San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-05-01
NUMBER 1872
TEXAS NJ NUMBERI

about S530, 600. 600 at the seaports. or
about $4O0, 600, 900 on the farms. Tho
agricultural imports amounted TO over x3t6-
900 900 at ports OF shipments, and fully
800. .OOO. 600 with freights and commissions
added without further allowances for un-
deryaluation. Thus Il takes most Of our
agricultural exports to paw for agricultural
imports. These imports are largely food
and fbcrs. The heavies items for lSSS-S9
were as follows: Sugar and molasses, $93.-
297, ,sOs; animals and their products, except
wool. S4O, ,4l9, ,5O2; fbers. animal md veRe-
table, "a, 9,453, ,936; fruits and nuts, $ls,-
746, ,4l8; barley and other cereals, $S.97l,'
722; tobacco leaf, $40, .226; wines, $7,-
7O5,772. Total, $238, AGA, ,453.
Most Of this importation should be reduced
hero. and many minor products not namedi
IN fact, there II little on the list except tea
aud coffee that should be imported. Thore
are many plants yielding fruits, dyes, medi-
oines, and other products useful In the
arts or for food that could be prohtabiy
grown, after suitable experiment, for tho
supply of n demand already exisling or TO
DO created, or TO utilizing rural labor ana
increasing the wealth OF the country.
There is further cause Of low prices which
farmers should understand, very difiicuit TO
remedy demanding serious consideration
and wise action. 1t Is found In the COM
bination OF carriers and middlemen 70 ao-
sorb large share of the proooeds OF the
sale OF farm products. Beeves are soid oy
growers for seven -tenths to three-quarters
the price OF few years ago, and the meat
| IL sold to consumers In the retail markets
Mt a little IL any reduction from the highest
prices of the last twenty years. For IN.
| III oacfo
In Washington during that period for 70
cents per pound and sirloin steaks for the
same. There has been little variation AZ
general rule in tho prices Of the less yaiua-
bic cuts. The same complaint comes from
consumers IN other cities. Another aspect
of the case bears upon the inexperienced
bu,er The meat that is bought at $500
or IA per hundred live weight isf sold to
the consumer ut practically the same price
as that which cost "a so to R5 Rarely IN
there q difference made In the selling price
of cuts from beeves of different quality. II
such difference is ever observed, II 10 more
frequently made in relation to meat which
a good Judge Of beef would hesitate to bny
at all. Unfortunately. there are thousands
Of poor people VIII, do not know tile dif-
ference between good aud poor quality,
and they are the ninst easily imposed upon.
Tho increasing swarm Of dealers In regu'al
markets and provision stores show that
numbers of people nre living of the diher-
ence between Wholesale and retail beef.
The army of dealers in futures who bet
upon the price Of grain in the coming
mouths and spend their energies to shape
prices to suit their deals do other injury
than merely to prey on each other: they
disturb the natural flow Of trade and cherl
i'm portation BY n temporary rise IN valn"s
which lends inevitably to lower prices iase'
and grentcr fluctuations, which are tux
meat and life of this class and the bane ol
the farmers market for wheat
, There may 10 minor causes OF depression
, which have not been considered, but they
are impotcnt aud unmportant IN compari
, son with those outlined. The main dith
Guilty Is over production of few staples
and quite too limited list of rural pro-
duets, There IL too much hog md hom'nJ
and narrow range Of delicmcies that arc 10
engerly sought by the buyer and no profiti'
bic to the producor, There Is too muci
rural labor unemployed and too mucf
mechanical and manufacturing labor idle
, in both cases for lack of sufficient variety
and because Of $500, ,O00,0O0 or 80 0,Om,
are spent in foreign countries for products
that could better bo made here.