The Washington herald., 1912-11-03
DECREASED SURPLUS
OF FOOD PRODUCTS
National City Rank Ciryular.

National City Rank Circular.
Recent discussions with reference to
the advance in cost Of living suggests q
consideration Of some striking facts re-
gardins the decrease In the surplus Of
food products which il left over" after
supplying the growing demand Of our
population.
That the percentage Of our population
engaged In production Of food stufYs Is
steadily growing smaller is generally
recognized. but the fact il brought
sharply to attention by the most recent
figures available upon this subject.
While the Census Bureau has not COM
pieted Its tabulation Of the number of
persons engaged In agriculture In 1910. 1t
has completed figures showing the num-
Der Of farm families. which Indicate an
increase Of but II per cent in the number
Of families on farms in 1910 as compared
with 1900: while its figures showing the
number of persons engaged in manufac-
turing, including wage-earners and sala-
ried officials. indicate an increase of
practically 80 per cent in 1910 a. COM
pared with 1900.
1t is apparent from these figures-an
Increase Of practically 30 per cent in
numbers Of persons engaged in manufac-
turing and Of only II per cent in num-
bers OF persons In farm families-that
the growth in consuming: nonproducers
OF agricultural products Is much more
rapid than that Of producers.
Decreased Exports.
This reduction in the relative producing
power OF the United States Of farm
products is further illustrated by the
recent figures showing the expectation
Of food stuffs at the present time COM
pared with that Of previous years. The
value OF food stuffs exported in the fiscal
year 1872 was but Als. 100000. against
50, ,0oS. .o0G In 1909. Even this compari-
son Of values Of exports in 1872 with
those Of 1900 does not give an accurate
picture Of the decline in quantity. be-
cause OF the well-known fact that prices
of food stuffs have materially advanced
in the meantime.
A comparison Of quantities in some of
the more important articles exported in
1900 and in 1912 discloses even more
startling facts with reference to the de-
cline In outward movements of food
stuffs.
The quantity of wheat. for example.
exported in 1900 was lo2.oO 900 bushels.
against 30.0eO.00O in 1872: and OF nour
barrels in 1872 The quantity OF corn
exported in 1900 was 100000 bushels: in
1872 100000 bushels.
Heavy Decrease In Meats.
The quantity Of canned beef exported
in 1900 was 1900 pounds. and in 1872
but II 1.00o 900 pounds: OF bacon, in 1900.
ST. 900 900 pounds. and in 1912 3o9, ,ooc.coo
pounds: Of picked pork. in 1900 133,00.-
900 pounds. and in 1872 81. oOO. 900 pounds.
A comparison of the decrease in the
quantity of meats exported with de-
creased valuation of the total meat and
dairy products exported affords a strfk- |
ing illustration Of the advance in prices |
Of articles exported as well as of those
at home, since the value Of |
meat and dairy products exported were. !
in 1900. but $1S4. .500.0 600 and In 1912 $l56.-
80 900. a decrease Of but Is per cent. while !
as shown above. the decrease in quantity |
of the principle articles exported Is very |
much greater, ranging from 3 per cent |
to 70 per cent.
Manufactures Help Out.
A still more striking exemplifcation of
the falling of in our surplus food prod
ucts and the effort which the people Of |
the United States are. perhaps uncon-
sciously. making to substitute some other |
product therefor in our contributions to |
the worlds markets is found in the per-
centage which food stuffs form of the |
total exports at the present time COM
pared with that Of earlier years. The
share which food stuffs formed of the
total expectations in the fiscal year 1872
was but 1875 per cent, while in 1900 1t
was 39.s per cent. in 1880 42.3 per cent,
and in 1880 SIS per cent Of the total value
Of exports.
This decline in the exports of food
stuffs has been Offset by the increase Of
products exported. In
1880. when food stuffs formed SIS per
cent Of the total exports, manufactures
formed but 14.s per cent Of the total. and
IN 1890 but ~ per cent. By 1900 the
had considerably increased.
The share which manufactures formed OF
The total being then 35.3 per cent. while
n 1912 manufactures formed Il per cent
If the total The total value Of manu-
'actures exported from the United States
Was, in the fiscal year 1850. but $12. .000.-
100: in 1890 $179 900 900; in 1900 $lSs. 900 900.
md in 1872. s, ,o2o. 900.
MARKET REpnRT |,