Birmingham state herald., 1896-09-15
OVERPRODUCTION UNDERCON-
 SUMPTION.

SUMPTION.
 Under the above caption we find the following able answer to the cry of over
 production in the Mirror and Farmer,
 an agricultural journal published in Mas sachusetts:
 "In discussing last week the farmers
 market we printed an astonishing state
 ment from a speech of Judge Groesbeck
 of Wyoming, who got his figures from
 the government reports to the effect that
 in 1894 the people of the United States
 consumed 175,000,000 bushels of wheat,
 560 900 900 bushels of corn, O00O
 pounds of wool and 300, 100000 pounds Of
 cotton less than they did in 1892. These
 sums are so immense that they stagger
 the comprehension when considered as
 the measure of curtailment or con
 sumption due to hard times. If correct
 they show the people were forced 10
 economize in 1894 in the use Of the star
 of life to an extent that few or us nave
 realized, for there were more mouths to
 feed two years ago than there were four
 years ago, and yet the total consumption
 of wheat and corn was only about two
 thirds as large. Of course much Of the
 aggregate falling off may be accounted
 for by the shrinkage in the demand for
 seed and feed for stock, but we think 1t
 is generally agreed by the statlstlclans
 that our people ate on an average apout
 a bushel and half less wheat, or about
 
 in 1894, although flour has recently been
 one of the cheapest of foods.
 Assuming this to be the fact, does it
 not suggest the right answer to the cur
 rent assertion that the lack Of demand
 for the products of our manufactories
 is due to oyerproduction? There is over
 production, of course, when the supply exceeds the demand, but isn't the real
 trouble underconsumption? We are toid that the shoe factories can turn out shoes
 q. ta tor U n-
 pie year; that the cotton factories can
 weave cloth enough in nine months to
 furnish all that is needed in twelve, and
 so on through nearly every line Of man. ufacturing, and consequently that we
 must find a foreign market or let our ma
 chinery stand idle a considerable share
 of the time. This is very discouraging view, for foreign market we cannot get at any price we can afford to pay TOT II, and we are glad to find any road that leads to another outlook. It is impossl- ble to ascertain with any degree of ac- curacy how much the consumption Of factory products l'off in the time under consideration, but by consulting our own experience and drawing reasonable de- duction from the facts above stated we can readily see that the shrinkage has been enormous Few people begin to economize in what they eat They pre- fer to wear old clothes, sleep under old bedding and use old furniture rather than to go hungry or subsist upon coarse ra- tions They patroniZe the grocer and the market man before they do the dry goods and clothing dealer.
 One of the largest manufacturers Tn New Hampshire, a man of ample means, who does not usually count the cost Of what he and his family want, said in our hearing few days ago: My clothing bill during the last two years was not a quarter of what 1t used to be in the same time. I am wearing the same oyercoat 1 fJ,rNn f.ca q on aNarVthInQ else to match and it is pretty much the same with the whole family Nearly all of us could give similar testimony Even those who have abundant means and fixed and steady incomes have practiced severe economies, and of course those who are dependent upon their daily earnings and have been out of work or working for reduced pay have been compelled to buy very sparingly of things that were not absolutely necessary. As rule what money they have had has gone to provide food for their tables, while they have postponed until some other year the pur- chase of new clothing, bedding and fur nishing goods So far as they were able they have made market for farm prod ucts and have patronized the factory only as they were absolutely obliged to. Now if the American people taken to- gether have been constrained to lessen by third their purchase of food, how much have they diminished their pur- ehases of textiles, furniture, crockery, fancy goods and other products of the factory and shop? Certainly one-half. Proba bly two-thirds. Is it any wonder that with such curtailment of con- sumption as this the market is glutted and the machines are idle?"