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Show 112 UTAH GAZETTEER. Territory. As it is, there must be a trifle greater exports than imports as there is a gradual increase in circulating wealth, which fluctuates, however, because of the peculiar effect the building of railroads has had upon Utah in the more recent years. The West is now endeavoring to secure the trade of Utah as against the strong hold the East has, and if backed by the Central Pacific, Utah may have the advantage of two markets, with the prestige of rail-road favors looking to her assistance in exports with a view to securing the bulk of imports. This is possible, but it is a consummation more devoutly to be wished than likely to be realized in any reasonable period. The great power of railroads in the Territory is exercised to force imports in a certain direction, even as against the best judgment of merchants, and the better interests of the masses. It can be no worse. Any change, consider¬ing the rapid growth in population, and the steady advances made in material wealth, must be for good. The best method of making circulating medium plenty, if it cannot be done by an increase of exports, is to stop, as largely as possible, imports through local efforts looking to the upbuilding of internal industries. In hundreds of seemingly trifling directions, money finds its way out of the Territory that could as well be stopped, by but little effort. It is the opinion of many intelligent persons that if Utah farmers put their grain into pork products they would realize more per bushel and find a cash market constantly opened; while, in addition to the better price grain would bring in the shape of beef, a profit also would be made on pork-raising, and thus advantages would be realized both ways. In the years preceding the completion of the Pacific railroads, the imports of Utah, according to the most careful estimate possible, were between 10,000 and 12,000 tons per annum. The exports were almost nothing. The overland emigration, the stage lines and the troops, bought the farmers' grain and surplus stock, and these were almost the only cash resources of the Territory. The railroad, constructed both from the East and West, joined tracks on Promontory Summit, May 10, 1869, and the same year the Utah Central was built from Ogden to Salt Lake City, con¬necting the capital of Utah with the trans-continental railroad line. The second year thereafter, the exports and imports of the Territory, as indi¬cated by the books of the Utah Central Railroad Company, were 80,000 tons, a seven-fold increase. Since that they have averaged about 125,000 tons yearly, two-thirds of which were imports, and about one-half of which (coal in part, coke, charcoal, bullion, lead ores, lead, iron ore, machinery in part) were incidental to mining. Of the rest, the largest items were mer¬chandise, building material, lumber, railroad material and produce. Sundries, includes wagons, live stock, wool, hides, dried fruit, salt, hay, etc. The importation of iron ore and charcoal has practically ceased. The Territory will always have to import its hard and finishing woods, but in this respect it is no worse off than the entire prairie and mountain parts of the country, including the Pacific Coast. It must also expect to always import, more or less, its lumber, sash, doors, blinds, wagons, agricultural implements and furniture, for not only does it lack the hard and finishing woods of native growth, but the best quality of clear lumber cannot be cut out of native timber. The importation of produce includes corn, oats, some other grains and seeds; fruits and vegetables from California (out of season in Utah); oysters, salmon, fresh fish and shell fish. The item of live stock embraces livery horses and blooded horned stock, blooded bucks and swine. The making of leather, or at least of its products, may be expected to increase, as also the manufacture of home-grown wool, and the importation of these of merchandise to correspondingly diminish. Our machinery is largely made here, exclusive of new silver mills, engines of more than 100-horse power, agricultural and railroad machinery. There is no data upon which UTAH GAZETTEER. 113 to strike an accurate balance sheet, but the following is not far out of the way, as showing the condition in 1882: Imports. Books, stationery, paper, music, musical instruments, . . . $186,000 Clothing, furnishing, hats, caps, carpets, oil cloths, . . . 798,000 Cigars, tobaccos, wines, spirituous and malt liquors, . . . 615,000 Crockery, glassware, watches, clocks, jewelry, . . . 242,000 Dry goods, millinery, fancy goods, notions, . . . 1,740,000 Drugs, chemicals, paints, oils, photographers’ materials, . . . 348,000 Groceries, provisions, canned goods, confectionery, . . . 2,135,000 Hardware, stoves, gas fixtures, rubber goods, rope, powder, fuse, 960,000 Leather, boots, shoes, harness, saddlery, belting, . . . 600,000 Varieties, sewing machines, brewers’ materials, marble, guns, 100,000 Grain, feed, fruits, vegetables, seeds, salmon, oysters, . . . 100,000 Lumber, sash, doors, blinds, furniture, upholstery, . . . 300,000 Wagons, agricultural implements, stock of same, . . . 880,000 Coal, coke, charcoal, live stock, machinery, sundries, . . . 840,000 Balance, . . . 1,566,000 Total, - - - $11,410,000 Exports. Silver, lead, gold, copper matte, . . . $9,000,000 Wheat, flour, barley, seeds, dried fruit, . . . 300,000 Live stock and slaughtered beef, . . . 1,000,000 Wool, hides, pelts, tallow, furs and skins, . . . 725,000 Eggs, butter, poultry, green fruits and vegetables, . . . 400,000 Sundries, fire brick, beer, hauled out by peddlers (estimated), 100,000 Total, - - - $11,525,000 In making this table, no pains have been spared to get at the facts, although it is after all largely an estimate. Returns were solicited and pro¬cured from 200 persons and firms engaged in all kinds of business, including all the heavy dealers in the Territory, of the value of their imports and exports, severally, for the calendar year, 1878. Twenty per cent., substantiallv, was then added, to represent the increase in four years. It is believed the balance in favor of the Territory is too small rather than too large, for of the mining output probably one-fourth goes to non-residents in the shape of profits, while the deposits in the banks grew from $1,021,491 in November, 1878, to $3,375,974 in November, 1881, and the people are generally better fixed, showing that on the whole they are accumulating a surplus, slowly.* Merchandise, . . . 195,226,618 Temple Rock, . . . 35,757,199 Coal, . . . 607,195,043 Lumber, . . . 117,902,608 Charcoal, . . . 11,260,060 Matte, . . . 4,669,995 Ore, . . . 446,742,390 Grain, . . . 50,946,561 Lead, . . . 12,350,252 Live Stock, . . . 3,791,155 Building Material, . 16,127,618 Green Fruit and Vegetables, . . . 11,042,327 Flour and Mill Stuffs, 9,892,469 Wool and Hides, . . 9,618,391 Coke, . . . 264,843,394 Fire Brick and Clay, . 10,152,302 Bullion, . . . 155,186,664 Sundries, . . . 364,216,562 Iron Ore, . . . 123,237,795 Total - - - 2,551,459,283 *Resource of Utah. 14 |