The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-04
Direct Trade with Europe.

shat the Chamber of Commerce in Charleston
was endeavoring to establish line of steam
ships for regular traffic between that city and
Europe. The difficulty of obtaining sufficient
freight to make the line permanently prohta-
Bile seemed to be the greatest barrier agalnss
its successful Inauguration, and steps were
taken to canvass the principal cities OF the
South and West, supposed to be friendly to
the enterprise, with view of securing pledge
of sufficient business to warrant the inception
Of the project Our Jealous and energetic
friend, Mr.. J. Adger Smyth, was selected as
the commissioner of the Chamber OF Com
merce, charged with the duty of visiting the
principal cities interested, to obtain from the
merchants of the interior sure guarantee OF
inward freights, and to make arrangements
with the various railroad lines to have cheap
rate of transportation for imported goods.
Mr.. Smyth has recently returned from an ex-
tensive tour, including the cities of Augusta,
Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, st. Louis,
Louisville and Cincinnati, and has submitted
an encouraging report of the mission with
which he was charged. His efforts to present
the geographical advantages Of Charleston as
port of entry for foreign goods met with
candid and impartial hearing, and the greatest
interest was manifested everywhere in the
project of a more direct and convenient COM
munication with Europe.
IN accordance with the plan agreed upon,
Dir. Smyth sought the cooperation of Presi-
dents and Superintendent, and obtained their
consent that through bills of lading should be
issued from Liverpool to any point on their
railroads, and received their promise to estab-
hsh such rates of freight as would secure the
business of interior merchants and make it
desirable to bring foreign goods through this
channel. BY visiting the different commercial
bodies in the various cities, he obtained the
strongest endorsement from these representa-
tives of the commercial interests, and in every
instance was received with the most cordial
and unanimous greeting. The importing mer-
chants of these cities gave written promises
that they would import goods to the amount OF
$l,OOO,OOO during the first year, provided facil-
hies equal to those now existing were guaran-
teed by the steamships from Charleston.
These three points embrace the actual results
of the mission so ably prosecuted by Mr..
Smyth. 1t is practical, onward step in the
furtherance of direct trade with Europe, re-
moving difficulties hitherto deemed insur-
mountable, by securing guarantees of abun-
dant freight to justify the experiment, and
securing rates of transportation over railroads
which would enable the steamship line to offer
competition with other lines to this country.
The active cooperation and assistance of the
commercial organizations should not be under
estimated, since their sympathy and valuable
influence will materially enhance the ultimate
success of the movement. In word, we think
a good beginning has been made by the
Charestonians, which should be followed with
the energetic efforts of her citizens to promptly
inaugurate the actual opening of direct trade.
The position and advantages of Charleston
ought to secure the early establishment of the
line to Liverpool or Bremen, and the project
will be watched with absorbing interest until
success crowns the whole scheme. Mr.. Smyth
closes his report with the following timely ad-
monition.
From personal observation, as well as from
information derived from others, your commits
sioner is of opinion that while business men
naturally bestated to pledge themselves to an
enterprise until they were familiar with all Its
details, yet if regular steamships were running
between Charleston and Liverpool, with proper
and punctual dispatch and reasonable rates OF
freight, the foreign goods imported by these
interior cities would amount to several millions
If dollars within one year from the date OF
their establishment. There can be no question
that the entire West is in earnest in their de-
sire to open new channel for their imports
and exports free from all the embarrassments
and delays that now annoy and harrass them,
and their attention is certainly very strongly
attracted to our South Atlantic coast, and the
peculiar advantages and inducements it offers
for the great highway of their traffic with Eu-
rope. the West Indies and South America
They, however, expect from you the manifes-
tation of your intention and ability to carry
forward the establishment of these steamship
lines to a successful consummation, and thus
aid in bringing this immense tide OF traffic to
your shores The prize is within your reach,
and development and prosperity beckon to you
from just such enterprises. 1t is for you to de-
eide whether you will suffer them to languish
and pass by you, or whether you will lay hold
of them with determination that will yield
to no discouragement, but will pluck success
out of the very midst of difficulties.
At the conclusion Of his written report, Mr..
smyth gave an interesting and comprehensive
account of his reception in the various cities
With reference to Chicago, he stated that the
Vice.presidcnt of the South Atlantic and
Chicago Railroad assured him that it was
making satisfactory progress, and that the
charter granted by Kentucky was exceedingly
liberal. Assurance was given that the build
ing of that road to the Ohio within very
short time was certainty; the principal diff