Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-09-16
FOREIGN MARKETS.

manufactures Our agricultural prodnct
long ago increased far beyond the HON
demand, and an export market for the sn1
plus was found. We have been slowe,
however, in reaching corresponding do
velopment in manufacturing. The leadin
manufactures of iron, cotton, wool. leathe,
| and other goods, have increased enornousl
| during the last thirty years; nevertheless
the growth in population has extended wit
such marvellous rapidity that nearly every
thing made was needed at home. But I'll
time has come when we must look abroa
Tor markets for portion of our manufac
tured products. or we must produce less il
the future. The improvements in machin
cry have been so great, and the factorie
have multiplied so rapidly, that we ma,
regard this phase i'll our industrial evolu
tion as permanent and not temporary. W.
must, therefore, seek markets which will
need our commodities, and from which ais,
can be obtained other things in return.
Where shall we look for these breathins
spots for our manufacturers and traders
To limited extent we can export to man,
foreign markets, and this we have beef
doing. 1t seems strange to send cutlery t,
Sheffield after importing enormous uuanti
ties from that place for a century; never
theless, the process of making MANY kind
of cutlery i'll this country has reached sucl
stage of perfection that it has been ex
ported even to Sheffield. But the countrie
of Europe are enormous exporters of ;
great variety of manufactured productions
and we can hardly look to that field for al
outlet. And if we cast our eyes further
eastward the same state of things exists
Naturally, Great Britain should furnish
India with whatever she needs, and the
same thing may be said concerning the ad.
joining countries. As for Africa, the En-.
ropeans arc likely to quarrel for it and 70,
its trade in a lively manner. Great Britain
has grabbed the southern end, and France
the northern end, while Germany is by No
means disinterested spectator, but is long.
ing to pounce on so fair prize. Italy. too.
is looking with wistful eyes across the
Mediterranean. With so many nations
eagerly devouring whatever may be OBJ.
tanned from that bone, it is clear that moth
ing is left for poor Uncle Samuel. But
lying south of us is great continent whose
trade sheuld in peculiar sense be our
own. First of all may be mentioned Mex
leo. The trade of this country is rapidly
increasing, by reason of better modes OF
communication. There are papers pub
lished in Mexico whose principal function
is to create enmity between the Mexican
and American people. Nevertheless, we
are getting more and more of the Mexican
trade every year, and with the completion
OF railroads now building, we may fairly
expect to enjoy the larger part of the trade
which in former years went to Europe. A
railroad is a great civiizer and bond of
union; the sea is a kind of barrier between
countries which no human skill can remove.
Lines of steamers may ply with ever so
much regularity, yet they do not form that
close union between States and people
which is formed through the agency of the
railroad. Thus Mexico is likely to become
assimilated to our own country, to buy of
us, to be interested in our welfare, and we,
on the other hand, in the prosperity and
of our sister Republic. We
need not fear the foreign steamship lines
running to Mexico; the railroads, which
will soon be stretched into that country
from our own, will be more than match for
foreign carriers. We wish that the pros
peot was equally hopeful with respect to
the countries lying still further South.
The various countries of South America,
on the whole, have made very considerable
progress during the past twenty five or
thirty years. Of these, the prosperity of
Chilli is the most noteworthy. She has
pounded Peru pretty thoroughly to pieces,
and just now the latter country is not in
condition to trade much. Brazil has grown
in might and power, beside developing her
industrial condition. The same also is true
with respect to the countries lying south of
her. Why should not the United States
trade more largely with these countries?
Of course, the ready answer is, for the
most part we have been unable to supply
our own home demands, but, as previously
we have permanently passed
that point in our industrial develop
ment. Recognizing this fact as true, we
should no longer hesitate to establish trade
relations with all the South American coun-
tries. At present, we import large quanti-
ties of coffee from Brazil; why should we
not export leather and cotton goods, and
other commodities to the country of the
Amazon? Certainly Brazil must obtain
supply from some quarter, why not from
us?
Our manufacturers should not be slow in
this question. If they carefully
studied into the matter to find the answer,
they would learn several things. First of
all, to trade with those countries, the prop
er transportation facilities must be estab-
lished. We are not very strong believers
in government subsidies, yet it may be ques-
toned whether OF not judicious subsidies
for maintaining steamship lines with South
America would not be justified by the re-
suits that would follow. Perhaps in course
of time the railway system of Mexico will
be extended across the Isthmus further
southwark, uniting with the Peruvian sys-
tenn, and so on through Chill to very dis
tant point in the south latitude; but evil
IDENTIFY that date is remote. In the mean
time we must depend On water transporta-
ton. To secure this effectively, govern
ment aid is needful. Great Britain and
other countries for many years have subsi-
died steamship lines; why should not our
own country, with its plethoric income, do
something in this direction, especially when
the promise is not so rich? Is not policy
of this kind quite as likely to yield desira-
BILE return as some of the recent pension
Would not our country gain
much by so doing? Could any mistake be
committed in undertaking an experiment
of this kind? 1t is true that the expert
ments of government subsidies, already
tried, were not attended with the success
desired, but with the knowledge thus ac-
quired, could not the Government now
wisely grant subsidy for one or more lines
to South America that would yield sat1s-
factory return? In any event, this is the
first step toward establishing commercial
relations with South America.
In the next place, the American manu-
facturer must find out what kinds OF goods
are needed for the South American market.
He cannot get up any designs of his own
and send them there expecting
that they will be purchased. The foreign
manufacturers understand this. They
make and sell what is wanted by the people
of those countries. They have such agen-
cies and relations established that they
keep informed concerning the condition of
those markets. But the American manu-
facturer and trader can do the same thing.
Certainly he is quite as smart as his foreign
competitor. There is no reason why he
should not awaken to the necessity and ex-
pediency of the situation. He has been only
too slow in this matter. When the Gov
ernment furnishes it's aid, the manufacturer
and seller should wisely and vigorously un-
dertake to open up these markets and to
maintain them.
If this is not done, the inevitable clearly
is, the permanent restriction of the market
to American manufacturers. 1t is not ex-
pected that the shadow which has fallen
over our country will long continue, but