Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-11-23
POWER OF APPETITE.
Uoder American Policy, Great Britafn
Must Settle Big Adverse Trade
Balance I'm Cash.

The fact that the British imports
into the United States have fallen off
greatly in the past year. while Amer
lean exports TO Great Britain have
greatly increased. has been announced
from time TO time during the year.
but the full years figures. just pre-
sented by the treasury bureau of sta
tistics, brings 10 the surface some in.
teresting details not heretofore pub
lished. These show that while the ex-
ports from the United States TO the
United Kingdom have increased IL
per cent. the imports from the United
Kingdom have fallen off 30 per cent.
The marked disparity between the
amounts Of our sales to and our pur-
chases from Great Britain tends to
unsettle the long-cherished theory of
the Cobde mite school of doctrinaires
that all trade must be equalized; that
where you do not buy you cannot sell.
The fallacy of this proposition ought
by this time to be very generally recog-
nized. 1t never did and never could
hold good in a country possessing the
rare and exceptional advantages of a
surplus alike of breadstuffs and of
manufactured products. Such a coun-
try, under sound system by which the
home market is defended against in
furious foreign competition, must in
evitably become the richest among all
nations, for it can supply a home the
greater portion of its wants in the
line of manufactures, while having a
vast excess of food TO sell to the out
side world
That is the enviable fortune Of the
United States. The world wants our
agricultural products. and will! pay for
them in cash il they can be paid for! in
no other way. No country will go
hungry for fear OF an adverse trade
balance. 1t will first buy food, and
then figure how to economic in some
other direction. and the country hav-
ing the food 10 sell will always be
the gamer. provided it does not fritz
ter away this splendid advantage by
neglecting the development of diversi-
fled home industries.
The exports from the United States
to the United Kingdom during the pa s.
year were in round numbers five times
as much asthe imports from the United
kingd m, the figures Of the bureau of
statistics being: Imports from the
United Kingdom, sos, 13s, 365; exports
to the United Kingdom, $40. 500. 1852.
The details of the reduction i'm our inn
ports and increase in exports in our
commerce with the United Kingdom
are shown in some figures reproduced
by the treasury bureau of statistics
from the "Onicial Reports of Trade
and Navigation of the United King
DOM" which show the exports of prin-
cipal articles from the United king
dom to the United States, and her i'm
ports of principal articles from the
United States in the year ending June
30. 1905, compared with those of 1897
and 1896.
Among the heaviest shrinkages in
our purchases from Great Britain is
the item Of wool which we bought in
1898 to the value of & 500, 7O5. against
f955,4O5 in 1897 and e46s.174 in 1896.
Cotton piece goods fell from e1.5o4.-
$50 in 1897 to e1,159, 5O7 in 1sos; linen
manufactures, from g2.23O, 900 in 1892
TO i,l23,S12 in 1898; jute manufac-
lures, from G1.441,172 to e751. .g6:
wooden tissues, from & ,497 ,966 in 1896
and l,226,7S1 III 1897 to e2l7.s61 i'm
lS9S; worsted tissues, from g3.971 900
IN 1896 and G2.75O,9S2 in 1897 to & SEQ
S49in 1895; hardware and cutlery, from
4 l92.743 in 1896 and 1s0,161 in 1897 to
S4,3S7 in 1898.
In 1896 we bought of Great Britain
tin plates and sheets OF the value of
{ 1901. 527; in 1897, G1.163. s64. and in
1s9s, e7s7,134. Textile machinery fell
from 594,3sO in 1896 TO 4 264.O75 two
years later; alkali, from G 653. SOB in
1896 TO 23S,306 the past year; earthen-
ware and china, from c Sg3. 100 i'm 1896
and G7l2,471 in 1897 to 6 5I3.56 in 1898.
All this time the British appetite has
visibly and steadily increased in mon
ner calculated to disturb the eternal
rest of John Stuart Mill and Richard
Golden. and the balance of trade has in
consequence simply gone to the dogs.
Measured in pounds avoirdupois the
United Kingdoms purchases of the
United States OF -four has in two wears
gone from 5,G23,61O to 1901 $40; wheat.
s,2s3,179 to 1855 oats. 1904 to
2.466.lS6; Indian corn. 1862 .7os TO
T.I3O.220; and so on down the list Of
bacon, fresh beef. hams, cheese. lard.
copper. raw cotton. tallow. stearine
wood and timber. leather and horses.
In every item there has been a heavy
Increase. so that in the year ending
june 30. 1898. our credit merchandise
balance in the account with Great Brit.
ain was in round numbers $3.50. OOO. 600.
Our British brethren would greatly
prefer TO pay this balance In various
sorts Of Manufactured articles. but are
not permitted 10 do so because OF the
American tariff policy. So the big bal
ance must be paid in gold. or its equiv
alent. and the United States is made
Just so much the richer and more pros
porous by the operation. There need
he no fear that the loser in this I'M
equal business transaction will stop
trading with ms. not so long az the Brit
ish appetite holds hearty and the
american farmer has food to sell.
should Receive Early Attention.
II congress will pass bin go give
the same protection TO American ship
ping hat it does TO American manufcc.
furers and farmers and mechanics.
there will be profitable business for the
Investment az The millions no,y going
abroad OF low rates Of interest. we