New-York tribune., 1890-05-05
c~ coNNrrcr OF CHILL.

Inr land st AZ ,
ff%any flansS 4@23Gs5 1913 %553i4 9a15,a
nnitcd stats 2o!9%939ii
Other countries ............. 2''S.'9' --- '9o--
- oso o25 sGo7l7G9s
The brll Of Chilian trade is with those countries
which have established regular lines OF steamship
communication with Valparaiso. England mas IN
crcascd its exports 20 Chill from Si,o'o'o'' III
1861 10 Sos35llil in lsSS, and us imports
in return during the same period from 81" l"''''
To S56. SOS. .4O7 Germany, beginning III lNo' "'''
exports 10 Chilli valued at S712,1l3' has icie'S'''
them to Sl4,046,j77 in lsss, whilc ''S I'"P''"
in return have run up from $6Si''o % 9f'''''
oqo These results have been secured bV 'he ,"'
nations which have had the hes' s''anSi'P
f,ciIities for the movement Of freight IN The
Pacific and Kosmos lines. The French exports
IN Chilli during the same period have eNpand'o
from S4.3O1,s5s to Sol l.5l3, ana thc imports
from 81 .640, ,364 TO S4,23i,05j. While thci' mas
been an increase il is small IN comparison wiz"
the material progress made by Great britain an"
Germany; and as a coincidence II Is 70 oc h"'c'
that the French steamship line Is i'epic one
and is not equipped for nous compe'uoh WIZ"
Germany and England one of tic best evidences
of the utility of steamship communicates lh pro"
noting commercial exchanges is furnished by the
|
mort trade with Peru and Ecuador, which has
followed the sharp competition for frelghts he
,wecn the English and National lines on the west
coast The bulk of the wheat surplus which Is
shpped from Talcahuana now goes north II feel
rainless seaboard of 900 miles, and IN exchange
are received from Peru cotton sugar, wool and
many other products.
The total value of the export and import trade
of Chill in 1883 was 1893, 1858. This aesic-
gate revealed an increase Of S2j,G2G.sl3 over
1881 The United States was almost the only
great maritime State which had no share IN that
tremendous gain. From England the imports
increased 20 per cent, from Germany 20 per
cent from France II per cent. from Peru 10
per cent but from the United States the imports
declined 336 per cent. OF the exports from Chill
England took nearly so per cent Of the whole
trade. and France enlarged lis share - per cent
Germany, while heavily increasing The imports here
received per cent less Of the exports from Chill.
The United States took 20 per cent less than IN
1887. With a declining import and export trade
in period Of unwontcd commercial activity on
the west coast, American merchants in Nalpa-
raiso are compelled 10 admit that they cannot
hope to compete successfully with English and
German rivals under the present conditions oi
slow communication, high frcights, brcakaec OF
goods at Panama and lack Of exchange Oh Ncw-
York.
The problem of establishing steamship commu-
nications between the United States and Chill
is beset with difficulty from the fact that the
two countries have the same natural products 10
export, and hence there is no bass for exchange
Chilli sends its silver copper and wheat 20 Eng
land and receives in return the bulk Of IFS i'm
ported merchandise. It's only exclusive product
is nitrates. The United States produces silver
copper and wheat on scale unknown III 'hih
It's exports from Valparaiso have always been
small, even when il controlled the import trade
II was difficult before the Civil War for sailing
vessels here TO obtain return cargocs and until
the recent development Of the nitrate industry
they ordinarily went back in ballast, hunting
freiqhts where there was q prospect Of finding
them. At present the vessels arriving here with
consignments of merchandise from Flint n Co
and Grace & Co., of Ncw-York or Hcmcnway n
Co., Of Boston, run up TO Iquiquc and load with
nitmtcs, after taking carpct-wool, hides, goat
skins and few other frcghts An American
line of steamers, if established between San Fran
cisco and Valparaiso from Ncw-York by way
Of the Straits, would meet with the same diill-
Guilty in obtaining return frcights If IL were III
operation for period Of two or three years,
there would unquestionably be marked increas"
in the expectation Of manufactures from the
United States 10 Chan ports; but
nitrates would be the chief product To
be carried back in exchange, and although
the German KOsmos line takes carg0cs Of the
salt. il is freight for sailing vessels rather than
for steamers. Chilian wheat certainly cannot hc
exported proiitably 10 American ports and ]
doubt if the most radical tariff breaker would be
so foolhardy as to recommend free copper as a
means of stimulating trade with Valparaiso.
The only practical method Of opening steamship
communications between the United States and
Chill is that Of competition in the coastng trade
from Panama southwark Two lines, the English
Pacific and the South American (Chilianl are now
doing the carrying business Of the west coast. and
a third company would have a sharp struggle
before il in competition with such energetic rivals
Chill now feeds the rainless coast California
produces wheat, food supplies of all kinds and
wines IL could furnish everything that is re-
auircd for Ecuador, Peru and the ports of North
ern Chill; but in order 10 obtain "A share of the
coastinq trade and 10 replace Chilian products in
those intermediate ports it would have 10 conduct
business in the way, and convert it's steamers
into floating markets With a fair share Of this
coastlng trade in food supplies such line could
be proftaby operated between San Francisco and
Valparaiso and with a more efficient management
of the Panama railway facilities for the movement
of New-York freghts by the Isthmus to the western
marta of South America business would be greatly