Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-12
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
President Finley Tells How 1t Can be
Developed.

President Finley Tells How It Can be
Developed.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer
The publication Of the letter on the
Importance Of direct and regular steam
ship communication between our South
Atlantic and gulf ports and the Latin
American countries. which addressed
under date ly 9Th, 1909 to the edi-
tors Of sout n newspapers, resulted
in the receir' y me Of a large num-
Der OF letter. showing widespread
interest in tn subject throughout the
south.
This correspondence revealed the fact
that some very important manufactur-
ing interests are ready to take advan-
tage Of opportunities to extend their
trade in this direction by shipments
through southern ports. This informa-
ton and statistics Of existing COM
merce indicate that, with regular lines
in operation and with systematic and
CO. operative efforts on the part Of our
manufacturers and merchants, a con-
sic cradle trade may be built up. In
fact, something may be done In this
direction even in advance Of the es-
tablishment of regular lines.
The southern ports in endeavorins
to build up trade with South America,
should rely principally on the develop
ment of new business and on the more
systematic handling Of the irregular
traffic now moving in both directions
between them and South America by
vessels chartered for single cargoes
There Is a considerable volume Of this
business, but it Is not sufficiently reg
ular to afford constant employment to
the vessels which engage in 1t. They
seldom make round trips with cargoes
in both directions. For instance, in
the year ended June 80, 1908. there
were imported through the South At
lantic and gulf ports 245,415,955 pounds
Of coffee, largely from Brazil, and some
rubber and other Brazilian products
were brought in through these same
ports, but the vessels bringing them
did not obtain return cargoes, but
sailed in ballast to North Atlantic ports
or with cargoes to Europe, and this not
withstanding the fact that Brazil, In
that same year, bought from the United
States products to the total value OF
$19, ,49O, OFT, including 3,470,S1S yards OF
cotton goods, 742,S96 gallons Of cotton
seed oil, 3O6,S71 barrels Of -four, man
ufactures of iron and steel to the value
Of $5,945,0S2, and other articles, some
proportion of which could advantage
ously be shipped through southern
ports. In like manner We imported
through southern ports, principally
from Chile and Peru, 82,165 tons Of nj
trates, but the vessels bringing them
in seldom or never obtained return
cargoes, though the west coast coun-
tries are steadily increasing their pur-
chases of American goods.
The best coustomer the United States
has in South America is Argentina, to
which country our exports in the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1909, amounted to
s33,7i2,5O5, including 1,510,317 yards OF
cotton goods, 5513,357 gallons Of cotton
seed oil, manufactures Of iron and
steel to the value of -S7.S76.7S9. furni-
ture to the value of $214,S91, agricul-
tural implements and farm machinery
to the value Of 4.30s.22S-manufactur-
I'd principally in localities from which
shipment can be made conveniently
through southern ports-and a long
list Of other articles. Our imports from
argentina n in the last fiscal year
amounted to s22,23O,1S2. the principal
items being wool and hides. Probably
little Argentine wool Is used In the
south, but southern tanneries use Soutl
American hides to a considerable ex-
tent and their use may be expected to
increase, as there is no duty on them
under the new tariff law. At present
these hides come in through the North
Atlantic ports almost entirely and are
shipped to southern tanneries either
all rail- OF Dy Tall anu "dlCi. SoiiS Va
them even go by way Of Europe. In
one case that came to my notice hides
for a North Carolina tannery were
shipped from Argentina to Antwerp
across the ocean again to New York
and thence by rail to the tannery. IN
another case southern tanner bought
20 900 hides in Mexico, but found that
on account of shipping conditions, he
had to have them carried from Vera
Cruz, Mexico, to New York, and thence
by rail to his tannery.
In the fiscal year ended June 80, 1908
SeveDty-six steam vessels entered al
our ports south of Cape Charles, Va.
with cargoes from South American
ports, and seventy cleared, with car
goes for South America While this
trade, as q whole, is thus nearly bal
anced it Is not so as to individual
ports, as is shown by the following
table: