TRADE AND LABOR. 237 



from one to the other for the sole purpose of consump- 

 tion. Machinery now doing at least nine tenths of 

 the work of production, gives to man a far higher im- 

 portance, as the consumer of these products, than he 

 ever hefore attained. It is now solely as a consumer 

 that he has become indispensably valuable. Without 

 consumers all production would be absolutely value- 

 less, and the importance of trade is enhanced in exact 

 ratio with the increase of consumption. These are 

 self evident facts that have an important bearing on 

 social relations, and are of vital interest to trade. 



In our country it is a patent fact that a large por- 

 tion of the people are practically nonconsumers. As 

 machinery has taken their place in production their 

 consumption has fallen off and trade has become les- 

 sened and demoralized. Our over production is ap- 

 parently enormous ; and whilst we are sending our 

 products to other lands 4br a market, we have millions 

 at home suffering and perishing for want of the very 

 necessaries of life that we are sending abroad from be- 

 fore them. This large exportation is a notable symp- 

 tom and constant aggravation of the fundamental 

 disease that affects society. 



It is also well to see at what cost to the farmer, and 

 other producers, these foreign markets are found. 

 Four years ago Senator Elaine, from his place on the 

 floor of the Senate, said that eighty million dollars 

 per annum were paid to foreign ship owners for ocean 

 carriage of our products to distant markets. But that 

 is only one item of the cost paid by our farmers to get 

 their corn and their wheat, their oats, pork, beef, cat- 

 tle, butter and cheese, cotton, hay, and other products 



