The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-07

A number OF American manufacturers
have gons 70 South America with . view
TO extending our commerce with the re-
publics to the south Of us. The resources
Of South America are exceedingly great
and varied. and although the development
OF she countries seems slow to us Il Is
progressing az an Increasingly rapid rate.
For long time yet most OF the republics
viii be able 20 depend upon agriculture
for their commerce and o<Ysr particularly
good Inducements TO the products OF our
factories.
That the trafae between those countries
and this has not been greater has been
due very much 10 our own fault Manu-
facturcrs and producers have not sought
those markets. and even usually well tn
formed newspapers have commented upon
the fact that merchants who were gcing
south had to 90 BY way Of ENGLAND be-
cause there are no shipping facilities be-
tween the United States and South Amer
lea We have NO fast passengsr steamers
such ~ those between New York and Liv-
erpooi. and between London and Buenos
Ayres. but there 10 no lack OF freight ves-
sels both under steam and sail plying be-
tween this country and our southern
friends. They are such ships ~ the bulk
of the trade Of the world 10 transported
By. The New York Journal Of Conn
merce has published list Of these lines.
describing the facilities they orer. and II
shows that there wfiI be no want Of ves-
s.f~ 40 ~. n,yortursr cau FOR than The
information which accompanies that list
shows that for tho year ending May
there were, according to custom house
clearances. no less than I. $50 opportunities
for sending freight by steam from New
York 10 South and Central America. Mex
loo and the West Indies; z75 opportuni-
ties from Philadelphia: isl from Balt-
more. and ia5 from Boston--a total OF 1.7s2.
The detailed list Is very interesting. but
extensive a. II was II did not take into
consideration the sailing vessels, which
still do . large amount OF the worlds
ocean trafsc The total number OF clear
ances from all United States ports to these
southern countries for the year ending
June % last amounted to ASH steam YES
sells. with IN aggregate tonnage Of atss,-
SIS. and ,ls7 sailing craft. with tonnage
OF sis.ss4 Tho Journal also calls attention
to the fact that vessels In the triangular
service between New York. Liverpool and
Brazil run both ways; and In the trfan-
gular service 70 Argentina they usually
go from New York to the River Platte.
thence to . British port and back to
America
Our trade with these southern countries
10 growing That with the West Indies
amounted to 500. ~. %. for the fiscal year
ending June %. 1886; with South America
to si45. SIS. o6s, with Central America TO
Sls. 2ie, iso: with Mexico to .ss&; with
Bermuda to S.2s7.a7l. and with British
Honduras TO Sss4.742, making a grand total
Of s2ss s7l Unfortunately our imports
are heavy and our exports are light We
bought nearly tso.0oo.ooo Of Braxirs pro-
ducts last year and sold to II but 81. ooo. 900;
from Argentina we took sio.ooo.coo and to
IL sold $500 900. while from Uruguay We
imported s3.oo0. 600 and returned N.0oo.oOo.
These three countries are mostly directly
interested In the commercial embassy now
on its way south Recent international
events have given this country prestige
with every one OF the southern republics
except Chile and II IL an exceedingly OPP
perfume time for our merchants to at
tempt to extend their connections. 1t Is
said that one of the objections VIII be
that we do not have the same banking
facilities as those Of England and the
other chief continental powers. bat II viii
not be a difficult matter to adjust them TO
the conditions. especially as the South
American trade Is usually very profitable.