The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-12-02

THE NEW Stalks.
The admission OF the States OF Wyoming
aud Idaho 10 the Union are events full OF in
| terest and congra.ulation, not only 10 the
people of those States, now happily endowed
with full participation OF our privileges
and responsibilities, but to all our people.
Another belt OF states stretches from the
Atlantic to the Pacific.
The work OF the Patent Office has won
| from ali sources very high commentator.
| The amount accomplished has been very
| largely increased, and all the results have
been such as to secure confidence and con-
sideration for the suggestions of the COM
| missioner.
PoRTER's CENSUS.
The enumeration OF the people Of the
United States under the provisions OF the
act Of March /, 1889, has been completed.
and the result will be at once officially COM
municated to Congress. The completion OF
this decennial enumeration devolyes upon
Congress the duty OF making new appor-
tiOnment OF representatives among the sew
eral States according to their respective
numbers.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
At the last session had occasion 10 re-
turn with my objections several bills max
ing provision for the erection Of public
Dllluln.S. lot the IttsOn lHdl tA ftbbt-
| lures Contemplated were, in my opinion,
greatly in excess Of any public need. No
class Of legislation is more liable to abuse
or 10 degenerate into an unseemly scramble
about the public Treasury than this. There
| should be exercised in this matter wise
economy based upon some responsible and
| impartial examination, and report as to
each case under general law.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
The report OF the Secretary Of Agriculture
deserves especial attention in view OF the
fact that the year has been marked in a
very unusual degree by agitation and or
ganization among the farmers looking to an
increase in the profits OF their business. III
will be -four d that the efforts of the Depart
ment have been intelligently and Zeal0usly
devoted to the promotion Of the interests
entrusted 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 II cents in October.
1889, to $175A in October. 1890;
corn from 81 cents tO 50lt cents; oats from
1917 cents to 43 cents, ana barley from 63
cents TO X cents. Meats show ed substan-
tial but not 80 large inceease. The export
trade in live nmals and fowls shows
very large increase. The total value OF
such exports for the year ending July 80.
1890, was $33, 0O0,COO. and the increase over
the preceding year was over $lj,OOOWO.
Nearly 100000 more cattle and over
g. 900 more hogs were exported
han in the preceding year The
export trade in beef and in dairy
products was very largely increased. the n
crease in the article OF butter alone being
from lj,54.91S pounds to D,I4s,Oi2 pounds,
aud the total increase in the value OF meat
aud dairy products exported being $5i,O
coo. This trade, so directly helpful 10 the
farmer. II is believed will be yet further and
very largely increased when the system Of
inspection and sanitary supervision now
provided by law Is brought fully into
operation. The efforts of the 'ec-
rotary to establish the heathful-
ness Of our meats against the disparh-
ging imputatiOns that have been put upon
them abroad have resulted IN substantial
progress. Veterinary surgeons sent out 10y
the Department are now allowed to partIcl-
pate in the inspection Of the live cattle from
this country landed at the English docks,
and during the several months they have
b, en- on duty no case Of contagious pleuro-
pneumonia has been reported. This lnspec-
lion abroad and the domestic inspection OF
live animals and pork products provided for
by the act OF August 30, 1890. will afford as
perfect a guarantee for the whole sOundness
OF our meats offered for foreign consumption,
~ is any whore given TO any food product, aud
its non-acceptance will quite clearly reveal
the real motive Of any continued restriction
If their use, and. that having been made
clear, the duty Of the Executive will be very
plain.
The information given by the Secretary OF
the progress and prospects OF the beet
sugar industry il full Of interest. Ii has al
ready passed the experimental stage. and is
| "A commercial success. The area over which
the sugar beet can be sue essfully Guilt
waited 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 Az
riculture that the official supervision pro
yded by the tariff law for sugar Of domestic
production shall be transferred to the De-
partment Of Agriculture.
CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
The law relating 10 the civil service has
so far as | can learn. been executed by
those having the power Of appointment in
| the classified service. with ndellty and I'M
partiality, and those services have been In
| creasingly satisfactory. Tee report OF the
commission shows large amount Of good
work done during the year, with very linn
tied appropriations.
congratulate the Congress and the coun-
try upon the passage at the first session of
| the Fifty-trst Congress Of an unusual num-
her of laws Of very high importance. That
the results Of this legislation will be the
| quickening and enlargement OF our manu-
| featuring Industries. larger and better mar
| kets for our breadstuffs and provisions, both
| at home and abroad, more constant employ
| ment and better wages for our wOrkln
| l.. iunr En1 ann "A "A aslf
| currency for the transaction of business. !
DO not doubt. Some OF the measures were
enacted AZ 50 late period that the bene1
| cial effects upon commerce, which were 10
| the contemplation OF Congress. have as yet
| but partially manifested themselves.
GENERAL TRADE CONDITIONS.
The general trade and Industrial con-
| ditions throus bout the country during the
| wear have shown marked improvement
! For many years prior 10 1883 the mer-
| chandise balances Of foreign trade had
| been largely in our favor, but during that
wear and the year following they turned
against us. 1t is very gratifying to know
that the last fiscal year again shows a
balance in our favor oi.oyer s6S,OOO,OOo. The
| bank clearings. which furnish good tesI
| OF the volume OF business Transacted Tor the
| first ten months of the year 1880, show. IA
|
increase for the whole country OF about
- per cent. while the increase outside OF
the city Of New York was over IL per
cent. During the month OF October
the clearings of the whole country showed
An increase Of 81 per cent. over October
1889. while outside OF New York the In
ere Sc was Hill per cent. These hgure-
show that the increase in the volume OF
business was very general throughout the
country. That this larger business wac
icing conducted upon safe and pr'ti liable
basis il shown 10y the fact that there wer.
three hundred less failures reported in De-
tober. 1890, than in the same months Of the
preceding year. with liabilities diminished
by about Sj.OOOOO0. The value OF our eX.
ports of domestic merchandise during thu
last wear was over ll5,OOO.OOO greater than
the preceding year, and was only exceeded
once in our history. About$lOOO 600 ofthis
excess was in agricultural products. The
production Of pg-irOn, always good gauge
Of general prosperity, in shown by recent
census bulletin To have been l53 per cent.
greater in 1880 than in 1880, and the produc-
| ton OF steel 800 per cent. greater. Mining
in coal has had no limitation except that
resulting from deficient transportation. The