National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-02-18
SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.
Our Growing Trade with New Zealand and
Australia, and Our Trade with Central
aad

Our Growing Trade with New Zealand and
Australia, and Our Trade with Central
and South America.
Mr.. Weston W. Evans, the distinguished
American civil engineer, of New York, who
is largely engaged in the purchase of railroad
equipment aud material for foreign countries
in recent letter to Mr.. Joseph Nimmo jr.,
Chief of the Division of Internal Commerce,
presents the following interesting facts:
The New Zcaanders have taken TO admirlng
American things and American ways OF doing
business pretty strongly. have sent them some
now getting made for them some more locomotives
aud machine tools for their railway repair shops. !
have sent them also windmills, stationary engines,
pumps, wheels, &c, I'D now they say that they ex.
pcct to send here for many more things which they
require on their railways. have sent locomotives
aud cars to Victoria Australia, aud am now getting
some machines made for TINT country. have Just
shipped bolts nuts, rivets, &C. to New South Wales.
They have already had II trial locomotive and cars,
and now ask for more locomotives. Cars have also
been sent from here to Queensland, Australia. A
large trade Is growing M for America III these col.
ones II looks strange, I'd , 10 sec people of dis
der things made ofiron and steel. 4 ship lying at
New York is now loading street railroad can for
Wellington New Zealand
Mr.. Evans had been requested by an officer
of the New Zealand government to procure
full set of our Agricultural Reports, which,
together with other reports and statements in
regard to American industry, will be forwarded
by Mr.. Nimmo.
It is to be hoped that the encouragement
afforded by this growing trade with our an
tipodes will stimulate private enterprise,
backed up by aid extended by Congress, TO
adopt some active measures toward securing
our proper share of the commerce Of Mexico,
Central America, and South America, which
has been for many years, and is now, CON
trollcd to very great extent by Great Britain,
notwithstanding the fact that almost all
kinds Of manufactured articles shipped by
Great Britain to these countries are produced
in tho United States, and that almost all tho
products Of the countries south of the United
States, now shipped to Europe, are required
either for immediate consumption or as raw
| materials by the manufacturers of this country.
If American manufacturers can compete
with British manufacturers in the markets of
distant British colonies, why can they not
compete In the markets of countries on this
continent. 1t Is really dijparaging to this
country In the eyes of its own citizens that a
| very important trade at our very doors should
be diverted from us. What we need is the
immediate establishment Of two or three
steamer lines to those countries, sustained by
an ample allowance for the carriage of the
mails. Such aids have been to England seed
bringing forth fruit an hunlrcd-fod. All that
is necessary is that we should go about this
matter in the hard listed, business way in
which John Bull conducts such enterprises,
and not in the fast-and-lOOse way in which we
have attempted the same thing and which
has brought the whole matter of governmental
patronage Of our maritime interests into dis
rcpute.