The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-05
Must Our Food Expectation Cease

have resigned from lammany HAL, DuJ
from Congress.
Must Our Food Expectation Cense2
The United States have long occupied q
unique place In the commercial world. Our
imports OF manufactures exceed those of
any other nation. while our exports OF such
commodities are comparatively small. al
though In the aggregate value Of all ex-
ports We are distanced only by Great
Britain. There is little resemblance be-
tween the external commerce Of the United
States and that OF any nation OF western
Europe; that OF eastern Europe resembles
ours only In the volume OF grain sent
abroad. Our exports OF fibre and animal
products exceed those of all the world be-
sides. Indeed. we possess about half the
swine OF the world. furnish more than four
fifths OF the pork products entering into
commercial exchanges between nations.
and. when our contribution diminishes.
prices for such products advance, the world
over. Excluding Asia and Africa. we own
nearly 80 per cent. OF the worlds stock
OF cattle. While we do not control the price
OF beef SO completely as We do that OF pork.
yet so dependent Is western Europe upon
the volume Of external supplies that. upon
the diminution OF the American contribu-
ton. as In the last year. the price responds
in some measure.
The price OF wheat has long been domi-
mated by our current exporting power. AS
We are the greatest contributor to the
worlds supply. the price usually rises or
falls as our exportable surplus increases or
dimlnishes. Present and recent low prices.
as well as the greatly reduced purchasing
power OF the worlds wheat growers. are
due to such exceptional yields from Amerl-
can fields In 1891 and 1892 as enabled US to
export some 370.00o.OO0 bushels moro than
we could have spared had those crops been
no greater than the average OF the preced-
ing eleven years.
OF cotton We have long had and still
have virtual monopoly. The American
cotton grower was fairly prosperous until
the great acreage yields OF 1890 and 1891
forced 80 much fibre upon the market as to
drive prices down from 20 to 80 per cent.
rendering the crop unfemunerative except
upon the richest lands.
The very abundance that should have
brought great prosperity to the wheat and
cotton growers had the effect OF destroying
nearly all that remained OF their purchas-
ing power. 1t greatly reduced the unit
value Of the larger part Of the commodi-
ties exported. and diminished the demand
for manufactures. especially for books. car
pets. furniture. the finer textiles. and the
thousand and one things which can and will
be dispensed with when individual revenues
shrink greatly. This. in turn. has affected
every business from that OF the great rail-
han MI In hat - ha
publisher OF the metropolitan daily news
paper. to that Of the street vender. The
result is intensified commercial and indus
trial stagnation.
Exclusive of tea. coffee. sugar. spices. and
other articles OF food which 1t has been
found impracticable to produce at home.
and articles entering in some form into
American industries. our purchases OF for
eign commodities ready for immediate use
are OF an aggregate value OF about $24O, OOO.-
600 per annum. This is much less than Is
generally believed.
While it is both possible and probable that
we shall reduce these expenditures by an
extension OF home production. and by dis
pensing with some foreign Injuries as 1t
becomes progressively more difficult for
the great mass OF the people TO make both
ends meet, yet We shall long have an ac-
count with foreign nations which must be
liquidated either by the expectation OF the
products OF the farm and factory. or by
sending abroad an increasing proportion OF
the gold and silver mined.
Can we continue TO send abroad SUFFICIENT
OF the products OF the soil. supplemented by
manufactures slowly increasing In ARgre-
gate value. to meet these bills
Until recently cultivated acreage fur
nishing products greatly In excess OF do
nestle requirements has enabled the nation
to meet most OF the demands of the foreign
creditor by the expectation Of the products
Of the soil in primary and secondary form.
The cultivated area having. about ten
years since, ceased to expand as rapidly as
the requirements of progressively in
ereasing population, 1t is hardly probable
that we shall continue to export farm prod
ucts. especially food. in the same relative
proportion TO population as during the last
fifteen years. and thus pay for imports that
have. during the last five years. been In the
ratio OF Sl290 10 each unit OF the population
as against a concurrent expectation Of COM
mOdities equalling in value slS62 per capita
Thus, but for the expenditures Of American
tourists and the payment abroad Of interest
and dividends. the balance in our favor |
from the exports Of the last five years would !
have been about s22s. 100000, for which We |
should have received specie.
An expression OF belief that We are |
likely to diminish the volume Of sgrieuI- |
tursl exports u esteemed an exhibition OF |
pure psssimism, AID little short Of tTea-