Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-12
FROM COAST To COAST
Bureau of Manufactures Sug-
gests Special Trade Trains.
FOR THE CHINESE MARTS
And for Other Commerce Centers in
Far East.
RAILROADS LIKE THE PLAN
Traffic Managers Confer With Maj.
Carson-New Trade Would Yield
Handsome Profit.
RAILROADS LIKE THE PLAN

That Chinese and other far eastern trade
may be accelerated, Maj. John NJ. Carson,
chief of the national bureau of manufac-
lures, has called upon the various manage
ments of great railroads and laid before
them a proposition of putting on spe-
cial freight schedule for goods shipped to
the orient and running trains to San Fran
cisco that schedules These trains would
connect with regularly departing steamers
and American merchants would be able to
pledge deliveries on a given date. The
! Pennsylvania road, with it's western con-
| nections, looks favorably upon the PROPOSE
| ton, and is examining into the details.
| The idea of the special freight train to
the Pacific grew out of the recognized
disadvantage under which the United States
works in her attempt to compete with Euro
peon countries for Chinese trade. Ger
| many, England, France and other Euro
pean countries have direct connections by
regular schedule with the far east, and are
| thoroughly entrenched in established trade
| with China.
| They understand the needs of the peo-
| pie of the Flowery Kingdom more thorough
| ly than does the United States, and have ar
| ranged transportation facilities accordingly.
The United States is however, nearer China
than any of these countries. and the feel
ing toward her is SO friendly that the trade
| would come here If the conditions were
similar.
Big Opportunity Here.
Maj. Carson has long preached the Cos
pei Of a specially manufactured line Of
goods for China, especially packed and
shipped. The trade has reached approx
mately 500, 600, 900 a year, but 1t is held
| that it might be many times that amount.
| The Chinese empire is showing every sign
of a regeneration and with that awaken
| ing the great opportunity of doubling the
| trade many times will come. A readiness
| for it depends largely upon the provision
| for transporting the product of the factory
| in a satisfactory manner.
"Some time ago." said Maj. Carson to-
day, II requested the heads of the freight
departments Of a number of the trunk
| lines to call upon me and listen TO my
proposition. number of them responded,
notably the Pennsylvania people. l en-
deavored to show these officials that there
was a possibility of vastly increasing the
traffic with the far east and that every
increase in that traffic would prove SO
| much profit to them in that they would
haul the freight 1t was merely matter
of whether or not it would pay that ap-
pealed to the railroad men. and they We're
at first skeptical. The more they lnvest-
gated 1t, however, the more the scheme
appealed to them.
Fast Freight to Pacific.
| 81 asked them how long it required at
present to freight from the Atlantic sea
board into San Francisco, and was informed
that the period was sixty days, and that
no guarantee was made even that time.
l suggested that the freight for the far
east be placed in special cars that were
not subject to stoppage and sent straight
| through that this freight be collected
along the line, and when there was sutti-
| cient of 1T that 1t be placed IN tram that
ran on a schedule to the Pacific. ! pointed
out to them that a schedule couid be ar ar
ranged and advertised and that all such
freight could meet the fast freight, and It's
progress expedited. ..
My contention was that the exlstehce o!
such a train would create the trade that
would make 1t profitable. The trade even
in the face Of the present dlfcultles is
sufficient to pay for certain service. ana
trade When a merchant in HongkonS buys
goods for hts summer trade or his WINTER
trade he wants to know If those goods are
to be on hand at the time he needs them
The American exporter has been unable 10
give him any satisfactory guarantee of that
fact, while the German will give him the
exact date of arrival.
To Make Guarantee Possible.
Lists are available that will show the
date of sailing of every vessel for year.
ahead that will carry goods to China. The
fast freights could be arranged to meet the
departing of those steamers. The railroad
company could make up it's schedules to
meet those steamers and advertise them
among the exporters. knowing these time
tables, the merchants anywhere along the
line could sell in China with positive
guarantee that the goods would be on hand
at given date, and the Chinese merchant
could consistently place his orders with
American firms There Is no reason why
the trade should not be increased almost
| Immediately to $4OO, 100000 annually, four
| times what 1t is at present The millions
of people in China are going to reach out In
the next few years and somebody Is going
to get their trade The special service on
the part of the railroads would be the first
great step toward swinging a great part Of
| that trade to this country.
II am very hopeful that the Pennsylvania
will soon fit to put on the service. They
are going into it in detail, and are in q
position to handle it successfully. Should
| they decide to do So the bureau will extend
| every resource in it's power to bring the
| fact to the attention Of both the manufac-
turers at home and the consumers abroad.
1t would mark q new era in eastern trade"