The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-09

ports was only ten to twelve per cent.
of the whole, while it reached forty per
cent. in 1860, and is now seventy-five per
cent.
The loss since the war began we can
understand, but that occurring previously
is traced to errors in treaties with Eng
land, which excluded us from carrying for
their colonies, and gave their shipping two
freights in a transatlantic voyage, while
ours had but one.
In the early history of the country
large business was done in the importa-
tion of tropical staples, and in direct trade
with the most distant oftropical countries.
The tables of this report show what this
trade was, and illustrate the relation it
held at certain early periods to the pres
ent time. IA list of twelve countries is Civ
en- which had less tonnage in our ports in
1861 than in 1921 fourteen countries
send absolutely less as imports in 1860
than in 1928; eleven send us less rela-
tive to the entire imports; and our i'm
ports have both positively and relatively
increased from only fifteen countries in
the last thirty-fve years.
The value of the imports brought US in
foreign vessels was less than one-tenth
the amount in American vessels in 1921;
in 1860 it was more, than half as much,
one hundred and Thirty -four millions to
two hundred and twenty-eight millions,
and in 1854 it was three times as much,
or two hundred and fOrty-nine millions to
seventy nine millions. The value of our
own exports carried abroad decreased in
nearly the same proportions forty years
ago but an eighth part was in foreign ves-
sells; in 1860 One-half, and in 1864 four
times as much in foreign as in American
vessels. Clearly there is need of sugges-
| tions and of action both.
The steam tonnage in the foreign trade
of the United States is next examined
and from tables showing its rise and pres
ent condition, it appears that the United
States started fairly, and kept nearly equal
to 1856, have none whatever in foreign
trade, and foreign nations enter half mil
lion tons annually at our ports. We have
g coastwise steamship trade with Califor-
MIA, but none to trans Atlantic ports.
This loss of steamer trade should tingle
our ears with shame. Nearly the whole
was lost previous to the war, and none
because of the war, the causes being indf-
ference on the part of both merchants and
the government. The French, even, do
these things better than we do, while Eng
land and Germany profit largely by our
supineness.
Another department of foreign trade
very thoroughly treated in this report is
that protesting to deserve the title of "re-
ciprOcity with Canada and the British
provinces. A large mass of statistics of
the trade under this treaty has here first
been compiled, and full results are given
for every year from 1854 to 1864. The
facts disclosed are singular, and should ar
rest attention. To Canada it appears that
our trade has largely declined under the
heavy tariff they have imposed, while their
trade to the United States has as largely
increased. The treaty releases from duty
the total Of one hundred and fifty millions
of their produce sold to US in eight years.
while it released from duty but seventy
three millions worth of our produce sold
to them in the same period. There is also
a large transit trade to come out of this
total, wheat, flour and grain merely car
ried across the peninsula of Upper Canada
on its way from the West to Eastern
markets
Our real trade with Canada declined
from $12, 100000 in 1862, to $4,000, 900
in 1868. Since this " reciprocity" began,
we have paid duty on all this real AMI de-
sirable trade, which has averaged $8,4OO,-
900 yearly, while they have paid duty on
an average of but $467, 900 worth sent to
the United States, and this nearly all for
eign merchandise.
The treaty appears to have been inge-
niOusly constructed to give free market
to all the Canadas wanted to sell, and to
nothing we cared to sell to Canada With
other provinces on the Atlantic coast, the
results are not quite so bad as with Cana
da, since they do buy our flour and grain
to consume, but We give them an untaxed
market for vast amounts of coal, to COM
pete with our taxed coal of Pennsylvania.
They sent 282, 900 tons of coal to our mar
kets in 1868, and are sending 500, 900 tons
at least, in 1864.
The inquiry in regard to internal COM
merce is answered in an elaborate report
covering the trade. between the east and
west and through the lake district for sew
eral years. The year 1862 is selected for
valuation of merchandise exchanged,
and taking the lines of the Alleghanies as
the dividing meridian, and the prices at
Buffalo as the standard for western pro-
duce, the value becomes $616,OOO,OOO
going westward and 1922, ,526, 1OS going
eastward over the five great transporta.
ton lines. These lines are the four great
westward and the Erie Canal. Taking
the further increase of prices which would
accrue when western freights reach the
Atlantic seaboard, and fair total valua-
ton of this trade is taken at 81 200, ,0OO,-
900 annually.