Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-13

disc via the Tehauntepec route have
been chiefly sugar from the Hawaiian
islands, the shippers OF that article from
those islands having abandoned the
around-the-horn route and sending Via
| Tehanutepec all of their sugar destined
for the eastern coast Of h United States.
The sugar shipments from the Hawaiian
islands via Tehuantepec to the eastern
ports OF the United States CHIEFLY Phila-
delphia and New York; were. IN the first
quarter fthe year. slightly less than
So 100000; in the second quarter. $500, OVJ;
/ in the third quarter, over S50O0.0o0. and
| in the fourth quarter approximately So
00OO0o. This made the aggregate value of
merchandise passing between our east
ern and western ports over this new
transisthmian route between $SO,000,000 and
! sS5 100000 during the year.
other Trade Figures
No statement OF the value Of merchan-
disc passing between the ports Of other
| countries via this route has yet reached
the bureau Of statistics, from which the
above figures of our own trade by this
route are obtained.
i Meantime the Panama route materially
| increased its business over that of the
preceding year, despite the fact that
large demands are made upon it in the
/
construction Of the 1sthmian canal. The
value of merchandise originating in
/ United States ports and shipped over that
| line to other parts of the United States
or foreign countries amounted during the
year to between $12O00,000 and SIS. 900.
| OF this about 100000 worth was mer-
chandise sent from New York to the
western ports of the United States and
about $1,000 900 worth from New York to
Central and South American countries
| fronting on the Pacific, while over $780,.
600 worth was merchandise sent from San
Francisco to the eastern ports of the
United States.
The shipments via Panama from New
York to the west coast ports of the
United States were distributed to San
Diego, Santa Barbara. Los Angeles. Oak
land, San Francisco, Portland. Seattle
and Spokane, and those to foreign coun-
tries by this route included Chile. Peru,
Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia. Panama,
Costa Riea, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guate-
mala, Mexico and the British Columbia
ports of Canada. These include practi-
cally all classes of merchandise. but more
especially meats, flour, cotton goods,
mineral oil mining machinery, manufac~
lures of iron and steel al miscellane-
Gus manufactures. NThe movements from
San Francisco via Panama to the eastern
ports were sent to Tampa. Philadelphia.
New York, New Haven and Boston, and
include wines, pig lead. quicksilver. hides
and skins and miscellaneous merchandise.
Hawaiian Shipment
The shipments from Hawaii, which
form the bulk of the merchandise passing
eastward from ports of the United States
via the Tehuantepec route, are chiefly
raw sugar. The vessels which cary the
sugar make a triangular route, passing
during the sugar season direct from
Hawaii to the western terminus of the
railway and after discharging their cargo
pass thence northwardly along the
western coast of the United States to San
Francisco and in some. cases as far north
as the Puget Sound ports and thence to
Hawaii. where they load again direct for
the Tehuantepec port during the sugar
season, and at other times for San Fran
CISCO and thence along the coast to the
Tehuantepec port.
The distance waich sugar from Hawaii
now travels in reaching New York via
the Tehuantepec route is $500 miles,
against 1929 miles via the former all
water route around Cape Horn.
The opening of this new transcontinen-
| tai line has contributed to the industries
| of the United States, not only in supplies
of material required in its construction,
nut also in its daily operation, the rail-
way engines being run with petroleum
drawn from the Texas oil fields, though
| IL II expected that this fuel will in the
near future be supplied from Mexican oil
fields adjacent to the Tehuantepec line.
The quantity of freight moved over this
/ new line is estimated at over 100000 tons
in 1907. its first year Of operation. The
road lis tapped by other lines which con-
meet It with Vera Cruz and the City of
| Mexico, anC thus give 1t direct rail COM
munication with the railway systems OF
Mexico and the United States.
Distances by Land
The distance between New York and
San Francisco are, direct by land, Sl9l
miles; via Tehuantepec, AIS miles; via
Panama, 5s05 miles, and via Magellan
straits 1909 miles. From New York to
Port Townsend direct the distance is S199
miles; via Tehuntepec, $3.50 miles; via
Panam,, 60s0 miles, and via Magellan
/ straits, 13,S4S miles. From New York to
| Honolulu direct via San Francisco the
distance is 52sS miles; via Port Town
send. $3.50 miles; via Tehuantepec. 5SOS
miles; via Panama, 66S6 miles, and via
| Magellan straits 1920 miles.
All merchandise originating in or leav-
/ ing any port of the United States and
crossing Mexico by the Tehuantepec line
is sent across the Isthmus in sealed cars
and is readmltted free OF duty in reaching
any other port of the United States.
The Mexican government maintains a
| large force at either end of the road TO
1 prevent merchandise from the United
States, entered for transportation across
the Isthmus, being clandestinely carried
1 into Mexico without payment Of duty,
while the United States government also
maintains an agent at either end of the
| line to prevent Mexican products being
! included with those of the United States
crossing the Isthmus and thus obtaining
admission into this country free of duty
as products OF the United States.
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