Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-11
Owners Of Coasting Vessels Want
War Question Settled.
THEIR BUSINESS Is SUFFERING
Trade in Lumber, Clay and Cotton
is Seriously Affected.
MERCHANTS INTERVIEWED
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, April TO- 1893.
To what extent the coasting trade Of the
United States, which, in recent years, has
assumed tremendous proportions. will be
interfered with by war between this coun-
try and Spain is a question Of the hour, as
a stoppage of this vast commerce would
not only affect those directly engaged in
it, but would be felt all over this country.
Millions of dollars worth of the products Of
the northern and southern sections Of the
United States are exchanged each year
by the all-water route, and the tonnage
carried by coastwise vessels reaches stu
pendous amounts.
Although the railroads penetrating the
south may at the present time truthfully
boast Of excellent equipment. they would.
nevertheless, be powerless to furnish the
requisite freight transportation In case our
Atlantic coast shipping trade was hampe-
ed by the presence of Spanish feet. For
instance, the vast quantities of lumber
shipped from the south could not possibly
be carried by the railroads, and the great
increase In rail over water freight rates
would so materially increase the cost of
goods thus transported that their sale
would naturally be restricted to the lowest
possible extent.
Business men whose interests are in any
way allied with coastwise commerce are
very anxious that the Spanish difficulties
be ended as quickly as possible. They all
complain that the uncertainty Of the situa-
ton has stagnated business No one knows
what to expect. The ship owner, the ship
ping agent, the owner of goods ready for
transpOrtation-in fact every one connected
with the coastwise trades at sea, so to
speak. They say that II war was declared
all uncertainty would be over, and people
would adjust themselves to the conditions.
Would Increase Cost of Lumber.
If it becomes necessary to ship the lumber
we must have from the south by rail its
cost to the consumer will be increased at
least So per thousand feet A substitution
of spruce and hemlock from the in erior
would probably be made wherever possible.
Our shipments to the south consist OF gen.
eral merchandise of all kinds. The prod
consist principally Of lumber, cotton, clay,
turpentine. rosin, tar, pitch, etc. The lum-
Der industry would be most seriously af-
fected by SPANS interference with this
commerce. One of a firm of leading lum-
Der dealers says: Actual war would not
hurt our business nearly SO much as have
the rumors. Everything is at a complete
standStill. All of the southern business
Neither the owners of lumber nor vessels
will take the risk Of shipping. English YES
sells will not be available, even if it was
lawful to employ them in the trade. for in
many cases they would be unable to deliver
the goods, being too deep in draught Our
own coasters are the only vessels afioat
capable Of carrying on this trade. Orders
already in are being delivered. but no fu-
ture business is being taken by the mills
down south. Besides, people here don't
want to buy lumber until they see what Is
going to be done. 1t will be out the
question TO get our yellow pine by rail.
The freight rates are too high. The sus-
pense Is what hurts us. If war was de-
clared We would adjust ourselves to the
conditions. We are hoping for a speedy
settlement of the question