The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-03
TRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
4 Special ReP1rt From the Consul
GenerhI a. Cnne Town.

"a = dAt- MI stowe says
British trade is envious Of the vast
strides made during the last four years in
the expectation Of manufactures and prod
ucts of the United States, particularly to
British colonies and dependencies II is
suggested that a coalition OF those Brit
iSh manufacturers interested particularly
IN the mining. engineering. and allied
trades should be formed without delay.
20 obtain sites in johannesburg. whore
stocks may be Kept for the prompt deliv-
cry Of goods This is To foreStaI posi-
Die similar action on the part Of Ameri-
can manufacturers. to secure the Trans
vaal miring trade. While the resumption
OF mining operations may portend much.
believe that there will he no immediate
demand for mining machinery and appIi-
ances, for the reason that large orders
have been placed. many in the United
states. ana at the coast ports much ma
chinery. etc, can be found waiting for a
clear track to the Transvaal. The short
age Of cars may be accounted for. not
only by the destruction by the Boer com
mandos, but also from the fact that the
construction Of new ones is delayed by
lack of men. Recently ten Baldwin and
len schenectady engines have arrived.
ana nave completed the I.O0J-miIe run re-
CURED by the specification. Many objec-
u"hs 70 them have been made particu-
larry Dy the operatOrs-Ob1eCtions too ri
diculous 70 mentiOn-but the. engines are
busy.
If the permission Of the Portuguese
Government can be obtained. "a line Of
railway Will be built from Delagoa Bay
90 johannesburg The line will be broad
gauge-fOur feet eight inches-and will
cheaper the carriage Of goods to johann
nesourg over 80 per cent Eighty miles
from DelagOa Bay there has been found
On abundance Of coal. which viii add to
the value Of the road. Delagoa Bay VIII
in short time be a porte of great value
TO the TransvaaI and johannesburg Will
probably reach a population of 10000
Some time ago. an order for l67 steel
self-dumping coal cars was sent 70 an
American manufacture. These have ar
rived and are being erected at Cape Town
and Port Elizabeth
Dealing specifically with the trade Of the
United States with SCUM Africa. Mr.
Stowe says:
Great stress is laid upon the published
statistics Of Cape Colony and Natal
which show a decrease in 1870. compared
WITH 1899, OF United States imports.
amounting to 81. so s7S.32. while the in
crease Of imports from the United King
dom for the same period was S667S, 093 IS.
A decrease is also shown in the imports
from almost ~every other country The
United States lost u. per cent. Germany.
"a per cent. Belgium, IL per cent. and
Austria. 546 per cent contend figures
10 the contrary. that 1900 has been the
largest export year Of the United States
I TO South Africa. The statistics Of 1900 can
not be depended upon. as there is an en-
tire absence of returns from Della goa
Bay. One hundred and seventy-seven mil
non cigarettes were shipped direct TO
Cape Colony and Natal by one house in
the United States The statistics Will not
show this. and yet TO this number should
/ be added. perhaps, millions more Of Unit
ed States manufacture that came in by
way Of England, Delagoa Bay. and Beira-
The same may be said Of canned meats,
cereals tOba eco. etc.
Il would note the trade in granite wool
and other substances Of like character
Tor use in cOld-storage and refrigerator
STRUCTURES Over ,0Oo tons Of this mate
rial have already been ordered. and thou
SANDS OF tons viii vet be needed. Arc and
F. incandescent lamps are having quite "A
sale. this municipality is using one kind
from the United States. 5. oOghating been
bought Candles. blOtting paper. chairs
picture frames. and holdings. sole ieath-
er and many other articles are coming 10
the front All these are new Imports and
20 this consulate some credit is due.
The recent prices or American mer-
chant iron and soft BeSSemeT steel made
an opening for large trade in those COM
modities IN South Africa. one OF the
( largest merchants here received samples
or twenty-five tons, which were taken 10
the railway shops for the making %
bolts, etc and 10 the coach builders for
| iron fOrgings and the like. Either the
I hlacksmiths did not know now % work
American iron. or the iron was not I'D 10
/ quahty stated. for IN working, II was
round 10 be brittle would not weld
I OF head we'll The failure Of this ship
ment has struck such blow TO the iron
trade that. until samples arrive that viii
do the work required, no Roadway in this
line can be made.
During the year ended December 81.
1898. the increase In the imports Of BIZ
cycles from the United States over the
preceding year was IL per cent or 81
bh7-J5-mOre tlau that Of any other coun-
try. During the year 1888. the imports
were less thin In 1905, bat more than in
lNSs- For the year ended December g.
1909 a substantial increase is noticed
Many vessels arrived with steam coal
. 10 1870. and there are now ~ this port
three ships and others at upcoast ports
steam coal is now quoted IT Sl2IG per ton
This seems high but the freight from the
delays in USCharging cargoes freight
I rates cannot fan A sample cargo Of
| coal brlguettes from Germany Is on the
water. These briQueItes are conn. SD ~
coal dust and tar. compressed under
heavy pressure into bricks about m rec
times the size OF ordinary house bricks
[ anG are worth 500 less than Cardiff coal
u IS stated that the crate bars using this
Iuel burn out rapidly ander the intense
neat generated Coal imports for Cane
I C2iory and Natal for 1900 were 81 900 tons
D
a comparison Of United States trade
IN South Africa with that Of other couu-
tries Is satisfactory. and appears SIN
more so when II is considered that our
commerce with other countries. to which
We have been selling for years is less
than with this country comparativeIy
new one. Taking the imports from the
United States at SO 0S6.l2S 3G Il is shown
that South Africa takes more Of our pr0-
ducts than does the Argentine Republic
Brazil. all the other South American
States. the Chinese Empire. East Indies
! Russia, Denmark, Spain. Swed n. Nor
way, austria, Turkey. all the West In
dies, not including Cuba or al the Cen
trail American States. and this trade IS
only exceeded by that with The United
Kingdom, Germany. Netherlands France
Belgium, Italy, Mexico. Japan. or British
Austria liza
AS to the future, il is said that plans
are matured for expanding $4,000 O0O in
new railways: that several thousands
miles Of telegraph lines are to b. erected
and renewed. that s.. 90 600 is 70 be sneut
/ for public works, and Sl50 90 on har-
| bOrs; that $4,000 is TO be invested in
/ electric Iines-iR Natal. and twenty-five OF
Transvaal and proportiOuate amount in
the Orange River Colony. We must not
fail 20 bid for this work
mo nation or municipality is so rich
especially after time Of war that Il can
afford TO give 10 the highest bidder
even II he pc OF their own country
| contract 70 be paid for out Of the pOcIz-
| cts Of the whole people The best goods
! at the cheapest price cannot be kept out
| OF the world markets y country laid
waste with valuable mines long idle pub
| lie works much detcriOrdted, must recu-
perate and Il takes money and products
tof other nations to bring about such r,cu-