The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-29

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principle even II alone. OF which class he
pronounced Secretary Long typical. The
special guest OF the evening was then in
troduced as the last speaker and was
crested with applause and cheers. the en-
tire assembly rising. Secretary Long
opened his remarks with numerous hui
morous illusions to the occasion and its
incidents. which oonvuls sd his hearers.
He then launched into an able and elo-
quent summary Of the commercial
growth OF the nation and the great Inn
pcrtancs Of these interests. closing with q
touching tribute to those former men,
hers OF the club who rest from their
labors. His reference to the recent death
OF sx Governor wolcott was specially i'm
pressive.
SECRETARY LONG y SPEECH.
very much appreciates the courtesy Of
the Commercial club. 1 certainly have
deserved nothing at its hands. am a
junior member. and most of the time OF
my membership have been unable, on ac-
count OF my duties at Washington, TO at
tend Its meetings. 1 do not forget, how
ever, the men who compose IL and who
REPRESENT the husiness enterprise, growth
and commercial inspiration Of Boston,
and so OF the universe OF which Boston
is the hub. Nor Is 1t any limited part
- the worlds progress which you repre-
sent. Commerce 10 only another name
for civilization.
This is the season OF the year when we
celebrate the landing of the Pilgrims,
whom we always associate with the idea
OF q religious exodus, whereas, In fact,
their venture was largely a commercial
md N w4ea 20 Aaw a.
sources OF the new world and OF profiting
In thrifty way, by an exchange OF It's
products with thoss OF the old. 1t was q
merchant who furnished the funds for
the undertaking, and but for whom 1t is
doubtful II it would have had the start
It had. That the Pilgrims were good
business men Is shown BY the fact that
IN few years they bought out their
promoters, and carried the enuerprise to
success on their own footing. They were
exDansionists, reaching we'll out from
| their own borders, and for century or
two later no man CROSSED the ocean oftener
than Winelow, their minister pleDfro-
Tertiary and commercial agent, who
looked after their interests abroad.
Ii is an interesting fact that nearly 300
years later we, their descendants, not In
the little Mayfower, but in the great
ocean steamers of today. are returning
across the sea 90 plant on the shores of
they planted here. 10 10 by the growth
ana expansion Of commerce that Japan,
that now magnificent empire, opened to
the world by the American navy, has
sudde MY sprung into the circle OF the
worlds great powers-a marvellous and
unlimited hive of industry, activity. in
telligence and national force. The recent
unhappy tumuit In China 10 only tue
effervescent accompaniment OF the burst
ing OF the seclusion OF that unoounted
people; and its commercial relation with
the world at large, so recently enlarged
to us by this admirable administration OF
sec. Hay, will In the coming century
bear fruit in an interchange OF agricul-
tural and manufactured products such
as even the imagination cannot now pio-
ture. 1t is enough. however, to RECOGNIZES
what the commercial spirit has done in
cur own country 1t has enabled the
farmer TO put not fields, but territories,
under cultivation, and supplied him with
the means 30 gather his erops and take
them to market It has distributed the
products of the farm and mine and man.
ufactory, and brought to all Glasses that
common use and enjoyment Of the fruits
OF labor which is the true wealth OF q
nation.
1t Is interesting In this closing hour of
the century to compare the commerce OF
the world In 1900, which was something
like fifteen hundred million dollars. with
| It's commerce In 1900, which is something
like twenty thousand millions. In 1901
the commerce of the United States was
| one hundred and sixty-two million !;
during the last year twenty two hun
drsu LnilIions. The commerce or Boston
alone Ia far more, today than the whole
conn cree OF the United States In $500.
Great Britain alone exceeds the Unitsd
states In the extent of It's commerce, and
we are rapidly overhauiing her. The
| export OF Germany La three hundred mill
lions less than ours, and France nearly
i've hundred millions less. During the
period In which the export trade OF Great
Britain in manufactured articles has
doubled, that of the United States has
grown eleven fold.
1t has been assumed that our tariff
policy, building up home manufactures,
and excluding foreign competition, would
be barrier to our own competition for
the worlds purchase or manufactured
goods But this assumption has not bean
confirmed. AT first our shipments abroad
In specialties like sewing machines.
Later IL has been found that even In
European countries American goods lind
easy com petition with forsign of the same
sort. The American shoe has literally
stepped into England AMI Germany and
found there-a purchaser who has awak-
ened to It's superiority and prefers IL.
turing countries for our customers, we
md them in the older industrial nations
of Europe. 1 learn from the bureau of
foreign commerce In the state department
that IN n aohinery OF all kinds, labor-sav-
ing implements, furniture, boots and
shoes, railroad, bridge and other build
ing supplies, hardware and great varie'
ty OF other GLASSES OF iron and steel, the
American Is In the lead, ana that one
can hardly pick up foreign newspaper
without finding In it some reference to
a new encroachment by American inge-
nuity and enterprise upon the more CON-
sentative activities or the old world.
With the table OF the German supplied
from America, with the nrstty womenyof
France dressed in American SILK. with
the British Cutler OF Sheffield buying an
American knife, and the British iron
worker using American machinery, we
may next expect shat we shall soon be
actually carryi ng American coal to New
castle.
It is not for me to speak for other de-
partments than my own, but l cannot
forbear suggesting at this time how much
we are indebted to the work OF our stats
department., the present head OF which,
\ far-h n rsa.