The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-01
Alialtcr OF rra,ic.

4 Matter OF IglIc.
An Interesting monograph has Just
been issued by the treasury bureau Of
statistics in regard to the share OF the
United States in the trade OF South
and Central America ard the West In
dies and Mexico.
1t discusses the commerc. OF South
and Central America and the West In
dies, the trade methods, the popularity
or otherwise OF manufactures and pro-
ducts OF the United States. the trans
portadon and the lack OF transporia-
ton between the United States and The
south. the steamship routes from port
to port and the distances. the railways
now built which must serve as part OF
a through Inns connecting the CONT
nents and countries. the length of rail-
way necessary to be constructed, and
its prospective routes, and the share
which the United States now has and
which other nations have in the COM
merce OF each Of the countries OF Cen
trail and South America.
The discussion is accompanied by
series of tables which present the sta
tlstlcs of each of the countries and is
lands south of the United States in q
very elaborate and complete form.
This examination OF the worlds COM
merce with relation to the countries
OF America does not present an alto
gether satisfactory picture of the share
which the United States has in the
commerce Of the countries lying south
OF her borders. With the English
speaking people Of American territory
lying upon the north her commercial
relations have rapidly grown, and pro-
ven mutually satisfactory. With those
OF another language, occupying the
contiguous territory at the south, the
growth has been slower and less salts
factory, and as the distance increases
the growth decreases.
Even the somewhat unsatisfactory
condition Of trade with the countries
boderlng upon the Gulf OF Mexico and
the Caribbean sea Is, however, grail
flying when compared with the trade re-
latlons OF the United States with the
countries OF South America bordering
upon the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
OF the total imports of all South Amer
lea, 81 per cent is taken by the coun-
tries bordering upon the two oceans.
and but 10 per cent OF these bordering
upon the Caribbean. Marching down
the eastern coast of South America we
find Brazil importing. In 1887, goods to
the value OF over los million dollars.
of which the United States supplied
about u per cent; Uruguay and Par
aguay $4,000 900, Of which our share
was less than per cent. and Argentina
S25, 900. OOO, OF which less than per cent
was from the United States, while a
tour OF the Pacific coast shows import
atlons into Chile OF S2I.O0O,OOO; Peru.
IS. GOO: Bolivia, Sl1, 100000. and Ecua-
dor. S5.OOOOOO. the proportion from the
ynited States averaging 10 per cent.
D nus Nlle llol lllGlll Nbd9A " E9oeNh AhhaSa
lea, fronting on the Caribbean sea, i'm
ports goods to the value OF S36OOO.OOO,
OF which we supply an average of 20 per
cent the eastern coast, fronting upon
The Atlantic, 500 100000, and the Pacific
coast, $5l 100000. OF which our proper
ton is in each case about 10 per cent.
Nor can it be urged that this condi-
tloa is a temporary one. While ex-
ports from the United States have
grown rapidly, especially since the
opening OF railway communication, and
have experienced a moderate develop
ment In the case of the countries bor-
derlng upon the Caribbean sea. the to-
tai sales to the countries south of us
have not grown with the rapldity which
has characterized them to the world at
large. In 1868 our sales to the coun-
tries south of us were 20 per cent Of our
total exports; in 1878. little less than
10 per cent: in 1855, fraction above
ten per cent, and in 1898 but seven per
cent OF our total exports.