The weekly tribune., 1894-02-16
ENGLAND'S TRADE.
The Exceedingly Pessimistic Report
That Comes From Across the
Water.
Britain Il Said to Be Fast Losing
Her Hold OH the Markets Of
the World.
Decrease In Exports and Imports of
Every kind-Russian and Ger
man Competition.

patch from London says: The publica-
ton of the government board of trade
returns for 1891 has prodNced pro.
found impression throughout the coun.
try, and has deepened, if possible, the
gloom caused by the present CONNER
cial depression. The report fully bears
out the statement made some months
since regarding the decline in
the imports and exports of Great
Britain. The returns show that the
total imports last year We're e4O5, ,O69, 900,
as compared with f423, 1913, ,SS2 in 1892,
and E435, AL ,264 in 1891. The value Of
exports Of foreign and colonial products
also declined last year nearly 5000, 900,
as compared with 1892. Hence the
country not merely imported less for its
own consumption last year, but it lost
the handling of large amount as brok
ers, and the usual profit thereon. The
value of British exports in 1898 was
e2lS, ,496,246, as compared with e227,-
Os1 ,O53 in 1892, and e247, ,235, $50 in 1891.
The apparent balance against the
country was E121,627. .S52 pounds in
1893, us against el26, ,52l in 1891.
An Analysis of the Report.
In response to a request for an analy-
sis of this report for publication in the
United States for circulation in COM
mercial circles in that country high
government official, who also has an in
ternational reputation as political
economist. has prepared and furnished
the following:
ttTha fall ,ff So, th,,
i'll our trade--like that of lS92-is
mainly in textile fabrics. We have not
only imported less raw cotton, but we
have re-exported much more-mainly to
Russia, which seems to he gradually
encroachlng on our Eastern trade in
manufactured cotton goods. The flax
and hemp imports still continue to de-
crease, and the wool imports show a
large decrease, both in quantity and
value, so that in every branch of our
great textile industries less work is
being done, fewer people employed, and
less profit being earned. AS natural
consequence our
Food Imports Are Diminishing
also. The value of the living animals
imported for food fell from an average
of about 50 300, 900 in 1891 and 1899 to
1881, 1O4 last year, and nearly mil
lions worth less dead meat came into
the country last year than in the previ-
Gus, and nearly half a millions worth
less than i'll 1891. The wheat import
values have lessened by more than
G3, $780, 900 as against 1892, and more
than 9S, ,25O, 900 as against 1891, but the
decrease here is mainly one of values,
the quantities being about the same,
which means, as bread still averages the
same price, that the middlemen, the
millers and the bakers have
Divided Nearly Five Millions
among themselves at the cost of the pub
lie. The imports of wines and spirits
have decreased considerably, so that as
our liquor bill grows either the home
distillers and brewers are benefiting, or
adulteration is in full swing, or here
again the sellers are profiting by
low foreign prices. Our coal exports
continue to fall--not in consequence of
the great strike, as the miners no :doubt
would like to make ont, but in pursu-
ance of the steady decline noticeable
since 1891, and showing last year de-
crease of "a, ,000,0 900 as compared with
1891, and nearly G2,500,00O against 1892.
The decrease in our exports of manu-
factured textile fabrics and yarns to
foreign countries and the East is espe-
cially noticeable. The exports of yarns
to Turkey for instance, We're Eel ,529, 900,
as against E29, ,S54, 900 in 1899, and
G27, ,S53, 900 in 1891, and the exports to
Bombay about Ell, 900, 900, as against
el4 100000 in 1892, and upwards of
EFT 7,000 600 in 1891. The exports to
France fell from about fl5, 200, 900 in
1891, and upwards OF fl0, 800, 900 in 1892
to little over $4,000, 900 last year. The
Germans Are Outselling Us
everywhere, and are actually walking
away with our trade in woollen goods,
the increase in exported woollen yarns
to Germany being as remarkable as is
the decrease in the export thither of
woollen and worsted goods. The re-
naming great shrinKage Is II. ,nerals
and metal manufactures. Including
machinery and mill work, the total
value for last year was g44, ,S38, ,552, as
against f46, ,93l ,3l3 in 1892, and g55, ,O27,-
537 in 1891, 1893 showing decrease of
upwards of G2,0OO,0OO as against 1892,
and upwards of elO,OOO,OOO against
1891"
Have Lost the Markets.
One Of the leaders of the Social Demo-
cratic federation, commenting on the
foregoing statement, declared that the
present conditions would materially ad-
vance the cause of radicalism and re-
publicanism in Great Britain. Said he:
1--WE have lost the markets of the
world, thanks to capitalist greed and
the war between capital and labor.
Our much vaunted free competition has
overreached itself. We have taught
our rivals the blessed principal of buy
ing in the cheapest and selling in the
dearest market to such purpose that
they have set up business on our own
lines and are never at loss to find an
Englishman who will help to ruin his
country's reputation for the sake of per-
sonal gain. Individualism stands con-
fessed failure, and mammon, bankrupt,
will soon have to put up the shutters.
POstDOned the Peck ham Matter