Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-28
OUR FIELDS OF EXPORT.
PRE-EMlNENcE OF ENGLAND AND TIE
EUROPEAN MARKET.

true that it is most profitable to trade
with a country which buys a great deal
from US while it sells Us comparatively
little, then they ought to encourage
trade with England as the most desirable
of all trade in the world for Us. If thers
is anything in this notion England ought
to be the country to hold the highest
place in the esteem of cur reciprocity
statesmen.
In 1883 England bought from US S1sS,-
600, 900 worth of goods over and above
what we bought in that country. In
1889 this balance of trade in our favor
reached 1854, 900 900, and in 1890 it rose
to $25S, 000, 900. These figures are for
England, Scotland and Ireland only.
Yet tits England, above all other coun-
tries, at which American protectionists
aim their hostile legislation. 1t is En-
glish mills that they rejoice most keenly
in closing up, and English worklnen that
they like best TO hear of as being thrown
out of employment by the Mckinley law.
When one sees how the protectionists are
moving heaven and earth to develop
trade with South America, where the
balance of trade is so heavily against us,
one would think they would view with
infinite satisfaction a trade with so large
balance in our favcr," as is tho case
with our English trade. One wSnli think
that they would study ways and means
for increasing our sales to an even great
er figure in a market which has shown
itself So ready tQ buy Of US, We do not
monopolize the English market for the
products which our farmers have to sell.
England draws large supplies Of wheat,
for example, from Russia, India, the Ar
gentine Republic and Chill, but it stands
ready TO increase the amount taken from
US just so soon as we are willing to in
crease the demand by admitting English
goods at lower duties.
As the protectionists are so deeply con-
cerned about market in which to sell
our products, they should not overlook
the fact that the increase of that market
has been far greater ia Europe than in
SO called Latin America" During the
past thirty years our exports TO Mexico,
Central America and the West Indies
have increased 152 per cent; to South
America, l64 per cent, and to Europe,
ISL per cent. 1t is therefore on lines
running east and west, not north and
south, that our export trade has devel-
oped most rapidly.
The reason for this is not far to seek
Our principal exports are field and farm
products During the past ten years our
agricultural exports have been from four
to eight times greater than our exports
of manufactures. In 1880 the proper
ton was even greater, 1856, 200, 900 of
farm products TO S19, 000. 900 of manu-
features, or nearly nine to one in favor
of farm products.
Now, these southern countries, where
Blaine is trying to find "a market for
another bushel Of wheat and another
barrel of pork, are themselves agricult-
ural countries. Chilli and the Argen-
tine Republic both export wheat TO Eng
land, the latter country as much as
$1,000 bushels in 1888. Both of these
countries are much nearer Brazil than
we are, and we can hardly expect to sup
ply the latter country with anv great
quantity Of wheat and -four in competi-
ton with near by rivals, which are also
able TO export wheat to Liverpool.
The truth is that reciprocity with
South American countries received its
great boom" as a measure to benefit our
manufacturers rather than our farmers
While it was put forward as a means to
get market for another bushel Of
wheat and another barrel of pork" it is
necessarily the manufacturers who will
gain most from reciprocity with the
agricultural countries of the south
In g
and -four, and of beef and pork are much
higher than usual. So far as these higher
prices are the result of foreign demand,
the published market reports show that
such demand comes from Europe, not
from South America or any other coun-
try. Ii Is seen that the wheat crop in
Europe will be unusually short this sum
mer and already this fact is beginning
TO tell on prices in the United States
This simply reflects the fact that of our
total of $50, 100000 of exports in 1890
more than 800, 900. 900 went to Europe
England alone Including Scotland and
Ireland) takes more than half of all our
exports.
The problem of increasing our exports
Of farm products to Europe Is not diff
cult one. The freer admission of Euro.
pean manufactured goods would solve
the problem in a short time. That which
we take from Europe must be paid for
and there Is nothing which Europe is so
willing 10 take in exchange as wheat,
Hour, corn, meat products, etc. Ships
which come TO us with the manufactures
Of Europe must have a return cargo,
and "A cargo both WAYS means cheap
transportation. As it is, when our mer-
chants charter English ships to take
American goods to foreign ports as they
often do, these ships have frequently TO
sail in ballast all the way across the At
lantic, and then the outgoing cargo of
American goods has to pay freights to
these ships for crossing the ocean twice
This disadvantage would at once be re-
moved if the Mckinley wall were torn
down Forair-n vessels yEould co,pa 70