The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-26

relative production OF silver and gold,
the increase OF decrease of wealth and
poverty, Of debts, taxes and mortgages.
Senator Jones' long speech is the theo-
saurrs from which many Thousand sill
verits orators and writers have taken
their materials. Into it as the great re-
servoir flowed all pre-existing streams
of monetary fact, and out of it his sue
cessors have drawn their main supply,
each merely bringing the figures down
to his own date.
Senator Quay's long and I must say
very tedious speech consisted largely of
statistical tables, but he prepared none
of them himself, and most of them were
read for him by other senators while he
rested his throat. 1t is generally be-
lieved that Senator Sherman has the
best arranged collection of statistics in
his line and a correspondence of i'm
mense value, and that he will edit and
publish them when he retires at the end
of his present term, after "a years in the
senate. As members and senators quote
largely from those who preceded them,
The Record is greatly numbered. and
many elaborate tables have within few
years beeu published therein as often as
twenty times.
Dark Outlook.
Mr.. Ford. chief of the bureau Of sta
tistics, is neat and very clerical look
ing gentleman, a little below the medi-
um size, and the top of his head is
"away above the timber line," as we
used to say in Colorado He was born
in New York city in 1868 and was long
a journalist there when appointed to
L.; L
''some 90 reports per month from each
of the 1876 ports Of the United States,
and these are tabluated in three month
ly reports as to the principal articles,
such as cotton, breadstuffs. oils and pro-
visions, and the whole in monthly bull
letin. All these are summarized in the
annual report on commerce and naviga-
ton. 1t is not possible, however, to give
the percentage of increased bulk of ex-
port necessary to maintain the value,
though many congressman want it, Take
cotton, for instance The exports for the
calendar year 1894 were much larger in
bulk, but much smaller in value than
several years ago. Some things main
tain a wonderful evenness, especially
barley"
t'Well, will ask the great question
of the day, What hope is there that our
farmers will soon get better prices?''
''None whatever that can see. On
the contrary. it seems certain that Rus
STA and Argentina will greatly increase
their exports, though they are making
the same complaints about producing at
loss. Wheat and meat should be steady
in price, as they constitute the strongest
foods and are in general demand. Nor
is there any overproduction of either
In fact, the world is right now greatly
in need of wheat and meat, and the con-
sumption is cut down only because peo-
pie cannot buy. The world is going
through a prolonged liquidation. and
farmers and debtors suffer.
Hoarded Gold.
''And what is the cause of it?''
Nobody knows. There is such COM
bination of causes that no one can mas
ter them. We have had a convulsion
about once in ten years, and this one
would have come on in 1891 had it not
been postponed in this country by the
failure of crops in Russia, but prices
have gone so low as to nullify all CAL
culations. It is promised that there will
soon be an imitation of gold, but do
are bidding for gold and filling their
war chests. Here are our very latest fig
ures. The Bank of England had three
years ago $1O9, 342, 800 in gold. It now
has &161, O37, 1856. And in like manner
the Bank of France. has increased it's
store of gold from $3.50, 888, 299 to
| $4O2, 1875, 500, the Austro-H Hungarian
bank from $26. 634, 400 to $74, 228, 725
and the Imperial German bank from
1922, 511, 900 to $249, 800, 1913. Russia
is going much further, taking all her
customs dues in gold and storing it away
and paying out nothing but silver.
There is a great story about an i'm
mense hoard of gold in China, and Eng
| lish writers relate that when their army
| looted the palace at Picking they found
| scores of statues of solid gold and only
took away onel If British soldiers ever
did leave solid gold that they could get
away with, the rest of the story may be
| true, but my guess is that the Chinese
indemnity will have to be paid in silver,
because there is nothing else. It is not
recorded that Give, Hastings e Co.
| left most Of the gold they captured in
| India
An Interesting Chart.
Much more of interest in this conneo-
tion did Mr.. Ford give, but congress
has recently made this subject a trifle
stale This bureau was instituted in
1866, with Mr.. Alex Delmar as commits
sioner. He is now somewhat noted as
writer on bimetallism. The organiza-
ton, however, was by General Francis
A. Walker, and his forms and tables re-
manned unchanged till two years ago.
His successors have been Messrs Ed
ward Young, now United States consul
at Windsor. N. s.; Joseph Nimmo,
now farmer in New York; William
F. Switzler, at present an editor at
Booneton, Mo-; S. G. Brock of the same
state. and after him the present incum-
| bent In addition to its ragnIar huIla.