The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-16
COMMERCE or BRAZIL,
Failure Of Cotton Crop Might Bring
Ah0ut niS0otnr

The discussion of the financial and
economic condition of Brazil, brought
about by the consideration of the
scheme to give to its coffee fictitious
value bv action OF the Brazilian gov
eminent. has revealed the fact that.
while the export trade OF the country
has been reasonably satisfactory and
the record for the last year has been
exceptionally good. the republic Is not
IN very enviable position economi-
cally. Though the bulk of Brazil's
export. trade is great. 1t Is confined
to few commodities. and more than
three-fourths of 1t to only two COM
modities. II anything should happen
TO either OF these two crops. or. in
deed. to any one of the several prin-
! cipal crops. the country would find
itself In very uncomfortable posi-
ton
For Il new country. the DEVELOPMENT
OF Brazil's expert trade has not been
remarkably rapid. but 1t seems, on the
whole. to have been reasonably salts
factory. The figures for the EXPORT
trade of 1905 have been made public.
and they show Il total value for the
exports OF 1928, 161 $50, as against
$191.l5O.6S0 for the year 1904 Last
years record. in spite of the fact that
there was a comparatively small in
crease in the exports of coffee, the
main staple making up the volume of
in the past. including that of 1901, the
year of the immense coffee crop, and
this may generally lie held to be the
n tyin fool %
port returns.
During the last five years staple
products have made up the vast bulk
of Brazilian exports. and upon them
it has based its fiscal system. and
with them established its credit in
foreign money markets. These seven
products are coffee. rubber. cotton.
sugar. tobacco. hides and cocoa. OF
them. all but cotton are commodities
OF which Brazil uses comparatively
little in manufactured form from
abroad. Of cotton she exports about
s5.000.000 of the raw product, and
imports between $1G000.O00 and ST.
100000 in the manufactured state.
The record of coffee shipments last
for the four preceding years, while
sAAS osASA SeupiOo ouoWSu d lcuuCuCy
TO increase. Exports in general show
an increase of about 10 per cent. AS
compared with 1904. coffee showed an
increase of 7.33 per cent, rubber 1851
per cent. cotton 400t per cent and
sugar 334.23 per cent, the immense
increase in this staple showing that
1t is likely not only to attain its old
time record. but that Brazil may ultf-
fha
ducing nation, for which nature has
provided the means. The actual
amount of sugar shipped last year is
not eXorbitantly great, but 1t is great
enough to indicate the drift of things,
and to show what may be done in the
future. This general tendency to d.
versify her products is the most i'm
portant feature in the Brazilian trade
situation.
In spite of this general tendency,
however, there has been little or no
increase, and in some cases positive
which one might naturally expect to
become great volume of trade from
Brazil. such as skins, wool, extracts
OF meat and lumber. The increases
shown have been in articles which are
SOAhp oSlSSiS VI lllIl0 llupOELdlCc W
the world at large. 1t should be adj
ded that Brazilian export trade at
present exists almost altogether in
commodities which the commercial
world is demanding, and which Brazil
has been able to furnish by reason of
its peculiar natural advantages and
resources, rather than by reason of
any energetic activity or enterprise on
the part of her people,.
The natural inference from these
facts is that If other countries find 1t
necessary or advantageous to do so,
and can develop the production of
either one of the two great staples
of Brazilian commerce, the effect on
Brazil will be disastrous, unless there
can be more diversification of Brazil
ian products.
Hawaii, or both, of large production
of coffee. which was favored in til.
markets of the United States by
productive tariff, or otherwise. over
Brazilian coffees, would certainly have
a. marked influence on Brazil's econo-
mic position. There could be no I'M
favorable result upon the export trade
of the United States in such a course
VI tIlu6o, UcCduoc QUAIL dL Lilc PRES
ent time is purchasing practically all
of her imports from European nations,
and shows no tendency to do other
wise.
AS matters now stand, tariff war
between Brazil and any great coffee
! consuming nation would cripple Brazil
almost beyond recovery The diversi-
fication of her crops is the great need
pressing upon the South American re-
public.