The evening times., 1897-02-02
TRADE IN FARM PRODUCTS
The Totals of Exports and In
ports Show a Good Balance.
TREMENDOUS FALL In PRICES
Secretary Morton Sends Out a Cir
cular Which, When Analysed, Is
Not Exactly an Argument for the
Gold Standard-A Steady Decrease
in Returns From Europe.

A circular just issued by the Department
people OF the United States have been
exporters and importers of agricultural
products in the past five years
According to its figures. little more
than one-half OF the goods brought into
the United States in the time have been
products Of the soil under the classlfica-
tion of the department. The lowest per
ccntage OF the total imports was 40 per
cent, in 1896. The highest was 54 per
cent. in 1894.
The total value OF imports for last year
was S779, ,72+674, of which $3.50, 3S,-
90 was agricultural. 1t has been sup
posed by many that by far the greater por-
tion of imports into this country was made
up Of manufactures. To such the state
ment that more than half is the raw ma
terial" direct from the field will be a sur
prise
The showing for exports is not unex-
pected; If anything. the percentage Of
exports that stands for farm products is
smaller than might be supposed. For the
five years not quite three-fouTths of the
total export has been agricultural The
average is 20 per cent; the highest, rs per
cent, in S92, and the lowest Sc per cent
The totals were 81 .015, 2,OI1, in 1892,
and SS63, 200, 4S7, in 1896, of which
S799,993,343 was agricultural in the
former, and $571 ,S99,S45 in the latter.
OF the agricultural imports each year.
nearly one-half has been OF sugar, coffee
and tea. The other principal items have
nil Is nd
wool and fibers, such S cotton silk and
wool The wool import has grown from
Sl9.6sS,10s in 1892 to $32,45I ,242 in
1896.
An interesting feature of the circular
is the fact that there has been steady de-
crease of values of the total imports Of all
kinds from 81 ,OO0, 900 in 1892 to $685.
zoe. .4ST in 1896. The total falling off
is S152. .131, ,164, and the difference is a
little greater for 1895. OF the decrease
the falling off on agricultural pr oducts was
S22S, ,093, ,49S. This does not mean, how
ever, a falling off in quantity so much
as in prices.
The export of corn In 1892 was "a. .451,-
$40 bushels, which brought S41, $50, $50,
while in 896 the total of 99, ,992, S35 bushels
brought only S37 1886, ,S62 Making the
subtractions, this means IA, $40 1856 more
bushels OF corn sent abroad for So, ,753, ,598
less money. This is a fall in average price
from 55 cents bushel to 80 cents.
The showing for wheat is 157 ESQ. .351
bushels exported in 1892, for which S161,-
1891 was paid, against 6O.65O,58O
bushels in 1896, for $39, ,7O9, ,S6S The
great falling off in quantity, of course,
makes a smaller total money return, but
the price also was only about half as high
in 1896 as in 1892 The figures are 81 .26
per bushel for wheat in 1892, against 60
cents in 1896
In spite of this tremendous decline i'm
prices of agricultural products, along with
the falling off in total exports, there has
been balance in favor OF this country
every year, except 1893 The amount
was $lSS, ,329, $40 in 1892. and in 1896
it was Ss3,475, 95s. The balance against
the United States in 1898 was only $780,
$40, ,157. The balance in favor of farm
products has fallen from S372 .726, 72I in |
1892, to S1S9,7 ,761 $50 in 1896.
Silverites say this fall in prices, which !
means unprofitable employment Of both |
capital and labor, and has led to great |
decrease even in the total quantities of |
exports, has occurred under a single gold |
most Of it after the repeal Of the |
Sherman law in 1898. and with steady |
promise OF public opinion as controlled |
by the money power, that the people of |
the United States will maintain gold as /
rects some other policy.