The Durham daily globe., 1889-10-15
DURHAM, N. C..
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1889.
WE OUGHT TO OWN OUR OCEAN
STEA MSHIPS,

The announcement that a hundred
thousand dollar stock company has been
organized in the city of Charleston, for
the purpose of inaugurating the ship
building industry, is an encouraging and
gratifying indication.
The time has come when the United
States must build more ships to provide
for the carrying trade between this coun-
try and the South American ports that
is sure to undergo a rapid development
between now and the holding of the
Worlds Fair of 1892, and Immediately
after that important event.
Even cursory perusal of a few of the
consular reports made to our govern
ment shows how far behind the world
is our foreign trade, we the most pow
erful and civilized of the free govern
ments of modern times.
Great Britain is first, Germany second.
With the former of course no comparison
is fair, but with Germany, one of the
newest of governments, although one of
the oldest of peoples, comparison ought
to be made, and it ought to be in the IA
vor of this country.
While our ocean carrying trade is in
the hands of foreigners this state of
things will last.
Let us look at some of the facts. Ger
many instituted as a complete govern
ment and united people in 1871. Ger
many now ranks second among the ma
tiOns in the extent of it's foreign COM
merce. At Hamburg the export trade is
represented to be so active that difficulty
is experienced from press of freight, in
getting goods loaded punctually. The
Chamber of Commerce has therefore re-
commended that the quays be further
extended. Indeed the Hamburgers have
begun work in the extension of their
wharf sheds. At Bremen the lower
Weser river is being improved SO as to
admit vessels of larger draught to the
port, and it is expected that such i'm
provements will be completed in 1891.
New steamship lines from Hamburg
to Calcutta from Bremen to Bombay
and Calcutta, from Hamburg to West
Africa are projected and in the two for
mer instances have been assured. Nor
is this ALL The German railways in the
latter part of 1888 received more freight
than they could carry promptly, and the
construction of an unusually large
amount of rolling stock has become ne
cessary.
These things speak to us with power
full voice. If we are to be content with
a mere home market, feeding on our
selves, let us understand the situation
and act accordingly. But hardly any
body really proposes such folly: almost
every writer and public man, be he pro-
tectionist or free trader, advocates an ex-
tension of our commerce abroad.
Naturally the United States look to
their neighbors on the South. For a
long time Mexico and South America
have been regarded as fine fields for en-
deavor. What is wanted is something
like a system This must begin, or per-
haps we ought to say should begin with
the American manufacturers. One OF
our consular agents, ex-Minister to Brazil
Thos j. Jarvis, of this State, insists siren
uously upon building up trade in hith-
erto unknown articles by the exhibition
Of samples.
Nearly every consular officer, let 1t be
observed, has reported to the same effect.
Mr. Jarvis wrote about the South Amer
lean, particularly the Buenos Ayres'
trade. He says that our manufacturers
read and approve and shower a lot of
catalogues upon the consul The Euro
pean manufacturer follows the advice of
the consul and gets the market. This ad-
vice, if one need repeat, is to send out
abundant samples for exhibition.
Among the articles useful in the South
American trade are the following in the
production of which we excel: Beer,
wine in casks or bottles, glassware, iron
and steel manufactures, including army
and navy weapons, and implements,
scythes, razors, table cutlery, tinware,