The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-12
war must be ruinous to all her material
,,to
The Nerve of English Commerce.

are accustomed to despatch n certain por-
ton OF their products to foreign countries.
Accordingly, when the Parliamentary
commission, in 1871, assigned definite aud
ewhat narrow bounds to the mineral
resources OF Great Britain. "A cry went up
that the export OF Goals must be prohibit
ed us measure of reasonable precaution.
During the panic which convulsed the
English coal market from 1877 TO 1871
restrictive policy was still more vehc-
mently urged upon the Government,
which happily wIthstood the clanor of
the alarmsts. IL il now known that de-
cisve step in that direction would have
SCI iously crippled British commerce. This
has been demonstrated by an exhaustive
study of the coal question undertaken by
NJ DE RUoIz at the request of the French
Minister of Commerce. and the results of
his inquiry have special interest for this
country, which Is already one of the fore
most producers, aud must soon become an
exporter of coal.
The amount of coal annually exported
by England il not less than twelve millions
Of tons. or oue-teuth OF her entire produc-
ton. 1t IL forwarded to more than eight
hundred foreign ports situated in all
quarters OF the globe. On n colored chart
displayed at the Vienna Exposition, the
currents of this important traffic were de-
picted radating from Great Britain
throughout the waters of Europe and Asia,
from the Baltic and the German ocean to
the Indian and Chinese seas. III the hands
of it, enteIprsing distributors the mineral
becomes u lucrative object of exchange.
The gross receipts in 1873 from the sale OF
English Goals to foreign customers exceeded
ninety millions of dollars of which IA large
share accrued to middlemen and carriers,
the value OF the staple rapidly augment
ing with the distance from the place OF
production. The ton of coal which OH the
dump ut Newcastle may be worth only two
dollars and IA half brings twice rs much at
Bordeaux, while in Genoa IL will command
seven dollars, Mt Madras ten, and mt Shang-
hal sixteen. IL follows-and mere we partly
discern the bearing of this traffic on the
development of British commerce with re-
mote cOuntres-that vessels may ucCept u
cai go OF coal on the same footing n fdl-
nary commercial freight that Is, simply in
view of the profit resulting from its sale III
II foreign market. Not only is such cargo
|
posed OF without difficulty, but it is in fact
a substitute, not for profitable freight of
other kinds, but for mere ballast with
which ships sailing under other European
flags must for the most part content them
selves IN the outward voyage to the Indies
From twenty to eighty cents IA ton must
be paid for ordinary ballast according to
the port Of clearance, without counting the
expense of heaving II out at the port Of
arrival. Coal, OF course, costs more than
this, but IT may be sold again. and the
| operation is summed up with profit.
| What is the consequence of this excep-
tional advantage hitherto monopolized by
the English shipper? Loaded with coal in
| lieu oil ballast, the British vessel can afford
| TO transport at n low rate those prints,
muslins, and other light fabrics with
which the mills OF Manchester food tho
world Accordingly the freight charges
on English goods are found TO be trivial
in all those ports which consume consid-
cradle quantities o; English coal, ami thus
it is that this precious mineral has I'M
locked to British industry many markets
otherwise inaccessible and may be said to
offer kind Of premium on expectation.
Moreover, the substitution of a profitable
cargo for ballast on the outward trip en-
ables the British merchantmen to lower
| her charges for the return voyage. Thus
on u homeward course from Bombay or
Calcutta she could accept freight at twelve
dollars n ton, having already, thanks to
coal, earned ten, while another vessel GO
| ing out IN ballast would be constrained to
ask twenty-five dollars. Under these err
| cumstances II is clear that coal may be
called, in Il literal and special sense, one Of
the nerves Of Eugland's commerce.
Imam other way, equally distinct from the
dynamic applications of coal, the marlue
carnage aud export OF this mineral is
closely identified with Great Britain's
maritime prosperity. Neither the large
profit directly accruing from the sale OF
the staple, nor the singular advantage
which II secures to English factories by
facilitating the outflow of their products,
constitutes the capital service of the coal
trade TO the national interests. II we add
to the twelve or thirteen million tons AT
present despatched 10 foreign countries
the ten or eleven millions forwarded III
coasting craft to British ports, we shah
have total OF twenty-three millions, or "A
quantity sufficient, allowing for each hull
IA capacity of four hundred tons, to load
nearly sixty thousand vessels. IL Is not
surprising, therefore, that this TRAFFIC
should be accounted by wcll-mformed
economstsas the veutablc parent ana pro
tector of the national navigation, aud the
collier fleet Of Great Britain rccogniz' ID IA;
the back bone of hor merchant navy. 1t /,
certain that this hotlla constitutes II most
effective and tceming school of sailors
All the other arms of the merchant serv g,
are recruited from this source, every YES
sci wanting IA cargo IL sure TO find one a
Newcastle, every sailor out OF work l. SURF
to ind there occupation. No wonder that
an intelligent Government has refused tC
discourage Il branch of expectation which
without seriously enfeeblng the industrial
I resources Of the country, has contributed
so nightly to its asoondancy AT SEA- and e
the cheap transportation of its manufac
tur,d products.
The stimulating effect of her coal eX
/ ports upon Englands commerce IL wei
understood IN those countries which at