The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-08

/ WV AetSV thou thO CAOO5o III th'
trade of 1892 over 1891 was wholly il
the value of exports, for there was ,
decrease in the value of exports o
$l7, ,5l3,754 The value of our exports
during the fiscal year 1892 reached
the highest figure in the history of tn,
government, amounting to $1,000, ,27S,
las, exceeding by $l45, ,797 1888 the ex
ports of 1891 and exceeding the value
of the imports by 500, 1915, 1856. A com
| parison of the value of our exports fol
1892 with the annual average for the
ten years prior to 1891, shows an ex
cess of $265, 142, ,671 or of 3i.65 per cent
The value of our imports of merchan
disc for 1892 which was 1929, ,402, ,46;
also exceeds the annual average value
of the ten y ears prior to 1891 by $780,
2l5,940. During the fiscal year 1885,
the value of imports free of duty
amounted to 1857 ,999,658, the largest
aggregate in the history of our com.
merce. The value of the imports
of merchandise entered free
of duty in 1892 was
55.35 per cent of the total value of i'm.
ports as compared with 43. 35 per cent
IN 1901 and 1896 per cent in 1890. In
our cOastwise trade most encourag.
ing development is in progress, there
having been IN the last four years an
increase of sixteen per cent. In inter-
nal commerce the statistics show that
no such prosperity has ever before ex-
listed. The freight carried in the
coastwise trade of the great lakes in
1890 aggregated 2S,295,959 tons. On
the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio
rivers and tributaries in the same
year the traffic aggregated 29,404, ,4O6
tons and the total vessel tonnage pass
ing through the Detroit river during
that year was q, ,684 900 tons. The
vessel tonnage entered and cleared in
the foreign trade of London during
1890 amounted to 13, ,490, 767 tons and OF
Liverpool 1O,941 800 tons; total for
these two great shipping points of
"a Az, ,56S tons, only slightly in excess
of the vessel tonnage passing through
the Detroit river. and it should be
said that the season for the Detroit
river was but 228 days while of course
in London and Liverpool the season
Was for the entire year. The vessel
tonnage passing through the st.
Mary's canal for the fiscal year of 1892
amounted to 9,829,874 tons, and the
freight tonnage of the Detroit river as
estimated for that year Is $4,000, 900
tone, against 23,209,6 tons in 1891.
The aggregate traffic on our railroads
for the year 1891 amounted to 704, $685.
500 tons of freight, compared with SOL, =
s44, ,437 tons in 1890, an increase of 49,
054, ,172 tons.
MONEY IN BANKS.
Another indication of the general
prosperity of the country is found in
the fact that the number of deoosi-
tors in savings banks increased from
$693, $40 in 1850 to $4 ,258, $50 in 1890, an
increase of 51o per cent, and the
amount Of the deposits from $l49, ,277, :
504 in 1860 to 81, ,524, ,S44 500 in 1890, an
increase of 92l per cent. La 1891 the
amount of deposits in savings
banks was $1,623, ,049, 730. 1t is
estimated that 80 per cent of these de-
posits represent the savings of wage
earners. The bank clearance for nine
months ending Sept. 80, 1891, amounted
to SAL, ,049, 9,39O,908. For the same
months iD 1892 they amounted to
$45, ,18S, SOL ,947, an excess for the nine
months OF $4, 139, ,211 ,139. There never
has been a time in our history when
work was so abundant or when wages
were as high, whether measured by
the currency in which they are paid
or by their power to supply the neces-
saries and comforts of life. 1t Is true
that the market prices of cotton and
wheat have been low. 1t is one Of
the unfavorable incidents of agricul-
ture that the farmers cannot produce
upon orders. He must SOW and reap
in ignorance of the aggregate pro.
duction of the year, and Is peculiarly
subject to the depreciation which fol-
lows over production; but while the
fact L have started is true as to the
crops 1 have mentioned, the general
average of prices have been such as to
give to agriculture fair participation
in the general prosperity. The value
of our total farm products has in
creased from 81 1868, ,646,S66 in 1860
to $4 500 000,0 in 1891 as estimated
by statisticians, an increase of 230 per
cent. The number of hogs January l,
1891, was 50,625, ,106 and their value
$2ls, 193,925. On January /, 1892, the
number was SO, 1893, ,019 and the value
$24l 1881 AIS. On January /, 1891, the
nu ber of cattle was 36,875,648 and
the value was $644, ,127, ,908. n Jan
uary l, 1892, the number was 37,65l,-
239 and value $50, ,749, 155. If any are
discontented with their state here, if
any believe that the wages or prices,
the returns for honest toll, are made
quate they should not fail to remem-
ber that there is no other country in
he world where the conditions that
seem to them hard, would not be ac.
cepted as highly prosperous. The
English agriculturist would be glad
to exchange the returns of his labor
for those of the American farmer and
the Manchester workmen their wages
for those of their fellows at Fall River.
L believe that
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM,
which now for something like thirty
years has prevailed in our legislation,
has been mighty instrument for the
development of our national wealth
and a most powerful agency in pro.
tecting the homes OF our workingmen
from the invasion of want. Ihave felt
most solicitous interest to preserve
to our working people rates Of wages
that would not only give daily bread,
k.VNA Il e. Ill