The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-08-21
FACTS ABOUT TRADE.
DO NOT BEAR OUT THAT "REvlvAl.
OF BUSINESS"

Indications of Improvement Are Hard to
Find-Operations In Sugar. Wool, Cot
ton and Cheese Are Decidedly Reduced.
A Contradictory Report.
The thirty-eighth annual report Of
the chamber of commerce of the state of
New York for the year 1866 has just
been issued. Its annual review naturally
touches upon our national finances. As
the effect of the syndicate national loan
of February, 1895, the report states that
"the revival Of trade continued through
out the balance Of the year" This will,
indeed, be news to many.
The report. is dated May 80, 1896. 1t
says. Notwithstanding the disturbed
financial conditions which have so long
prevailed there are many indications
that trade and commerce are now grad
ually improving" Again: Nothing
can prevent our continued prosperity"
We regret that the indications referred
to THAT trade and commerce are now
gradually improving" were not enumer-
ated, as we have failed to find any indi-
cations Of this gradual improvement
either in the columns of Dun's Review,
Bradstreet's, The Journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin, The Wall
Street Daily News or any of the trade
journals that are on our exchange list.
Farther on in the report we notice a
paragraph on the extension Of the ex-
port trade" and efforts that are being
made to bring this about. But there is
not one word upon the desirability of
contracting our import trade so that
more Of the wooden and cotton goods we
consume, for instance, may be made in
the United States and less of it be made
abroad. Possibly it has not occurred to
any members of the chamber of COM
merce that such policy would give
employment to moro Americans, thus
circulating more money in wages and
helping to stimulate 'our continued
prosperity" Then the 'many indica-
tions that trade and commerce are now
gradually improving" might attract the
attention of Dun s Review, Bradstreet's,
The Journal of Commerce and CONNER
cial Bulletin, The Wall Street Daily
News and the trade journals that we
receive. We shall watch them carefully
for all indications" pointing out that
nothing can prevent our continued
prosperity" When we find the "indica-
tions," we shall be glad to let the cham
Der Of commerce also know the ''rea-
sons" We hardly expect to find them,
however, during the current calendar
I,o % ~
icy of protection is assured. Meantime,
bearing in mind that 1.-THE revival of
trade continued throughout the balance
Of the year 1885," let us quote some of
the indications" given in the same
annual report of the chamber of COM
merce:
Although the available supply of
producing countries of the world has
been large, in some instances the largest
on record, the quantity consumed in
this country during 1895 shows q con-
siderable decrease as compared with
1894.
1.-THE actual deliveries of coffee for
consumption in the United States for
the calendar year 1896 amounted to
273, BIT tons, decrease of $50 tons, or
8. 30 per cent, as compared with the pre-
vious year.
''The tea trade Of 1895 proved most
disastrous one to tea men, large ship
ments from producing markets, poor
quality, together with extremely low
and unremunerative prices, having been
the prominent features that have mark
ed the course of trade both at home and
abroad.
''The shrinkage in volume of the
cheese trade of New York, which has
been so serious since 1892, has been car
ried still farther in 1895. An examina-
ton of the table shows most unsatis-
factory years trading both as to volume
and values The further reduction in
receipts amount to nearly 90 per cent,
while the reduction in exports is shown
to be nearly 36 per cent. The years
business, compared with that Of 1892,
gives rather startling disclosure of the
great shrinkage in this important in
dustry. Compared with that year, the
decrease of receipts in 1895 is 81 per
cent and Of exports Sc percent.
1.-THE volume Of business in the butter
trade for the year under review has
been the largest since the enormous
crops Of 1889 and 1890, but the average
price Of nearly all classes of butter has
been below the record of any previous
season.
"Woolens suffered even more than
most others owing to an open winter,
and excessive stocks, and the limited
purchasing power of consumers, which
is always SO noticeable in articles of
clothing during hard times. On the
whole, the year has been one of expert
ment and trial to the wooden industry
owing to above causes-fnancial crisis
and Venezuela message-and to the I'M
satisfactory result Of ad valorem duties
on foreign goods, tho importation of
which has greatly exceeded any previ-
Gus year, amounting in value to 500, 000,-
900, or fully one-third of the total value
of our home production.
In matter of price all branches of
the cotton goods industry are not equal
lv we'll situated Cotton has advanced