of the financial relations of London
| with our people or out of any discredit
attached to our securities held in that market
The return of our bonds ana stocks was caused
by money stringency in England, not by any
loss OF value or ere dit in the securities them
selves. We could not, however, wholly escape
| the Ill effects Of q foreign monetary agitation
accompanied by such extraordinary incidents az
characterized this 1t il not believed, however,
that these evil incidents, which have for the
time unfavorably affected values in this coun-
try. can long Withstand the strong, safe and
wholesome influences which are operating to
branches OF legitimate trade and industry. The
apprehension that our tariff may again and
at once be subjected to important general
| changes would undoubtedly add a depressing
influence Of the most serious character.
THE TARIFF ACT.
The general tariff act has only partially gone
into operation, some Of its important provi-
sions being limited to take effect at dates vet
in the future. The general provisions of the
law have been in force less than sixty DAYS Its
permanent effects upon trade and prices still
largely stand in conjecture. 1t is curious to
note that the advance in the prices of articles
wholly unaffected by the tariff act was by many
hastily ascribed to that act. Notice was not
taken Of the fact that tho general tendency Of
the markets was upward from influences
wholly apart from the recent tariff legislation.
The enlargement Of our currency by the silver
bill undoubtedly gave an upward tendency to
trade and had q marked effect on prices; but
this natural and desired effect Of the silver leg
islatiOn was by MANY errOn6Ously attributed to