New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-20
gHE AUSTRALIAN TRADE GROWlN
MANY AMERICAN PRODUCTS IN DEMAND.

WHAT SHIPPING MEN SAY ABOUT THIS CoUNrKY's
CHANCES IN THE ISLAND CONTINENT
little over a halfcentury ago there was no
estab lisbed trade between this country and
Australia Now at least four companies are en-
GA ged il the carrying trade between the Uhlted
States and the huge sland-contincnt. Three Oh
these companies are in this city and one in Boston,
1be firms ia this city IRE K w. Cameron d Co.,
of No. 20 South WiliaIn-st., MAILER ~ Qucreau,
Of No. 81 Soonest, and Arnold, Cheney ~ 20.
Il w Cameron Il Co. and Mailer u 'lucreau are
neighbours as may pass through tine front door
of X W. Cameron ~ Co. and cut AT the BACK uoor
TO ind himself against the 'front.' door oi niai1r
* Quereau Ihtsc t"O iirms ehtered INC AunT,a i
ian = afiic-New Zealand included-ln BOD lneIr
boston competitor, IL. w. PEABODY, began Dusihess
soon alter the waf 81, s.
returns from o53 until the war had come 10 an
end Then IL began to increase IN rapid measure,
50 that now the amount oil traffic between Jhe Two
countries has uuadrup pied over what II was IN 800
Australia is taking more and more OF the Dest
Ame rican manufactured products, ana thiS tehuens
CIV has been on the increase that, outside OF
groceries and drygoods, 1t takes pretty nearly AL
sorts OF products here these two staples are I'm,
ported wholly from England: Cotton and canned
goods are supplied to Australia from TINS country.
So are petroleum and pine lumber, although the
bulk of lumber is sent from California ana oregon
The class of trade is running more ana more 10
bulky goods, and these, on the ratio OF cost make
lower rates of freight necessary.
HOW The EXPORT BUSINESS BEGAN.
After speaking of the above points, member
of one of the two best known firms in the trade
called attention the other day to the export to
Aust ralia of manufactured tobacco from Virginia
and OF leaf tobacco from That State ana hentucky'
The exports are taken, he SAID, TO MeiDOurhe
Adelaide and Sidney, the three prlnclpal ports OF
Australia, wherce they are distributed over Che
country. The amount of exports before the war
had been small and the returns COM
paritiycly limited scale. Mailer N Quereau ana
K. w. Cameron n Co., starting with small carg0es
had gradually built up good trade, SO that some
twenty years ago the Boston firm Of H. w. Pea
body had found this field desirable one Ior
venture. -,
in existence for ffty-live years 1T labors undef
great disadvantages. The chief of these, as iound
in the houses here and IN Boston, is d aIt II ID
difficult to make OUT sufficient cargo. Inc cause
given is that freightcrs are Obliged TO iall BACK
ON oil and lumber as means OF hlllng up u cargo
On these two products they have to take the I
chances, trusting to the Australian market TO hcip
them out.
The last year is considered fairly prosperous
one in the trade The shipments OF inc l3st ioHr
months OF the year were excessive, particularly IN
the leading lines of oil and lumber. There are
god in the Australian trade from this country
roughly speaking, sixty vessels II year 10 cover
all ports. The average passage Is from ninety 10
one hundred and ten days. the shortest voyage
ever made was recent one, seventy-two GAYS,
The Australian voyage is considered sale one
Those gcd in the TRACE say that only one
vessel has been lost since S53 this was the Eric
the Rcd which got into the when ar sweS p
carried uron a reef and wrecked. Not soul was
lost, however, although the vessel yas total
wreck So that the loss of not a single life marks
the record in the history Of our Australian trade
" II is absolutely safe rs 10 human life" sald
member OF the firm Of Mailer Quereau. adding:
" A number Of vessels have had to put into port
but no lives have been lost at sea-
LITTLE TRADE TINS WAY
most discourage feature OF the trade Is that
there is no home trade for returning vessels
beyond three or four cargOes of wool year III
we could i'm port Australian WOOL says one OF
the traders. and could have home trade equal
TO the outgoing one we could make our round
charters much cheaper and the outbound rates
OF freight lower, and could soon take fair share
Of trade The Australian woods are long and hne
entirely diff rent from those here: they are the
finest staple Of the world. But owing to the lack
of return trade rates are higher; at the present
time, therefore. the share of the United States
trader in manu- featured goods is not o per cent
OF what goes to the Colonies. Hcncc our great
disadvantage. We could TO dav charter vessels
on In" basis Of forty-fve shillings per ton ont
and back if We had the return business. but with
no home freight il costs thirty shillings out alone
Mere Is large export from here OF our agr-
cultural implements. which stand in high favor
all through the Colonies Our shOvels and axes
have almost complete control over the trade
because they better made and are lighter.
large trade is being developed, too. in our lager
beer. We have thousands of barrels going by our
vessels"