The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-19
WILL COURT SILK TRADE
BOTH THE GREAT NORTHERN AND
NORTHERN PACIFIC AFTER
THE BUSINESS
BRING IT FROM THE ORIENT
Worlds Production Gradually In
creasing, and United States Gets
Largo POrtiOn-ImpOrted Via
Pacific Coast Points.

One particular line of trade which Of
Rers strong inducements to the competing
hines of steamers on the Pacific and which
Is annually growing In value as a ship
ping commodity to the railroads and
steamers, is the raw silk which comes
into this country from Asiatic points.
To this trade the transportation compa-
MES have been and will more than ever
cater with due sagacity, for it is assum-
ing magnitude surprising that of many
other commodities, and which warrant
the courtship of any railroad or steam
ship company. The Great Northern and
Northern Pacific roads, both of which
have transportation vessels on the Pa
cific, are in direct touch with this profit
able transportation. and as they are in
creasing their facilities and equipment
they may be looked to in the future as
the heaviest carriers of raw silk from
Asiatfc countries to the United States
A brief statement of the amount Of
silk received at Pacific ports and the cost
of transporting 1t will readily reveal
the fact that this industry contributes
not a little to the annual income of the
transportation lines. There are number
OF facts pertaining to the production and
shipment of silk which are quite inter-
esting.
The production of silk in the world at
large is on the increase; it has been for
years, and. while there might be a slight
shortage next year, occasioned by the
failure of the Shanghai output this viii
not change the statistics, which prove
that SILK as n commodity is being handled
In more abundance each succeeding year.
For the year ending June 80, 1900 the
worlds production of the raw material
reached the enormous sum of S0449, 442
pounds. Comparing this with the TO- III
4S1 pounds produced in the year ending
June 30, 1899, 1t will be observed that
the increase was very great This per
cent of increase, however, was the same
Tor number of years preceding. The
total amount for the past year nearly
doubles the amount produced during the
five years ending June 80, 1856.
Since the bulk of the entire output is
so great, it is pertinent to ask what
amount Of this production passes through
the United States dealers hands Well.
OF the total for the year ending June
80, 1900, the United States had imported
into her domain Il, 373 pounds, and the
value of this amount was $40, 367, 3S1 For
the year ending June 80, 1896, our i'm
ports of this character amounted to TO-
z0U,OOO, which was an enormous lot at
that time, and, as will be seen, not so
much less than the amount of last year,
when the production was much grea ter
OF the total amount imported to this
country, there was a total of $50, 2S2, Oc0
worth received through the Pacific
ocean ports. This amount was brought
from the countries of Japan, which sent
~, 600 worth; Hongkong, Sc, CAB 900. and
Shanghai which sent over 922S 0G0
worth. The Atlantic ocean ports receiv-
ed $l3,OS5GOO worth of the fine commod-
ity. Their imports came from France.
and a very small part from Asiatic
points.
The cost of transporting this article
from Asiadc points to the Pacific coast
of the United States and thence to New
York, is Sc per hundred pounds It will
be seen, therefore, that the cost of trans
portation has amounted to a very large
sum to the two great northern lines,
The Great Northern and Northern Paci-
nc. They will hereafter be more able
than ever to compete successfully for this
trade, when they complete their improv-
ed ocean liners service. The goods can
be taken aboard at the Asiatic, ports
and placed upon their trains at the INIT
ed States ports, and conveyed through to
New York The revenue from this in
ouStry will therefore of necessity become
very great as the trade Increases
Silk is transported from its native land
70 this country over the ocean in the
pnest apartments which can be devised
aor its specific occupancy, and passenger
1nd not freight trains carry it overland.
1t Is stored carefully in the baggage
cars, and therefore the shipment of it IS
very important item of expense But.
even If 1t was possible to arrange suit
able quarters for the goods in freight
trains, the difference in time of travel
OF the passenger and freight would be an
inducement sufficiently great to make the
shipper send his goods in the passenger
train. In one car 1t is possible to put
$4,000 pounds of silk, and when 1t is borne
In mind that at the present price that
amount would be worth just s145S00. it
can be readily seen that the shipper would
greatly prefer to have his goods on the
road the shortest possible time
There Is at present considerable COM
plant among the American manufactur-
ers OF silk on account of thA fuctuation
Of the price Of the raw material. This
prevailing evil in the market has existed
Tor couple Of years. For the year end
ing June 80, 1885, the average price was
1902 per pound, and for the year ending
June 80, 1900, 1T had averaged 1886, and
some Of the better grades sold for as
high as S6.25 per pound during the month
OF December, 1899. Since that time a. re-
action has come about, and the price is
nearer the normal before the advance in
1898. The market price may undergo an
other series Of changes next year, in view
Of the decreased production which Is an
ticipated because of the poor prospects in
Shanghai.