Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-12-05

AS manufacturers of cotton fabrics,
it would not he denied in this part of
| the country that this new field which
was open, or being opened. TO the
world, by the International associa-
ton, deserved their consideration and
jealous watching, and his object was
to point out what interests they had
on the Congo. The claims of Portugal
to the Congo were not and never had
been recognized by her majesty's gov
ernment, and in his address to the Lon
don chamber of commerce he brought
historical proofs to prove the assertion.
They must, therefore, be considered
null and void as far as regarded this
country, and he presumed rights
would not have been worth considera-
ton had not the Anglo o-Portuguese
treaty led them to examine into the
manner in which portugal came to be
on the banks of the Congo at all. There
was no manufacturer present who
could not tell how much he had per-
sonally suffered through the slackne-s
of trade, and he imagined they had all
some vague idea that if things re-
NAMED as they were the future of the
cotton trade was not very brilliant.
He had calculated that, supposing
every inhabitant of the Congo basin
had one Sunday dress every year, 320,
100000 yards of calico would be re-
quired. Proceeding still further with
these figures, he found that if two Sun
day dresses and four everyday dresses
were used in one year, the enormous
total of 3.S40, 100000 yards would be
required, which, at 2 pence per yard,
would be of the value of ZIG, 100000.
But this does not exhaust the trade to
be developed in this field. He esti-
mated that trade of f26, 900, 600 an
nually could be done in the Congo
basin. What had Manchester to do tC
obtain these enormous sales of calico?
The first thing they should do was
to ask the British government to send
a cruiser to the mouth of the
Congo TO keep watch over the river un
til the European nations should agree
what was to be done, else one
day they might find that it was alto
gether too late. Secondly, they must |
now allow Portugal to assume sover-
eighty oyer the river He questioned |
it would not be as well to al |
low the International association to
act as guardian of the river, in order
that its banks and waters might be
tree. Steam was now required in order
Of develop trade. Trade ought to grow
md commerce expand in the Congo
basin. The International association
would be the best for this work. 1t
solved the riddle without the interfer-
'nce of any European power Under
is flag every nation might compete in
is trading operations on the river. 1t
,uilt steamers and placed them on the
liver, erected stations, made railways,
tic. In short, it offered to be the piO-
leer of civilization there. BY this time
always would have been made but for
he ambition of Portugal.
Speaking of the upper Congo, he
pointed out that if developed-for it
vas richer than the lower Congo-the
'alue of imports would increase enor-
nously, and he also urged the impor-
ance of railway being constructed
etwecn the two districts. The duty
4 Manchester people was to consider
n what way this question affected
hem and their city. If 37S miles of ,
'ater frontage gave them f3,000.0 600 ,
I trade because it was free, to what .
gure would it be reduced after Portu- {
al had put 30 or 40 per cent on itP 5
ohm Bradshaw, in 1879. called Africa /
second India. He could assure them /
lat this basin of the Congo might be !
lade of more value to them than
ldia. 1t was the easiest matter in the /
orld to induce Africans to wear cot /
IN. But it would take them centur- /
IS to learn how to make it themselves.
o other nation could compete with |
ngland in the manufacture of cotton |
oods provided they kept that trade !