Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-01
NonroLrs's SHIFTING NEED,
CUBA AND PORTO RICO TRADE
FURNISH RETURN CARGOES.

1t is generally conceded that Nor
toiks prime shipping need is n class of
imports tnat VIII furnish 4 steady line
OF return cargoeS for her homeward
Bound freighters. a close perusal of
the shipping columns will show that,
save III Bay craft, as the schooners
and barges plying between this port
ana Baltimore and Philadelphia are
termed. the great preponderance of
such craft arrive at this poXt light
Tor cargo-in other words" bringing
nothing, and consequently making their
inbound and outbound voyages with
freight ono way. This eats up the pro
NJ ana discourages the sailing. ana but
Tor the fact that Norfolk is the great
est coaling station on the Atlantic
coast, and the centre of the North Car
DINA pine trade. this lack of import
industry would make itself worse felt
than 1T is now. This the shipping mer-
chants and brokers feel, and they have
been looking about sometime
ma some profitable return cargo for
coastwise vessel, and now that the Gu
ban and Porto Rican trade is rising
Ike new sun on the Southern horizon.
they think they havo found what they
have been looking for.
reciprocal trade to small amount
Will undoubtedly be found in wood and
lumber, on the one hand, and fruits and
of beneficial trade WILL after all, be
coal and creosoted lumber, timber and
piling from Norfolk as against Cuban
and Porto Rican ores, and on this line
Norfolk shipping firms are beginning
to talk quite strongly. 1t is estimated
by some of the leaders that there Is
in this opportunity a big chance for
investors in iron working mills In con-
junction with the Norfolk and Western
railway, with great benefit to each as
the mingling Of the wonderfully rich
ore of Cuba with the more sterile pro-
duct of the mines along the Norfolk
and Western would result in n fine
quality of composite ore. and the cars .r:,
mat e. now o go back e e...lp1y from Lam
bert ;. POINT cellS. be utilized transfer
ring the'@I from the coast to the fur
naces. thus producing n mutual beneflt
association of great value. The Gulf
ports are too near Cuba and the yellow
pine too abundant to make the demand
for North Carolina pine of any great
moment. while at present all of that
produced is needed In American mar
kets North. and now the demand out
rides the supply for months ahead.
To show that Norfolk is not alone in
desire for trade with Cuba, and that
others are in for what there is in sight
the following from the New Orleans
correspondent of the New York Marine
Journal Will quickly prove, and will
show where several coasters once well
known in Norfolk are gone:
Several schooners, including the e.
j. Pendleton. Clara e. Randall, Flea
ger w. Clark. from Tampa. Martinique
and st. Lucia, arrived here recently.
They are the advance vessels of n
larger fleet on the way here from the
American Sugar Refining Company's
sugar fleet They will load with sugar
for New York and Philadelphia.
This port will make n bid for the
Cuba trade in earnest as soon as the
customs departments of the island are
in the hands of Americans"
The question of prime Importance
among shipping men in this connection
is What is Norfolks Board of Trade
doing in this regard, and what combi-
nations can be successfully brought
about in the direction OF furtherance
OF the exchange traffic for this port"
The question is n serious one.