The sun., 1904-08-07
Exports and Homo Consumption.

Volume and value OF our export trade
are OF unquestionable importance, but
the major consideration rests even moro
in the item OF variety. This is pre-
eminently the case in the matter Of man
ufactured products. So long as we raise
more than we consume, the export OF
agricultural products is the salvation Of
our farmers; yet we should be the
gamers if we could use at home the
entire production Of our fields. and did
not export single dollars worth Of it
in its original form.
AS an illustration, about one-third
Of our export of field products appears
in the item OF raw cotton-approXi-
mately $500 OO0,OOO worth per annum.
OF course We would be the gamers
if every pound of it were exported in
manufactured form. Every process
through which the raw article passes
in it's conversion into fabrics would mean
employment for American wage-earners
Our export Of breadstuffs has fallen
from about $3.50, ,OOO, 900 in 1898, to about
one-half OF that value in 1904. But this
is an encouraging situation rather than
an alarming one. Our total production Of
wheat, corn, rye, and other cereals in
creased; but instead of selling a con-
siderable part Of it for money, we have
converted it into human energy which
in it's various ways represents a vastly
greater sum of money.
In other words, the more we convert
our agricultural products into human
energy that will produce agricultural
implements, machinery, cotton cloth.
boots and shoes, furniture, and builders
hardware, instead OF selling them as
direct products of the field, the greater
is our profit and the better our economic
condition. Denial of this would be an
argument that we should sell all our
cotton in its raw condition, our iron as
ore or pig, our copper in ingots, our
wheat as wheat, and import our cotton
cloth, our steel rails and machinery,
our copper wire and brass fittings, and
our bread, pastry and breakfast foods.
The special object and ambition in
the development of our industries should
not be merely how much ws can sell
abroad, but what We can sell to best
advantage. That advantage does not
lie so much in the matter Of immediate
profit on given item as it does in the
larger welfare resulting from multi
plication Of wage paying processes.
For that reason it is gratifying to note
that, while the items are still compare
lively small in their total, wholesome
increase appears in various lines OF ex-
ported manufactured wares. Full de-
tails for 1904 are not yet at hand; but
fair comparison is possible in many
lines. Comparing 1904 with 1903, it ap-
pears that our export of agricultural
implements has been trebled; manu-
factures of brass have nearly doubled;
chemicals show an increase OF a little
more than 90 per cent: clocks and
watches, about IS per cent; earthen,
stone and china ware about 200 per cent.
Scientific instruments and electrical
supply exports in 1898 were 80 insig-
nificant that their value is not given.
Last years exports approximate $780,
600. Exports Of wire have doubled.
Builders hardware and tools increased
about so per cent. electrical machinery
about 200 per cent; boots and shoes
about 300 per cent. Other lines show q
similar increase; some have about held
their own; and In few there has been
a falling OF. On the whole, while the
total amount Of such exports 10 only
fractional what it should DO and might