The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28
RAILROAD RATES AND
TRADE FROM ABROAD
High Freight Tariffs Give Foreign
Factors an Advantage Over
Domestic Producers.
LOW STEAMER FREIGHTS
Especially Effective on Rails and
Heavy Neutrality-suspicious.
Production of the World.
LOW STEAMER FREIGHTS
special to the Indianapolis Journal.

| Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.-Wide attention
has been attracted TO recent testimony
taken before the Interstate-commerce Com
mission in regard TO the preference given
by American railroads to freight brought
| TO Atlantic and Pacific ports by regular
steamship lines over freight delivered from
/ tramp steamers Many trade experts are
of the opinion that the tariffs of the vari-
Gus countries OF the world are OF very
much less Importance IN influencing trade
than are the transportation facilities. The
basis of England's commercial greatness in
the past has been the fact that nearly all
OF her imports and exports have been car
ried in tramp steamers, thus allowing the
lowest competitive rates to prevail and pre-
venting discrimination IL the handling of
the freight.
The formation of the American Shipping
Trust was thus regarded by trade experts
as of tremendous Importance as affecting
the movement OF merchandise to various
ports of the world. This phase of the mat
ter did not excite as much attention in the
| United States as it did in Europe where
the Importance of transportation rates was
| apparently better understood The fact
that Pittsburg. Cleveland and Chicago have
recently lost considerable trade in railroad
| SUPPLIES for Pacific coast construction has
again called attention to this matter, for
| rails are brought from Germany as ballast
! freight, passed through the American Gus
toms and delivered in the Puget sound
country cheaper than they can be supplied
from the Eastern States with the railroad
! haul added
That this idea has practical application
has recently been illustrated A purchasing
| agent of rails and general iron and steel
supplies for the western section of one of
| the big transcontinental railways has re-
Gently been in Germany. When there he
stated that he had bought during the past
year through an English broker several
million dollars worth of rails, etc, that
had come from Antwerp and Rotterdam in
grain ships returning TO the Pacific coast
and which were glad to take rails and
heavy machinery at nominal freight rates
as ballast. This they did on such favor
able terms that railway supplies made in
Germany could be delivered in Puget
sound at cost at which Pittsburg. Cleve-
IaIu anu Shlcago, with the transcontinental
rallroad maui, were wholly unable TO COM
pete.
The enormous percentage of the sea-
carrying trade Of the world which is held
by England is due to the individuaIity Of
her ships, for the British tramp is known
In every port thus giving the exporter of
western Europe an opportunity to reach
az possIple customers at the lowest posi-
BILE rates.
The coffee industry Of the world is of
tremendous economic Importance. not only
10 the countries producing this staple. but
TO the trade energies of practically every
other country. The coffee plantations,
which number about fifty thousand. are
| n frib tod
RIGA, and produce nearly four billion nounds
OF coffee each year. This represents n
trade of about S255.OOOOOO annually
mere are over three and a half million
acres or land now producing coffee and
the investment is said to equal nearly one
and half billion dollars. 0'io
Inc INDUSTRY employs over two million
people and the wage roll amounts to about
SISo;VoOo The average cost of pro-
duclng pound of coffee Is about :
&c ana the average. selling price is near
Iy cents: Low prices have prevailed
Tor several years past and the trade has
peen stagnant as compared with previous
aet ln,i ms condition has eliminated
many Improbable plantations and has
forced the business to a conservative and
a scientific basis. There is practically no
limit to the possible extension OF coffee
growing especially in Central America
and 1t only requires an increasing demand
10 bring about a corresponding extension
= Inc new possessions of the United States
VIII, in time, furnish a much larger nro-
portion of the home supply than at present
,
Consul General Mcwade writing to the
State Department from Canton. China
says there is a good demand for many
! kinds of machinery. Rice-hulling machines
. knitting machinery ESPECIALLY for hose)
+ and small power engines Qkerosene) will
find market here; in fact any modern
2 were more representatives of Americar
4 manufacturers here with samples. undoubt-
edly agencies could be established and
profitable business result in MANY
= branches.
4 ''Transpacihc freight rates are mos,
reasonable at present, while New York and
eastern American shipments via the Sue
Sanal are lower now than ever before
J The entering Of the great ships of the
e ltli me {Great Northern Railway, from
$ Seattle, VIII create still cheaper through
s rate as far as Chicago and St Louis This
coupled with the construction of the new
railroad from Canton TO Peking brings the
: products Of central and southern China n
t the worlds markets. whereas formerly. ov.
: ing TO crude and expensive methods OF
e transportation, this was impossible"
e The French wheat crop for 1903 is esti
: mated at nearly 36OOOO,OOO bushels This 1,
: the largest harvest ever gathered Will
n the exception of the crops of 1874 1898 anC
1899, and none of these exceeded that OF tn,
e present year by any considerable amount
: Very little hard wheat is planted in France
. and the factories manufacturing macaron
: buy from Switzerland. Italy and the Blacl
: sea districts 1t is believed that macaron
l. wheat from the United States would find ;
i good market here if introduced bv ener
I getic Americans. The price OF wheat /,
Y France is maintaining what is considered
) a good return on the investment and Iabo
+ involved.
e AS is always the case in Europe thf
a high range of prices has resulted I'm ;
Q smaller consumption OF bread. In Franc
), dried or fresh fruits, chocolate. cheese. etc
a take the place of bread. and a larger con
n sumption of the cheaper grades OF win
4 always follows a dear loaf The importa
N ton of wheat into France this year will
r amount TO about $500 600 bushels from al
; sources. This amount is regulated by tn
fiOur-p producing character OF the wheat
- When this is at low point large impOrta
tIOns OF good -four or grain are necessar,
10 mix with the domestic product.
The maritime provinces OF Canada ar
endeavoring to increase the fruit production
i, of that section of the Dominion The gov
eminent of New Brunswick through tn
Department Of Agriculture. is preparing L
operate a number OF orchards, or direc
the operations, beginning next spring. witt