The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-03
TO SECURE FOREIGN TRADE.
What Leading Manufacturers
Say is Necessary.
Replies OF State vice-Presidents OF the
National Association of manufacturers
and Others to the Query AS to What is
Necessary to Extend tho Export Trade
of American Manufactured Goodsf

BALTIMoRE, Md, July The Manu-
facturers' Record recently addressed to
the State Independents of she
National Association of Manufacturers
and to a few leading Manufacturers in
the foreign trade the question what ia
necessary TO secure great extension
OF the foreign export trade of American
manufactured goods?"
The replies to this are published In
this weeks issue. Hon. Warner Miller,
OF New York, takes the ground that we
must first establish and maintain steam
ship communication with all tho
countries with which we desire or ex-
pect to trade, and that without regular
and rapid lines OF transportation there
can be little or no trade. Commerce.
he says, increases in proportion as the
means OF communication are direct and
rapid. In order to secure steamship
lines to Central and South American
ports, Australia, China and Japan and
elsewhere, the Government should, Mr..
Miller says, help by giving su bsidy or
liberal mail fees.
All of the English, French and Ger
man lines have been aided in this way,
and II they are TO be our competitors,
we must meet them by adopting their
methods II we could gain this trade.
We must also. he said, restore the reci-
procity treaties and further extend
them, and II we receive the products of
other countries free of duty, we must
insist that they shall give similar priv.
leRes to our products.
Tho Lodge and Davis Machine Tool
Company, OF Cincinnati, says that If we
wish vigorous foreign trade, we must
have q restoration OF reciprocity trea-
ties and American ships built in
Ameriqs. and owned by Americans, to
insure fair and straight rates to foreign
countries.
Mr.. Charles Fletcher. vice-president
for Rhode Island, states that he sees no
way of exporting goods except through
reciprocity measures. az we are paying
In some cases from 100 to $50 per cent.
more wages than the foreigners pay.
Messrs. Stillwell Bierce and Smith
Vaile Company, who are already doing
large export trade through their Lon
don house, say that II business is to be
extended into Mexico and Central and
South America, we must have more
frequent and reliable means of COM
munication by regular lines OF steamers
at frequent intervals. and paying, there
for. II necessary, a liberal 81 bsidy.
Mr.. John R. London, vice president
for South Carolina, says: I'VE want
direct communication with South
America and other countries. When
ever a British ship enters o port of
America It should be alongside of an
American ship. The United States
should encourage foreign commerce In,
the same way tina, England does. We
must also have better banking arrange
ments, and be independent of Eagland
In that respect, and we must secure the
speedy opening Of the Nicaragua canal,
encouraged and, II need be, aided by
the national government"
Mr.. N. B. Scott, Wheeling, W. We,
answers the question by saying the
building up OF American merchant chips.
So long as England has control of the
seas by reason OF her superior merchant
marine, 30 long will she control the
markets of the world. The hue and cry
that goes up all over the country every
time bill is introduced in Congress to
encourage American shipbuilders to es-
tablish regular lines between this and
other countries is in reality only an In
direct blow to our manufacturers. Let
Congress by liberal appropriations and
otherwise encourage the capital Of this
country to invest In building and oper-
atinR steamships to carry our manufsc-
tured articles 10 all parts of the world
and then we will see such q revival at
our factories ss has not been seen for
years,