Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-20
THE FARMERS EXPORTS.
SOME FIGURES SHOWING THE FARM
ER'S FOREIGN MARKET.

foreign market is forcibly shown by the
treasury department figures of exports
for the calendar year 1890. The total
exports of agricultural products amount
ed to $62S, re ,022, or 7433 per cent. OF
the total exports. In 1889 agricultural
exports were $500, 524, 256, or 1854 per
cent. of all exports. For the two wears
the average of manufactured exports
was only 1874 per cent. of the whole. The
remaining exports, about s per cent,
consisted of the products of forests,
mines and fisheries.
The details of the exports of farm
produce are very striking as an exhibi-
ton of what the farmers foreign market
means. Exports of animals were S35.-
665, 900, of which cattle were the princi-
pei item, reaching $33, 291 900, against
go, 673,0 900 in 1899. Exports of hogs
were 1870 900; horses, $S0S, 900; mules,
1888 900; sheep, Sl99, 900.
One of the heaviest items of exports
was breadstuffs, the totals reaching S14l,-
Coz. 900.
The principal items are as follows:
Corn, $37, 1908, 900; wheat. S42. 34S, Oc0:
wheat flour, $52, 709, 900; oats, 81, III 900;
rye, 81 OPS 900; cornmeal, S9l7. 900; oat-
meal, 1878, 1000; barley, 1868, 900.
Exports of raw cotton We're the heavi-
est single item reported, reaching $254,-
$4,000, or about 40 per cent. of all agri-
cultural exports, and about 80 per cent.
of all exports Of every kind. Exports Of
cotton in 1899 were still larger, being
1866 ,649, 900.
Provisions exported last year show
very large increase. The figures for
three years are as follows:
10y Ssl 24s,OO
loos IL, 3O7 ,0Oc
ioso OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. lE,St2,Oe
The provisions exported in 1890 were
the following: Beef products-Canned
beef, S., 60, 900; fresh, S13, S31 900; salted
or picked, SC, 039, 900; tallow, s., TBS, 900.
Hog products-Bacon, $37 $50, 900; hams,
s., 495, 900; pork, fresh and picked, 81
100000. Dairy products-Butter. So
22S,O00; cheese, s., 100000.
Miscellaneous agricultural products
were exported as follows: Bones. hoofs,
horns, etc. $500 900; fruits. s.. SIS. 900:
hay, $4,000: hides and skins. 81 ,4SS, 900;
hops, $2,112 900; seeds, *, 90, 900: LEAF
tobacco, $21 ,155, 900: vegetables, 81 80
900.
Exports of manufactures made from
agricultural products were as follows:
Cotton goods, 81, 900; leather and
manufactures of leather, S12,275, 900;
lard oil, 1916, 900; cottonseed oil, s. 400
600; oilcake, $7,762, 600; manufactured
tobacco, $4,01S, 900.
When our farmers consider the large
aggregate of these figures they will be
slow to indorse the contemptuous ex-
pressions which the protectionists in
dulge in when they speak of the foreign
market. They will agree that this for
eign market is much toe valuable to
them to be made derision and Jest by
the high tariff crowd. They will re-
member that if it were not for this same
foreign market all their vast surplus
products would have to find sale at
home in a glutted market at reduced
prices. 1t is this much mali gne1 foreign
market which keeps up the prices of
farm produce at home: for Just so soon
as the protected home market refuses to
buy our farm produce the foreigner steps
in, Outbids the domestic buyer, carries
away our produce to Europe and thus
buoys up prices in the home market.
IN view of the above figures. which
demonstrate so clearly the ability of our
farmers to sell their products il the
worlds market, it is curious to recall
certain expressions Of Mckinley less
than year ago. In his report accom-
panying the tariff bill, he said: The
worlds market to which the advocates
of tariff for revenue only invite the
farmers Of this country, Is today crowded
with the products Of the cheapest human
labor the earth affords. All over the
Old World there Is rush of their sur
plus to that market, and it is to such a
contest as this that free trade would
allure American agriculture" The an
swer to all this rot is that our farmers
do compete and have competed for wears
in the worlds markets with the poorly
paid labor of Europe. and the cheap
labor of Egypt and India.
Notwithstanding this well known fact.
and Notwithstanding the large figures OF
exports already quoted, Mckinley had
the Stiffness to speak in the same report
of foreign agricultural products crowd
ing our home market" In order to save
us from that imaginary flood he said
that his committee recommended an
increase of rates upon agricultural prod
ucts"
The treasury figures show another i'm
portant fact, the enormous proportion of
our agricultural exports taken by En-
gland. Let the farmer consider these
figures: Total exports of cattle, $33, 297,-
600, of which England took 1871, 80, 900;
canned beef, $S,610,OOO, to England,
sc, 1856, 900; fresh beef, $13, 1877 900, to En-
gland, $13,654, 900; sailed beef, Sc, 1885,
600. to England, 1885,, 900: tallow,
$5,73S, 900, 70 England. s., Ga, 900; bacon,
$37 $685. 900, to England, $50, 966, 900;
hams, S. 95, 900, to England, Sc s57 900;
lard, $50, 062, 900, to England, 81 $780,
900; butter. sees, 900, to England,
S., 355, 900; cheese, So, 100, 900, to England,