New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-16
TKANsSmIPMENTs OF pKODrCI

Total, j55.3I5 10 o.2
| This table shows that only a snail proportion
| of the coffee and lndl.O collected by the Pacic
| Mail steamers IN Mexico and Central America
| and brought TO Panama goes 10 AeW-lorh. The
| shipments OF coffee L. san Francisco hy the Pa
| clnC Mail Line, amounting 10 iV,U3s.jh pounds.
| do not appear IN TINS exhibit Ot the Isl hnlis
transit trace, do those hy the German stclri-
ers from ChampcrIco and other central American
| ports Tor Hamburg ana southampton. There
| also additional shipments OF the same produce
| from iprt llhon and Other Caribbean ports 10y
| the English amrIs 10 Eulorc Inc bdik ol
ms pGouucc PROFESSIONALLY gOc, To EaIopc rather
than To the | nlted States. me meagrc statistics
| of exports and imports Obtaln1bc there demon
stratc that England has larger snare OF the trade
| OF Central America than the United States not
| withstandins the advantages when TIE latter
has III shorter lines of transportation and steam
| ship line OF long standing.
Captain Dow when asked to explain the
favorable exhibit made by the nltcd states, both
IN the export ana import trades, REMARKED that
commerce was Il mailer OF common barter ANA
that the producers VI Central American cOlec
sold i, in ENGLAND and Germany because they
could get better price for IL there than IN New
York; and that they bought imports IN rciGrn
IN those markets Whcly tnclr goods were most
highly appreciated. Ne declared that osla l'lca
ana hualcmald concc was too good Tor the Amer
lean market. and went 10 Europe, where more
money couG be- had .or II. 80 long IS Americans
were content with inferior grades OF coffee trom
Brazil and did not know good coffee from bad.
the superior produce OF Central America Wouli
90 10 European ports III preference t. the nlird
states ana European Imports NbuIl CON- DtEN
IN payment Tor H.. asked captain 10" Mhr'hct
the ireightS on coffee - New Ork were ~ low
| as 10 Hamburg and Liverpool lie replied thai
The company tcd - MAKE them rs low as pos
siblc, but, of course, II could not afford 10 carry
them a; the rates which the English and German
steamers were charging. Has question oi cheap
Irclsis. ! think, lies At the root oi the matter
Rio coilec uudcrsclis Guatemala coffee IN the New
\ ork maj kct because there are German and English
lines competing with the American steamers Tor
the Brnziiian trade ana carrying produce north
l. ,,i,,. r..,u n
czuciln cOitc. IL l>u making It's way mt tue same
market through the competition of ioGr steamship
lines. Central American coffee - n"t carilei
to san Francisco ana NcW-l ok Under equally
favorable conditions. There are other questions
affecting the impor trade here which snail con
slider in another letter. but freight charges have
much to do with diminishing supplies from the
American markct.
Opponents 90 american slipping interests may
| urge that experience III central america lemon
strltcS that successful competition Win nailtllh'
Europe is impractiCdhlc. " We have hld here,
they may say, American steamships IN opera
tion for many years favored by shorter lines
of communication V!tn NcW-f olk and san iran
cisco and with special prlNlir$cs ot l'thmns
transit and the cOast'ng trade ol 'aIHornlh' Yet
England, Germany end France are getting the
bulk, both OF the export ana import trade. Does
not this prove the utility OF attempting 10 en-
large the foreign trade of the inlted STATES ny
establishing steamship lines and Suhsldi1lng
Them ?" In reply il may be said that the open
inc of Central America 10 the commerce OF the
world is the direct result OF the establishment
q American
considerable share OF that trade which The hite
States holds would not have been acquired II
steam communications had not been established
and maintained. Tina. steam service, moreover
has Developed a large trade with Colombia, the
West Coast and Mexico. Furthrrmorc, the Amer
lean line IN lis management has been LETT depend
emf upon transcontinental railway corporations,
which are not interested IN the succrsN'ul opera
ton of steamships and III" lsthmus transit Nhch
the English have organized Il steamship company
like the Royal Mail or the Pacific NaNlsatlonL
there have been no competing railways 10 en-
barraSs or obstruct il. The sole purpose has pcrl
10 conduct il steamship enlrrp l>r ana to- IN
crr1s, It's business 10y every pD>>l"r cApedrnt.
II the American line at the lSfhinus were NOT
brought into relations with railway interests there
wonld be lower ircights and a more satisfactory
dcyrlopmcnt of American commerce. Bht rs IL
is with all the drawbacks, large trade has
been established between the United STATES ana
Central Ancrica-a trade winch can be sicatN
iucrr,s rd if frciehts can he reduced and AMER
lean merchants can he induced 10 make a critical
examination OF the requirements OF this market
and the conditions OF business here
The completion of various central american
railway enterprises will transfer the base OF
commercial operations from the Paclhc To- the
Atlantic ports The uni'iclion OF the states
will prouotc enterprises of this kind There II
n railway nearly finished between. Phntarcnas
and Port I.mon in Costa Rica: There are railway
projects in Guatemala which may dn'"'NC une
shifting of the coffee trade from Pachc to Carib-
bean harbors. and deprive the American me oil
large percentage of It's carving trade. mere are
English lines running Ia Port lInon, "reytoWn
and other ports ON the Caribbean S'aboard. The
American flag ought to he carried into those
waters Consul-C eneml Adamson remarked To
me that as many as two American steamship INES
,yore needed ON that coast from New-l Ork
and another from Ncw-Orlcans. captain DOW
frankly admitted that thc conn etlon OF several
Central American railways would deprive MS me
Of considerable STARE Of It's business. l}l The
esta/ ishmcnt of American lines on the Carlb-
ontirino,ed and a growing trade be retained and
enlarged Costa Rca coffee now has to he sent
to Pacific port for Shipment nnloaded a, ro tie
transshinned AZ Aspinwall When the railway
is finished, there will he a single shipment at
Port Lmon and a marked reduction in the cost
Of Transportation. Railways are destined TO effect