The evening times., 1898-09-07
PROMOTING TRADE.
baltimore makes n Bid for west In
dian Business.

dian Business.
Baltimore, Sept 7.-At a meeting Of
business men, held at the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association formal
action was taken to organize a movement
to bring trade to Baltimore from Cuba
and Porto Rico Owing to the hot
weather the meeting was short and a
resolution was adopted for the appoint
ment of a committee by Mr.. Summer
field Baldwin, president of the associa-
ton. to perfect plan cf operation. This
committee will be composed of five, in
cluding President Baldwin. Preceding
this action several speeches were made
at the meeting.
Secretary Clarence II. Forrest outlined
the preliminary work which had been
done and said: 'The list of exports to
Cuba and Porto Rico shows that the
goods needed in these countries can be
made in Baltimore. The location of this
city is favorable for handling export
business from the West. Baltimore bus
mess men and manufacturers must IA
miliarize themselves with the needs of
the people of these islands in order to
push the sale of their goods. Transpor-
If we do not have a line of our own, we
will have to ship goods via New York,
and be handicapped by from two to
three days delay"
Mr.. Nicholas p Bond, one of the d.
rectors of the Baltimore and West In
dies Transportation Company, which has
been formed to establish line of steam
ships between Baltimore and Cuban and
Porto Rican ports, presented the plans of
10 -ail Our
was organized on the theory that BaIti-
more needed the establishment in the
near future of transportation facilities to
the West Indies. AT the outStart we pro-
pose TO get up an inspection tour. and
will furnish a steamship to visit the va
rious ports in Cuba and Porto Rico This
will give the people of Baltimore who feel
that they have something they can sell
in these markets a chance to send out
representative, who can study the situa-
tion and note just what is wanted Such
an expedition would be a splendid adver-
tisement for Baltimore, which is not
too well known in these countries" Mr.
Bond said ii was the desire of the COM
pany 10 make it a distinctively Baltimore
expedition. and added that the company
had already received large number of
requests from manufacturers in Chicago,
Cincinnati and other Western cities for
z
representatives with the party
MIR. d. w. Glass recommended a visit
TO the Philadelphia Commercial Museum.
where there was on exhibition samples
of goods used in these countries with
information as to how they should be
packed. This, he said, would furnish
useful preliminary information to persons
who seek to trade with the West Indies.
MI Lloyd ]. Jackson said; Baltimore
wants all the trade she can possibly get
We should let Cuba and Porto Rica know
that we are on the map. There is no
reason why this city should not get a
good share Of this trade. if the merchants
and manufacturers will back up the
transportation company, and go into
these countries determined to sell goods -
Mr. Skipwith Wilmer, who was chair
man OF the meeting, said: Thirty years
ago II was no unusual sight to see n
string of idrays running from all the
wharves along Pratt Street waiting an
opportunity to load on ships goods destfn-
ed for the West Indies These vessels
came back with sugar and there was q
big business done. Wharf room was hard
to get and the vessels were usually lined
up three and four deep. What condition
do We behold today? Warehouses have
been sold for taxes. and in some instances
owners have found 1t not worth the while
to collect wharf rents. Here is a chance
to get back what we have lost. II is
reopening of this trade under changed
| conditions. We must take advantage of
the opportunity before the business falls
| into other regular channels.
Let every man who has the interest of
the city at heart make venture in this
trade. Send consignments. even at the
risk of loss, and seize this opportunity
before ii slips away. We are the nearest
port to Cuba of any size and with our
facilities for handling this trade there is
no doubt about success. If we miss this
chance we deserve to sink into obscurfty
But there is too much courage and en-
terprise in our people to lose it. The in
itiative has been taken by the formation
of transportation company. l say to
you business men that you must hold up
the hands of the men who have under
taken TO give you ships for this busi-
ness. Cuba and Porto Rico afford rich
opportunities for trade, and to my mind
this is the only justification for the war"