The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-04-11
AL IN ENGLISH SHIPS.
Great Britain Completely Controls
Americas Grain EX port Trade.

FAmcTtca - NrGsH In DOTI IEHue.
Is the American merchant flag being
swept from the seas by the British
lion? During the year 1874 not a
huShel of grain was carried across the
Atlantic in n scamer or sailing vessel
under the United States flag. or the
millions of bushels of cereals grown in
the United States but 600 bushels of
peas were exported under the American
flag. and wen that consignment was
carried in IN English built steame
which had been granted an American
register-the American liner New York.
That particular shipment Of 600 bushels
comprised the small surplus which
could not be slowed away in the al
ready OverstOcked hold of an English
craft. The American ship took the
leavings.
This condition Of the American mer-
chant marine, so far as the export grain
and cereal trade is concerned, is only
too forcibly illustrated in the statis-
tics which have just been compiled by
Capt. William e. Ferguson of the pro-
NuNC NANiiuhSC, tnIOuSA WLOS SOu tCSy
the World is enabled to publish the fig
ures. The commissioners of naviga-
ton, the produce, cOrn and maritime
exchanges, and the various cOnSulS gen
eral have withheld their annual re-
ports pending the completion of these
statistics. which are furnished them an
nually by Capt. Ferguson.
Aside from the gradual disappear
ance of the American flag from the
seas the tables complied by Mr.. Fer
gusOn show the disappearance of sail
ing vessels of any nationality from the
grain-carrying trade. Steam has now
entirely superseded sail, as may be
seen by the accompanying table. In
1881 sailing vessels carried 1920. JS3
bushels of grain and cereals to Europe,
but in the year just ended not Il busbel
of grain was exported in Il sailing
craft.
In 1891 the unequal struggle with
steamships was evidenced when out of
1,23S vessels which carried cargOes of
grain from this port only fifteen were
sailing vessels.
There were shipped from New York
during 1894 SO $50 bushels of Amer
lean grain and cereals, which went to
feed Europe's hungry millions. In
cluded in this total export are buck
wheat, corn, rye, oats. barley and peas,
many Of which cereals appear in the
statistics for the first time. There were
Of 0QS 1EZ hIIShn1c Of u-hoot 0SE QSE
bushels of corn, 2O,625 bushels Of rye,
1000 bushels of oats, 23,237 bushels of
barley, 173,057 bushels of buckwheat,
G,1S5 bushels of iaxseed, and 10. 662
bushels of peas.
The lions share of these ,3S4, $50
bushels-was carried in British vessels,
which made 494 trips across the Allan
tic, carrying 21,OO7. 461 bushels. The
remainder of the export trade was di-
vided between Belgian, German, Dutch,
Danish, French, Italian, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish vessels.
Not a bushel of the trade fell to the
lot Of a Norwegian craft. Russia was
represented by the steamer Ceres,
which made Il single trip, carrying H.
go bushels of wheat. Portuguese
vessels made twenty-five trips, carry
ing 1870, 1856 bushels; Dutch vessels
made eighty-three trips. carrying 3,272,-
3O7 bushels, and sharing first honors
with John Bulls craft. German ships
made ninety-five trips and carried o
67S,221 bushels of grain to the en-
perOr's domains. Vessels displaying
the British flag carried more than two
thirds Of the entire expectation, or 1O,-
100000 more bushels than all the other
vessels of the world combined. Uncle
Sans flag was not seen on a single
grain carrier.
In 1892 Of the LBS ship loads sent
abroad only twenty-five We're carried
under the American flag. There were
then four American steamers left in
the grain-carrying trade. They We're
the passenger steamers of the old Amer
lean line, which sailed from Phila-
delphia under the control of the Penn
sylvania railroad. Not ever these
craft now enjoy the exclusive privilege
of flying the stars and stripes. They
have been driven out of the business.
Following are the total exports of
wheat. corn, rye. oats, barley. buck
wheat, faXseed. and peas for 1894:
A MSnths' n,s %h "a ,,e sSE Sci F s,sss s Gsrs ,a5i
Feb. 1,91O.1TO SS4, S3S O.625 2.S31. 5O1