The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-11

/ s7oAabboheu rAS6uidf anu last lines OF
steamers TO them. The. merchant ma
tons Of Europe know where they are
located. and they are establishing
banks and warehouses within them.
and they have already established reg
ular and fast lines of steamers to
them. The United States has neither
banks, nor commission houses, nor
warehouses in these ports, nor has 1t
means OF communication with them,
except through old. WORKOUT, dilapi-
dated ships. sailing under foreign
flags and making eight or ten knots
an hour.
The United States imports mil.
lion dollars worth per day of tropical
and semitropical products. It sends
to Europe. in excess of everything we
receive from Europe, a million dol
lars day in raw materials and food
products such as have described;
and Europe In turn sends a million a
day to the ports of South America,
South Africa, and the islands ada.
cent. ] do not need to tell you of the
great number OF ships that sail the
triangle. They start from home with
South American cargo of finished
products which they leave in those
southern ports, then load with coffee,
rubber, hemp. sisal, mahogany, dye
woods, and fruits for the United
States, then take load of our raw
materials. cotton, copper, petroleum,
and food products, back to Europe.
have been many times taken to
task for remarks like these. l have
received letters, for instance, from
certain commercial associations, the
principal officers of which are inter.
ested in foreign steamship lines, call.
Ing my attention to the fact that
means are at hand for Carrying to
these southern ports all the merchan.
disc that America sends thither. Gen.
tlemen. l have never taken the posi-.
tion that what goods we ship to South
America do not ultimately reach
those ports. / have sometimes called
attention, however. to the fact that
the quickest way to go to South Amer.
lea, or TO send mail to South America
or to ship freight to South America.
and the most usual way, is to send
first to Europe and thence to the
ports of destination. A large share
of our paltry commerce with those
countries does actually go by way OF
Europe, rather than in these old
scows, owned by the men who take
the position that because there are
ways in which goods can be sent
thence, therefore no occasion exists
for improving the means of commune
cation.
Iowa was dotted with settlements
long before railroads tapped the Terri.
tory. In those days some grain was
grown, and the little that was grown
was hauled in wagons, frequently
hundred miles and sometimes more.
A few cattle were fattened. and they
were driven sometimes four hundred
miles to market. There were trails,
even then, and sometimes roads.
Some hogs were fattened. These
were killed. their carcasses frozen,
and hauled to market-a process
which consumed sometimes weeks
and frequently entailed an expense ex-
ceeding the value OF the freight car
ried. But in those days Iowa did not
contribute very much either to inter-
state or to international commerce.
Not until railroads, encouraged by
government aid, were built, did her
commerce multiply. and not until
these became of the best did she take
rank and contribute abundantly.
am also aware, for my attention
has been called thereto repeatedly by
letter, and more frequently still by
editorial comment, that a representa-
tive of the Department of Commerce
and Labor. sent to South America for
1.-The purpose of investigating this sub.
ject, has reported that there are
means of communication between the
United States and South America.
have read his reports, and beg my
critics pardon, for the distinguished
college professor does not take the
position assumed by the steamship
companies, that existing means Of
communication are satisfactory, or
that they should not be improved.
Permit few extracts from Professor
EIutchinson's report:
Suffice it to say that the service
from Europe is carried on by large
and fast steamers, thoroughly equip
ped in every way for freight, passen-