The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-19
It will be seen BY the foregoing thas in 1850,

Is per cent. of our total exports and Imports
were shipped in American vessels. In 1866, 70
per cent in American, and rs per cent. in for
eign vessels. ia 1862 "a per cent in American
to &c per cent. in foreign vessels. Our exports
have doubled since 1858, while the percentage
carried in American vessels has fallen from 0f
per cent. to "a per cent
Could there be more striking refutation Of the
assumption that the revival Of our shi piping will
follow the Increase OF our exports, thao is fur
nished by the statistics referred to. The In
crease of our exports will only furnish an in
creased business TO foreign ships unless we put
our own vessels in position 10 compete with
them on equal terms 1t is estimated that ful-
" one.halt' the registered tonnage of the
United States is engaged in the carrying trade
between foreign countries, on long routes car
rying the bulky cheap freights, while as has
been shown by the foregoing table, our own ex-
ports and imports are passing in foreign bot
toms, the freights going to enrich our CONNER
cial rivals, aud TO swell the foreign balances
against us which must be settled in gold.
The following are the values of imports into
the district of New York during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1869, with estimated proportion
in sailing and steam vessels:
Total value OF imports, POS, ,137,4i5
OF which estimated
proportion In sailing
vessels. 57,S67,o27, or 1901 per cent,
Proportion in steam
vessels ........... 2s72 $780, or SOsOs per cent.
Total. ...~......... 295,1s7,4l5
Estimated proportion
in AmeIic n steam
Estimated proportion
in foreign steamers, 2OIs2s,7sI
Total in steamers. 2s7,17O,s9O
Nearly 70 per cent of the imports at ,he
great commercial city of the country ia foreign
steamers.
There are now running regularly to aud from
New York, SO foreign steamships the aggrs-
gate tonnage of which is 2O5, 33S tons. The IN
crease in this class of vessels, since 1860, has
been AZ ships, 139, 605 tons, or more than 200
per cent, and the number Is constantly aug
menti1g to meet the increased demands of
business.
Estimating the freights paid at eight per
cent. of the value of the cargoes aud we have
here paid to foreign carriers OF goods TO a sip-
gle port, in round numbers, sixteen millions OF
dollars while the amount paid on outward car
goes Will probably reach half that sum, MAX
ing grand total of twenty-four million dol
lars annually drawn from our own people to
support the steamships of foreign nations,
which steamships constitute the naval reserve
of those powers.
At present the whole tendency of the freight
ing business OF the world is to seek direct routes
and by steam communication, to combine mail
aud passenger with merchandise transporta-
| ton. The long and tedious voyages around
| capes are avoided by connecting oceans either
by ship canals or railways. The advantage of
| this change in the mode of transportation, in
addition to that of carrying passengers and
|
cannot be commanded by sail vessels which
can only carry advantageously between two
points.
| Great Britain, availing herself OF the use of
steam, has obtained CONTROL of the chef OF these
direct lines OF ocean communication, and in
doing SO has occupied the shortest routes and
those which, without loss OF time or distance,
afford the most points to touch aud tap the
trade belonging to them.
Between America, North and South, she has
nine direct lines. Two carry the mails be-
tween the United States, British America, and
England. Both lines start from Liverpool,
touch at Queenstown. and sail direct to New
York. One, however, calls at Halifax. To
| iced these lines, the Cunard Company run q
line from Halifax to Nassau, which is subsi-
died. There are also six way" steamers, 1t
we may call them so, between Halifax aud
Newfoundland, the Bahamas and New York.
There is a line between Liverpool, New Or
leans and Belize.
Three lines sail direct from Southampton to
| the Gulf OF Mexico. One to Tampco, Mexico,
| another to Aspinwall, the third runs to Puerto
| Cabello, in Venezuela.
| There are also three lines sail for the Attain
| tic coast of South America. One TO BraE
stopping at Rio de Janeiro, after calling at
| the leading ports of the north; another makes
Buenos Avres its stopeing place. The third
| runs to Monteyideo. These lines sail from
| Falmouth aud Southampton direct, taxing tns
| shortest route across.
Panama is the starting point for four lioss
| OF British steamers. One down the Pacific
| ing at all the chief ports. Another TO the lead.
| ing places in Central America. A third Is
local line running TO neIghbOring points, and
the fourth direct to Wellington, New Zealand,
connecting with an Australian line to Sydney
| aud Melbourne.
| There are two lines along the West coast of
| Africa, both starting from Southampton, one
| going to and from the Cape OF Good dope,
| touching at st. Helena aud Ascension, The 9th
| er tapping the coast, from Cape st. Vincent,
| Portugal to Sierre Leone and other points.
Besides number of short routes connect
ing different points, the greatest line OF all is
| that OF the Peninsula and Oriental Mail
| Steamship Company. Its point OF departure
| is Southampton. From that port their vessels
| go to Gibraltar, through the Mediterranedn,
| touching at different points, as Maits, eSrS "
| Port Said, through the canai, the lse1 go $50
| across the Arabian Sea, to Bombay ana .ey
lon. At the latter place ilne iuns i;, airssJ.
traIia: there connecting win nns e'ieauy
mentioned, running irSn I,sfs The General rouIe
~ he steamers takes in all the leading Indian
Onr,s y, sno also Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong
aud Shanghai py Ioitowins tue noISSteo
| out only two principal regions, Pacific North
| America ara the lower portions OF the Indian
| Archipelago. For the latter, short routes from
point TO point are being orgahlzed, while tits
| understood that this great company propose 10
| unite the British steam marine at either end
| of our continental railroad system, by eslab.
fishing a competing line with the Pacific Mail
| Steamship company from Shapgnai " -
Francisco This will be inevitably iolIowea
by another line from San francisco 10 Fana-
ma. This extension of lines OF steamers has
H., nrocprad mainly by means Of liberal sub.
sides paid by the British anu rehcn soVer.-
| mepts for carrying the mails
For the postal service they perform Grsa,
Britain pays to twelve OF her principal mail
steam ship companies, in the torn of an annual
subsidy, e903,750, or S4 392, PA, besides the
amount collected for postage over from other
principal routes and number of connecting
lines, amounting to enough more TO make tns
entire payments at least $500, 0OO VI tnis
| large SUN about $1,000, 900 is paid to the iine'
connecting with the American continents.
The French government is even more .ioera .. ~
than that of Great Britain, and the ense,l .s ,ls w
their policy is seen in the establishment - rivs-
finest eonipped steamships afoat, even nov.
ling The best British lines. The frannualIy
ernmeot paws several million dolITprrs,nsStlautic
to these lines The French York 10 the
Comoany run three lines.to New eva 10 Guada.
West I6dies and Vera orsa Iseslyes ali the mou.
ey paid for o pSs.aB SSo Besides these amounts tes
dy OF SlUUvm SxsTUment loaned it $4,000 600 for 'sh