The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-10-28
CANADA'S COMPLAINT
HER HANDICAP IN THE RACE FOR
PROSPERITY.

PROSPERITY.
Lack OF Manufacturing Industries KeenIy
Realized by the Dominion In Contrast
| With the Phenomenal CONNIE, cial Rec
ord of the United States.
Our neighbors across the border are
contemplating with pride the results of
their trading with other countries dur
ing the last fiscal year. That was year
OF unequaled American exports. The
total sales to foreign customers amount
ed to $l,231, 311. S6S, exceeding by
$3.50, 600, 900 those of 1897, which sur
passed all previous years in the value
of its exports. OF this huge gain very
large proportion is to be credited to
breadstuffs. that term covering wheat,
wheat -four, corn, corhmeal, oats, oat-
meal, rye and barley, the exports of
which commodities reached total
value of 1894, 700, 060 in the fiscal year
1878, as against $191 ,090,341 in
1867.
Another considerable element in the
increase was contributed by provisions,
under which general name are coppre-
hended meats, cheese, butter, ETC., of
which $17, 900, 900 worth more was ex-
ported last year than in the year before.
Thus the total value of the exports was
swollen by foodstuffs of all kinds $780,
600, 600 above the, limit Of 1867.
Though there was an increase OF about
8 per cent in the quantity Of raw cotton
exported, there was practically no in
crease in the value. The total expansion
Of $3.50, 600, 900 in the value Of the ex-
ports is therefore made up by foodstuffs
and manufactured articles, the former
having increased by $150,00O, 900, the
latter by about $50, 900, 900.
This great increase in the returns
from foodstuffs is due to conditions
with which vo are quite familiar.
Like Canada. the United States was
favored with Magnificent crops last year.
while other wheat growing countries
were at disadvantage in this respect,
the yield being short everywhere save
in North America. This shortage, ex.
aggerated by the Letter IDEAL" and the
war scare, caused prices to mount up.
These high prices, multiplied by the
immense quantity of wheat shipped
from the United States, make the total
receipts for wheat very large. With
wheat all other foodstuffs appreciated,
and as the United States had album
dance Of every kind the proceeds under
this head shot up to unparalleled fig
ures. Thus the same conditions Of de-
mand and like conditions of supply that
made Canada's realizations from its
foodstuffs exported last year the great
est in its history, also hoisted the vol
ume of the United States farm produce
sold abroad far above all previous rec
ords.
But when we come to manufactures
the conditions in the two countries diff
fer. The United States increased its ex-
ports of manufactures by $50, 900, 900
in the year and brought up it's foreign
sales under this head to an amount
greater than that paid for it's foreign
purchases of such commodities That
is, the value of the manufactures ex-
ported from the United States in the
fiscal year was greater than the value
of the manufactures imported into it.
At the same time as they were doing
such a surprising business in the for
eign markets the manufacturers Of the
United States were attending to an I'M
precedented demand at home, demand
kept in fourishing condition by the
prosperity of the farmers and preserved
for domestic industry by the high du-
ties of the Dingley act.
The total value of the United States
exports last year was just double the to-
tai value Of its imports, whereas in
Canada the value of the exports was
only about 81 per cent more than that
of the imports. Thus, though in regard
to foodstuffs we can make as good a
showing, acre for acre, as our neighbors,
we are far from making relatively as
good showing in the manufacturing
industries. The difference is due to the
difference in tariffs In the United
States there is a tariff which fosters
and defends home industry, enabling it
to grow up to export proportions. Such
tariff, always beneficial, becomes in
times of prosperity a tremendous force.
If our own tariff had not been disman-
tied last year, the great export returns
from the fine crops would have been
supplemented by great returns from the
workshops. Toronto Mail and Empire. |