The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-01-13

the imports are so much in excess OF
those of the year named as to justify
| the assertion that the total foreign com
merce of the country will exceed that
of any preceding year
The figures for the eleven months
ended Nov. 50 put the total exports al
81 1905, 73S374. ana imports at $939.5t5,
$40. The export figures are about ST.
0O0.0 600 below those of the correspond
ing months Of last year, about $4,000,
900 below those Of the corresponding
months Of 1901 and about SIG 600 0UC
below those Of the corresponding months
OF 1900
When it is remembered, however. that
in hreadStuffS alone there has been a
reduction of $94 .0OO.000 as compared with
the corresponding months of last ycaI
and of S110,U00 600 as compared with the
corresponding months of 1901. the fact
that the figures Of 1904 fall but $4,000. 00t
below those Of last year will prove ar
extremely gratifying one in its evidence
of the advantageous effect upon OuI
export trade Of diversified production.
Labor.
The year 1904 in the history of organ
lied labor furnished a contrast with the
twelve months preceding. For the most
part the labor struggles of 1904 were
contests in which the labor unions were
combating wage reductions. the open
shop" the institution Of piece work sys-
TENS and the 'nO-agreement' policy OF
employers organizations. In 1903 the
unions were more aggressive.
National Finances.
The United States treasury receipts
for the calendar year 1904 were $40
100000. according to a review of the de-
partment' operations given out to-day
by Secretary Shaw. The expenditures.
excluding the Panama payment, were
1862, 600, 000-a deficit for the year of
So, 000, 600 As compared with the pre-
viouS calendar year. the receipts show
n falling off Of $1,000 600 and the expen-
ditureS an increase Of $4,000, 900 The
decrease in the receipts is accounted for
by a decrease Of 100000 in the GUS
toms revenues.
Passenger Traffic on Railroads.
The magnitude Of the railway mileage
will be understood when 1t is stated that
the present rails, excluding second track,
sidings etc. would make, If laid side by
side, SiXty-eight or sixty complete
lines reaching across the United States
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific ocean.
The vastness of their transportation is
inconceivable to the people OF other
countries. In the fiscal year they car
ried 900 600 coo passengers the paSsen-
ger mileage reaching %. $50. 900 600 miles
which is equivalent to saving that if
every inhabitant Of a city of 1000 600
people were to be transported nearly
around the world the passenger move
ment of the American RAILWAYS would be
duplicated
Colossal FreIaht Business.
The freight moves aggregated 1906. =
600, 600 tons. the mileage being III 30. =
600, 600 This colossal total was posi-
BILE despite the G!op in brcadStuffs eX-
pOrtS-which forms an important ele-
ment in the freight Of the carriers. The
decrease was almost wholly due to the
shortage in the wheat WELD the fall-o
amounting to approximatelv Sl00 0O0. =
900. But the earth yielded enough for
the country-and A little mOre-hence
the better prices for the cereal COM
pensated the growers for the lack of Il
bountiful crop. Corn and cotton how
ever, have much more than offset the
loss in wheat obviously shown by the
plethora Of money in the west and in
the south. for not the least important
Of the years fiscal aspect was the indie
penGence Of the western and southern
bankers during the crOp-perod move
ment.
West and South independent
For the first time in the cOuntry's
financial history the cast was cOmpar-
atively negligible quantity pending har-
vest time. Formerly eastern bankers
supplied the funds with which to get the
crops TO market This year the west and
south had money to lend whilst farmers
and planters were sending their stuff
only did not need the eastern capitalist
but they were in the market for securi-
ties-they bought bonds, some Of them
even purchased the shares Of the much
detested railways that traverse their
farms.
Farmers Are Now Bondhoders.
The contrast is wonderful. Less than
decade ago the southern planter and
the western farmer were "mortgaged to
their ears" as the phrase was in those
days. Now the people who were so
mortgaged are buying up other peoples
mortgages-after having acquired more
land, paid for. spot cash. In the south
the transformation has been marked
During the depression from 1890 to 1899
the planters lost annually 100000, 600
through the marketing of the staple at
prices below the cost of production. In
the last lustrum. owing chiefly to en-
HANGED prices. the volume of the output
not materially increasing. the value of
the crop has exceeded by $1,000. 00O. 600