The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-16
e1r<r sR1rAIN,s FooD IMPORTS.

speoulation on the New York Stock Exchange
This last week has surpassed in activity all pre-
yious records, tho number Of shares dealt In
having twice amounted 10 over 100000 n day,
and tho total for 1--WE days and q half having
been over Z, 400. 900. Since stock operators are
always several months ahead OF the rest OF the
country in upwarda as well rs In downward move
neuts, their present manifestation of conf
dence in tho future is a cheering sign. The rise
In the prices OF stocks, like that In the price ot
wheat, may reasonably be interpreted as q fore
runner Of a similar rise in the prices of con.
modities IN general, and. consequently, of an
end OF the depression in business which has
prevailed ever since 1898, and which, 1t will be
remembered, also began on our Stock Exchange.
The factor most eficacious In producing the
improved feeling manifested by the stock
market is without question our immense ex.
ports OF domestic produce. The value of these
exports, according to the latest and corrected
returns. was. during the fiscal year just ended.
OIL, o32. 900. 900, while our imports of merchan.
disc for the same year. less re-exports. were of
the value Of but s7A5, 900, 600. The difference OF
S2s7. 900. 900 has partly gono to pay freights on
the Imports and partly for interest and divi.
dends on foreign investments In this country.
the remainder OF 1t only having been RENTED
70 us in gold. During the current fiscal year
our exports thus far have exceeded those Of the
corresponding period Of last year, and the Euro
pean demand for our breadstufrs and other food
products promises TO extend the increase
through several months to come. Hence. not
only has the outflow OF gold ceased, but a re-
turn OF the metal is looked for very soon.
The chief customer for our exports Is Great
Britain, the value OF the portion of them which
went to that country during the last fiscal year
having been sass. 900, 900. or nearly one-half OF
tho whole. OF tho items making up this sum
tho principal are cotton, petroleum.. and food;
Che food consisting mainly Of wheat, wheat
-four, Indian corn. beef, and the various prod.
ucts Of the hog. The imports Of food from this
country represent, however. but a fraction Of
that which Great Britain draws from foreign
sources. For the year 1896 her imports of grain
Ind flour were valued at $500. 900. 900. of dead
sneat 500. 900. 900, of butter 800, 900, OOo. OF
cheese Sos, 900. 1000. Of live animals $50. 600.
900. Of eggs $40. 600. ooo. and of fruits
e2s, 100000. Speaking approximately, Great
Britain produces from her own soil only about
one-third Of the food she consumes. and that fact
has lately given great concern to some OF her
citizens, who predict q famine as the probable
result of any foreign war which should prevent
the free access Of shipping to British ports.
The truth is, that under the free trade system
which Great Britain adopted fifty years ago,
her citizens have been gradually giving up
agriculture and devoting their energies to min
ing and manufactures. Having abundant sup
plies OF coal and metals, and ex~celling in enter
prise and ingenuity, they have found it moro
profitable to buy food than to produce it.
This industrial transformation has been accele-
rated BY the improvements in steam navigation
and by the opening to agriculture. in America
and Australia, Of immense areas of new terri
tory through the building of railroads. Land
In Great Britain has thus been gradually aban-
doned by its cultivators and the factories sought
as a field Of employment in its place. Titled
ground has been converted by thousands Of
acres into pasturage, and the resulting food
deficit has been supplied from abroad.
The interesting feature Of the subject is that
this change has been accompanied by q great
improvement in the fare of the British work
ingman. His wages have risen until they arc
now 40 per cent. higher than they were twenty
years ago., and for each shilling of them he gets
more of luxuries as we'll as of necessaries than he
did then. The fall in the prices of commodities.
which the British bimetallists attribute to the
maintenance of the gold standard. has not. they
say. been so great in the retail as in the whole
sale trade, but still they concede that the retail
reduction has been 10 per cent. Hence, except
in Manchester where cotton manufacturing has
been depressed by Asiatic competition timu-
lated by the fall in silver, British workingmen
favor the retention Of the gold standard. and
the bimetallists in Parliament, while they can
secure the passage of resolutions approving
their scheme, are afraid to enact a law putting
It in practice.
1t is probably true that, as tho British BIZ
metallists contend, the cost of living in Great
Britain has risen contem~poraneously with the
rise in wages, SO that the workman who gets 40
per cent. moro than he used to get also spends
20 per cent, or nearly 40 per cent. moro, and
therefore has apparently gained nothing. That
he has still gained something IL. however,
proved by the steady increase of the savings
bank deposits Of the kingdom and Of the strike
funds Of the various trades unions. and by the
reduction Of working hours which those unions
have been able to secure. II, working eight
hours instead OF ten, the workmen earn 40 per
cent. more wages, and out of those wages can
save more money than they did. they certainly
are some what better on than they were. II, in
addition, they live moro generously than they
did. even though they lay up very little more,
they have mado a substantial advance measured
BY comfort and enjoyment. II not in money.
For example, the British workman consumes
vastly more animal food than he did before inn
proved methods of transportation brought it
within his reach. Besides the live cattle which
the great transatlantic steamers carry across
the ocean and the tons of sailed beef, pork, bacon
and ham which we send her, Great Britain re-
ceives from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
6outh America between 10000 600 and 6, 1000.
600 frozen carcasses of mutton every year.
whereas ten years ago she received only 1,0OO,-
600. In 1896 the aggregate of the meat Inn
ported amounted to 13, 500. 900 hundredweight
against 100000 hundredweight In 1856
Thus. in ten years the quantity OF meat at the
Of tho British workman has nearly
trebled. Considering that the consumption of
this form OF food 10 the recognized index of the
standard Of living in civilized countries, the in
crease of 1t In Great Britain is significant.
The increased consumption In Great Britain
OF the flesh of animals also explains why. with
the increase of population and of wealth in that
country, tho consumption of wheat remains
stationary. In 1885 that consumption was 215,.
100000 bushels. Of which 12s. 0Oo. 200 bushels,
or about three-ffths. was imported. In 1896 the
consumption was 214. 1000. 900 bushels, of which
ls?.OOO.' 90 bushels, or considerably more than
threo-quArters. was imported. The population
OF the kingdom In 1885 WAS "a 700 600 and In