The age-herald., 1900-06-01
from Atlantic ports (New York and savan-

from Atlantic ports (New York and savan- nah).
 'The cotton via the Pacific ports stood the rail transportation westward overland from the cotton fields, and thence by water across the Pacific; that from the gulf and Atlantic ports across the Atlantic ocean, passing through the Suez canal to final destination, bearing water transportation much in excess of that via an isthmian canal, if built. Both routes are tremend- ously long and enormously expensive. If trade can increase under such conditions, what will it be under the favoring influence of an isthmian canal.
 But while the cotton planters of the south and the southern ports (especialy those of the gulf would reap great benefits from improved demand and increased ship ments of the raw material, by far the greatest benefits would be derived through the manufactured article At present the export of cotton goods from the United States is drop in the bucket compared With that of other countries. Aside from home consumption, the manufacturers of Europe export something like $475,000,0 900 In values of cotton goods. The United States exports Gin round figures) but $24,OOO,OOO. and even that total Is far above the aver age of the past ten years for in 1890 1t was but $10,0 ,0000; in 1895, $14,0O0,00O; in 1893, ST. 000, 900, and in 1S99 $24 GOO 0O0 Round figures are given because they conduce to a clearer comprehension of facts as a whole. But we are more directly inter- ested in the cotton-goods trade with the far east and the effect thereon of an isth- milan canal. We have not convenient the figures of this trade from continental Eu- rope. Those of Great Britain, however, will be sufficient for our purpose.
 Exports from Great Britain
 kinds of cotton goods to the value of fS7- 556. 900, or, say, over $33O, ,O6OOOO. Of this total f5S, ,931, 900 were piece goods and yarns. F'orty-two and forty-four one hundredths per cent of the piece goods were to Brit ish East India and 1906 per cent. were to China Japan, Java, etc., or, say, in all 5S.70 per cent. were to the east. Of the exports of yarns, 19.41 per cent. were to British East India, and 11H per cent. to China, Japan, etc., making a total to the east of 30.62 per cent. In short, Great Britain shipped more than one-half of the piece goods she manufactured and nearly one-third of the yarn to countries which will be rendered easy of access to us by water on the completion of an isthmian canal The trade in piece goods and yarns of Great Britain with the east in 1899 was valued at over f32,0OO,0O0 sterling, or more than $155, 100000, an amount exceeding 50 per cent. of the value of the United States cotton crop of 1S9S-99.
 'It is this trade for which an isthmian canal will aid us to successfully compete. Today its value to us is not quite twelve and quarter million dollars, or less than eight one-hundredths of what Great Birt- ain enjoys. And yet we have the advant- age of location of raw material practically at the mill doors Especially in the south), the latest improved machinery and labor saving apparatus in our mills, and the most intelligent and able class of labor, which, If paid higher than that of foreign coun- tries, yields greater returns in both quan- tity and quality of work.
 Reason for Change
 "It is to secure part of this handsome excess over the cost of the raw material that it is desirable the manufacturer of American cotton should be placed on a healthier and more lasting basis To do this we must have a more favorable outlet for exports, and none can be found better than through facilities afforded by an isthmian canal. The American mills, north and south, took in the year 1890 2,3i6,0OO bales, and of this the census of that year tells us 2,259, ,00O bales were consumed In 1893 American mills consumed 3,569,000, or l, ,330, GOO bales more. Our mills now turn out more goods than necessary for our