The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-10
OUR TRADE WITH AFRICA.
Its Rapid Increase in the Last Few
lear~.


New York Sun
The Sun told recently Of the great IN
crease within few years in the business
OF shipping mining machinery from the
United States to South Africa The growth
OF the general export business TO South
Africa fer the last few years has been cor
respondingiy great. and the Increase dur
ing this year has been little less than pne-
nomenal. During the year ending with last
June the value of the exports was s5,eea,-
0o. Such has been the growth of business
since then that IL Is estimated the exports
for the year ending with the coming June
viii be at least slneoo.0o0. What this
means will be seen readily by glance at
the figures for two or three previous
years. The value of the exports for the
year ending with June, 1894. was A.l22,sl2.
that for the preceding year. ST. 900. and
that for 1892 was s. 10000.
One reason for the increase OF shipments
is that now steamers are available for the
South African trade. A few years ago the
business OF Southern Africa was either so
largely in the hands of the English or in
such condition that only sailing vessels
piled between here and the South African
ports For the last three years steamers
have been sent from here. and although no
regular line has been In operation. there
are firms which send steamers out pretty
regularly. now at the rate of about three
a month. They are tramp steamers and
they take cargoes out but do not return.
One steamer sailed on Saturday. another
viii sail on Thursday, another still on Sat
urday next. and one on the following Sat-
urday.
While comparatively few articles were
sent formerly to South Africa from here,
now almost every kind of commodity
that this country produces is exported.
Trade is drummed up. and Americans are
pushing their interests vigorously. Only
recently the Oregon mill interests have
worked their way into the African CONT
nent. and steamers are sailing from the
North Pacific coast to South African
ports. OF course. the great bulk of the
shipments from this country are made
from the port of New York. but vessels
are dispatched also from Gulf ports and
others from San Francisco.
The shipments from the South are OF
wood. All the white pine used in South
Africa is sent from this country. The
shipments from San Francisco are said
TO be mainly of wheat During the present
year wheat has formed a very large por-
ton of all the shipments from this coun-
try. The reason is that the African wheat
crop failed. and the Australian crop was
an utter failure.
What the future has in store FOR the
business relations of this country and
South Africa would seem to be almost
without limit. One of the things which
work against the shipping firms is Areas
raucity of good harbors. Harbor improve
men;s are under way there. however. as
for example at Port Natal. the port of
Natal, where the depth Of the channel
at the bar was increased from 1852 to
1883 by seven feet and seven inches. The
depth in 1892 was thirteen feet eight in
ches.
What America has TO look forward TO
may be seen from a comparison of the
figures of Its exports and those II Erg-
land. Americas exports. to South Africa
were 50, 500 900 in 1898 and England's were
s46, 900. The total exports of manufac-
lures from this country last year were
In the neighborhood of 500. od0.0oo or less
than half of Germany's, and less than a
quarter of Englands. Yet American man.
ufacturing plants are capable Of turning
out twice the amount Of goods requisite
for the supply of this country In a year.
One of the things. not always spoken OF
as a manufacture, that South Africa got
from here Is 100000 worth Of rum.
which was sent out in one year.
Naturally most of the exports for Africa
are staples, but some fancy articles, among
them bicycles, are being introduced there.
A good many medicines are sent over.
Everything in the line of cheap wooden
ments are sent in large numbers, mainly
of the old-fashIoned kind, or what are now
regarded as old-fashioned, although some
mowers and reapers are going out The
reason the demand Is for wares of the old
style instead OF the labor-saving machn-
cry Is said to be. not that labor is cheap
over there. but the farmers prefer to do
things In the old way. A good many cheap
plows are exported.
- h. 10 ~
made from the United States ports to
South Africa may be gained by a glance
a the manifest OF the cargo OF q ship
row on the water. Among the goods there
are lard and lard oil. shoe leather leath-
er. hardware, lamp goods. Goldfish. corn.
-four, canned meats. axle grease. turpen-
tine. varnish, manufactured wood. barbed
wire, doors, handles. parts of plows. axes.
cigarettes, canned fruit, baking powder,
brooms. carriages. nails. apples, aprIcots.
canned oysters, Kerosene. wheat, clocks,
medicines, evaporators. hams, stoves.
wheeioarrows, dried fruit, sugar, cotton
goods OF many sorts. spokes and hubs OF
Wheels. lubr.cating oils. crucihles, ropes.
seeds, and iron pipes. One OF the COM
mission merchants speaks of having seen
many tons of iron pipe loaded for Africa.
Besides. there are in the cargo steam
pumps and starch, ploughs, glassware,
gloves. curtain fixtures, rubber goods,
sporting goods. shoyels, mining machin-
cry. furniture, an organ. whips, hay,
clothing. soap. seeds. cartridges, galvan-
ICED oilers. wire mats, oats, lumber. nee
tarines. candy, can openers. tongues. hay
cutters. iron bolts. refined petroleum.
books. candles, paraffiue wax, snspenders.
playing cards, glucose. mail coaches.
knives. electrical machinery and supplies,
hammocks. paper bags. trunks extermin-
ators. tomatoes, syrup. white duck, Flor
Ida water. windmiils benzlne, oil stoves,
razor strops. coffee mills, essences. guam
Titles OF pain killers copy presses, iron
sleeves. picture frames. bird cages. plated
ware, watches dental chairs dress goods,
catalogues lawn mowers. scales, wooden
horses. drugs, typewriiers. paper. charts.
rye. bicycles typewriter supplies lead
pipe. paint. roofing, carts. trucks. canvas,
canned salmon, feed cutters. and electro
types
In many, II not most. OF these products
there can be no competition between this
country ard England. or course England
ean send no wheat. In manufactured hard
ware. the supremacy % American goods 4.
acknowledged. The English goods in this
line. Il is said. are heavy. without being
any stronger than the American, and,