The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-25
Some Big Cbapces for Amer
leaps apd AmericAp Trade.


the money goes into the pockets Of the men
who levy the taxes. In fact" said lead
Ing railroad official 10 me the other day.
every one down here seems to be lying
awake ak night TO think how he can squeeze
few uilress out OK the foreigner without
working for them"
Every man who comes down here TO 30
into business must expect 10 pay tax Tor
the privilege. There 10 not q merchant or
me chaaic in Rio who does not pay tau.
The boothiack pays for the right to black
your shoes. Every store pays for the prtvi-
lege Of opening Its Doors and every con-
tract. note and check must bear IL stamp.
II seems to me that the United States has
been Disseminated against N to govern
ment contracts. At least this has been the
case In the past. Braxilian coal until now
has ali come from England. and II was only
last year that American firms were allowed
TO compete for government supplies. Then
Minister Bryan and Consul General Seegar
secured the right 20 competitive business.
and 10000 tons OF coal were put up for de-
cision In this way. Our coal companies
should study this market Brazil uses
100000 worth OF English coal annually.
Chances fer Electrical Companies.
The Braxiiians are rapidly adopting cleo
trfcity. There are towns Of ten and fifteen
thousand In southern Brazil which have
electric lights. The city OF Sac Paulo,
which has 10000 population. n well
equipped In this respect. There IL q good
electric light system here In Para. although
the poles are placed In the center or the
sidewalk. fnd that the Brush arc lights
are used In ManAos. . thousand miles up
the Amazon.
Rio Ii stili lighted by gas. It Il . city OF
100000 people, and a good electric Hight
plant could make fortune for its owners
A. H<nf
an exclusive franchise, but this could cas-
lily be set aside or compromised
Petropolis. which Is in the mountains
hack Of Rio. and which Is o favortte sum-
mer resort Of the Brazilians. has an electric
plant. the power for which = generated by
. mountain stream. This plant not only
lights the city. but many of the houseA
and. among others. that Of Minister Bryan
sone street Railways.
At present nearly all the railroads Of Rio
de Janeiro are moved by horse or mule
power. The electrical franchises WOULD be
worth q great deal. The city Ia surrounded
by suburbs and the Brazilians would pa
tronize the electric railroads well. They
are q lazy people. The climate II such
that no one cares to walk two blocks II he
can ride. and In proportion to the popula-
ton the street car travel would be very
great.
Sac Paulo t2oo.0Oo) still has horse cars.
Para Is arranging for an electric railroad.
although at present the street cars are
hauled by mules. Manaos has about COM
pleted an electric railroad. This Is owned
by an American firm. Bahia (2o0oO0) still
relies upon horse cars. although the Ger
mans are scheming to get hold OF the cleo
trio railway franchises.
I am told that there Is a big German
syndicate which has agents going about
through Brazil and picking up everything
good in the way OF electricity. They have
already gotten their hands to certain ex-
tent on Rio, having built there the Villa
Isabella tramway with the idea Of equip
ping 1t electrically.
They have secured roads In Sac Pauio,
and are negotiating for roaes in Pernam-
buco. Pernambuco has about 100000 peo-
pie. II II nat. and car lines could be oper-
ated without much power. The street car
rates are lower. however. than they are
with us. The fares are from ~ to s cents
a trip. At the same time, labor IL very
cheap. and most OF the lines are operated
at profit
There are telephone companies all over
Brazil. You will not ind town OF any
size which has not one. The most Of them
pay dividends.
Investments In Steam Railroads.
Brazil In growing very fast az to railroad
lines It's railways now have a length OF
about 1900 miles, and there Is an equal
amount under survey or In course of con-
sfruction. The English own some OF the
best OF these properties. and they are
scheming to get hold of others
AT present the government has about
SEQ miles OF lines. but these are poorly
administered and do not pay. ! doubt II