The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-25

we imported from Venezuela s., O37, 1922
and sold them 81, 307, 1913, total trade of
$685., las. Through the influence of sub
have steamship line from New York to
Venezuela, and in 1876 we imported from
them S., S75, 715, and exported So, 424, 27s, a
total trade of 1928, 1913, an increase of 26o
per cent. over the trade of 1870. In 1870 the
American shipping engaged in trade with
Venezuela was Is vessels of 2,571 tons capac-
ity, employing 100 hands. In 1876 the
American ships were 1874, with 43, 459 tons,
employing ,255 hands. OF our imports 81
'5Sl, 475 In 1876 was coffee, and of our exports
1878, 696 were breadstuffs, $463, $50 provis-
ions and S11O,S25 cotton goods. The Mexi-
can government pays for having mail line
'of American steamships supported between
Vera Cruz and New York, and another line
between Vera Cruz and New Orleans, also
between Acapulco and other Pacific-Mexi-
can ports and New York, via the isthmus of
panama, and from those ports to San Fran
cisco. We are therefore on par with Eng
land as respects postal facilities, and the re-.
suit is we divided the trade of Mexico last
year almost equal with England, ana will
probably exceed her this year."
To secure our fair share of the trade of the
world, the commercial facilities of the Uni
ted States must be equal to these Of any
other country, and until this is done our
foreign trade will languish. After referring
to the commerce of Central America, the
nj al 81 olr 6
South America, China and Japan, General
Bussey says:
Thus il viii be seen that wherever we have
mail communication by steamers with any
port of South America, China or Japan, we
are building up trade which shows that we
can compete in the markets of the world with
our manufactured goods because of their su-
periority. Our cotton fabrics are better, while
our agricultural implements and hardware is
superior to that of any other country. The
demand for our products in those countries
will increase. Railroads are being construct
ed through them, and civilization will
rapidly increase the demand for our
goods. Nearly all the trade we enjoy
with those countries is through the support
granted by the foreign countries with which
we have steam communication. Our govern
and other foreign countries support magnin-
cent steamship lines, which furnish mail
facilities through which the business is built
up. We can never hope to secure any consid-
cradle part of that trade until we furnish
steamers as good and as fast as those running
to England and France. Our government
should grant liberal mail contracts to at least
two lines from New York and New Orleans to
Brazil, and other contracts to other important
countries with which 1t is desirable to trade.
These mail lines are necessary to enable the
merchant OF that country to visit our market
ana to facilitate the exchanges and settlements
and when we establish the Fast mail line it
will be followed by freight line, and bust
ness will be built up which will require the
departure of a ship every day from some port
or the United States.
The questions discussed are of vital
importance to the United States
and to the manufacturing interests
of the whole country. The trade with the
countries mentioned can be indefinitely
increased, provided the government adopts
a more liberal policy. The indications are
that in the near future congress will take a
broader view of the subjects discussed by
General Bussey. If such should be the case
the result will be the production of more
cotton and sugar, larger foreign and home
demand for the products of farm and fac
tory, greater diversity of labor than at
present exists, and an era of prosperity for
which there exists an intense anxiety.