The San Francisco call., 1897-06-07
WORLDS RAW MATERIALS.

From the annual report of the president
OF the French permanent mission on
customs valuation, just published, IL APP
pears that the civilized world is by no
means coming to all end of its resources
as regards raw materials for industries, or
even for food, and that there can be no fear
of nature being exhausted in satisfying its
requirements.
In recent issue of the Economists
FrdncGiS NJ. Paul Leroy Beaulieu states
that for long time it had been q sort of
axiom with economists that if manu-ac-
tured goods have tendency to persist
emily fall in price as mechanical and
chemical Improvements advance, all veg
eiable and animal products, especially the
latter, must grow dearer through the in
capacity of agriculture to keep pace with
industry in its progress. This contention
is, however, denied at the present day as
a result, in fact of the experience of the
last quarter of a century. On the one
hand, the world not being yet com pletely
peopled, enormous tracts of country like
the two Americas, Oceanica, and more
lately Africa, with an extent of territory
out OF pro portion to their sparse popula-
ton, can daily pour out into the old coun-
on the other hand the ancient civiliza-
tions, such as India, Japan and in a lesser
degree China, are having recourse not
only 10 the capital, but also to the techni-
cal methods of Europe and are becoming
more and more productive.
The report refer ei TO in the first para
graph gives instructive information on the
upward tendency in the production of
raw materials for industries and manufac-
lures. On account of the minute details
1t affords this report cannot be applied to
quite recent facts, but deals with the
years 1894 and 1895.
For exempe, take wool, which is the
first article treated. 1t Is well known how
much the quantities OF this article of mer-
chandise have increased within the last
thirty or forty years. One estimate has
placed the production in Europe the
United States, La P.ata, the Cape and
Australia at SCI. 900. 900 pounds in 1850.
l,00O, 600 pounds in 1870 and l, 577. .OOO.-
OOO pounds in 1880. In 1895, according 10
the report of the valuation com omission.
the quantity of wool at the disposal of
the worlds industries reached I059 OOO,-
knogs. This would mean about 334.-
OOo,oeo pounds, or nearly three times as
much as in 1885, 20 per cent more than
in 1870, and 40 per cent more than
in 1880. This enormous development
In the production of a raw mate.
rial must cause a considerable fall
in prices, and even with this decline in
the wholesale value, which is never fol-
lowed by proportionate and equally
rapid decline in the retail value. the plac-
ing of the article has been very difficult.
In 1886 there was perceptible rise in the
value OF wool on account chiefly of the
raveges occasioned by the drought in
Australia; but it would be imprudent to
reckon on the continuance of this rise.
which was due to exceptional causes.
Permanent prosperity in the wool in
dustry OF this country will be attained
through protective tariff. In this, as in
other cases, We can well afford 10 encour-
age our own country's production of the
raw material needed in our manufactures.
AS to cotton, the production of which
goes on increasing year by year, the re-
port says: 'The consum ption cannot keen
pace with the production" Increase in
production to wonderful degree is shown
in nearly every instance where raw ma-
terial, of whatever kind, is considered.
The production of tim Der NAV increase
in notable proportion. The newer coun-
tries of South America, and parts of
Africa, will be able 10 add immense GUAM
titles of various kinds of woods to the
worlds supply when they are opened up
by railways, or when there are increased
facilities for river transportation,