The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-13


| Apalachicola, Fla.
Pensacola, Fla.
M obile, Ala g
Pearl River, Miss. 81
New Orleans, La. 81
| Galveston, Tex.
Total, 76 70
The principal commodities carried
| by the steamers which cleared from
Southern ports for South America
were lumber, naval stores, and coal.
The first step in the direction of
developing more regular service
might be taken by systematic efforts.
both in the Southern ports and in
South America, to secure return car
goes, SO that vessels could make
round trips and be encouraged TO
stay in this service. Then, with
knowledge in advance that a certain
vessel was to arrive at Southern
port with coffee from Brazil or nit
rates from the west coast it would
be more practicable to concentrate a
return cargo, and, in the same wav. if
lt were known in advance that a
vessel from a Southern port would
arrive on date at Buenos Aaries
there would be a better chance of
getting return cargo including hides
for Southern tanneries This en-
ployment of vessels of known capa-
city for round trip service would obvi-
ate one Of the practical difficulties en-
countered in trying to obtain cargoes
for tramp steamers, which is that.
when the exact carrying capacity Of
a ship is not known, there is dam
ger of not getting a full cargo and
having to pay higher charges than if
the vessel We're loaded to it's cana
city or of concentrating at the port
more goods than it can carry, and then.
in order to prevent undue delay, the
surplus must be reshipped by rail or
coastwise steamer to some other port
where it can go by regular line.
| While some increased business
might be built up by thus systematic
ing the use OF irregular steamers, the
establishment Of regular lines is of
supreme Importance. At the outset
1t might be found impracticable to
develop enough traffic to support re-
gular lines with but a single port of
call at each end of the voyage, but
there are various combinations that
might be made. Vessels might stop
at two or more ports of the United
States, discharging part of their car
go and receiving part Of a return
cargo fom each. In the same way.
vessels engaged in the River Plata
trade might also call at Brazilian
ports. In some cases ports in the
West India Islands might advanta-
geously be included in round trip
voyage. Thus, Cuba buys large quanti-
ties of sun-dried beef, known as
"terked beef" from the River Plata
countries. The vessels carrying this
beef to Cuba get no return cargoes
from that Island, but only a short
voyage would be required to bring
them to South Atlantic or Gulf ports
| for such a cargo.
If this trade is to be developed to
the utmost and is to be made Of the
greatest possible value to our South
ern people, earnest efforts must be
made to build it up. One thing that
might be suggested is the establish
ment at our Southern ports of houses
devoted to handling export business
directly from these ports Such a
house handling Southern cotton
goods, for instance, would not only
be OF assistance in developing the
Latin-Amrican trade, but could make
direct expectations to the Orient and
other parts Of the world as well.
Another thing Of Importance is direct
representation in the countries in
which it is sought to sell goods and a
careful study of the wants Of each
particular market. This is particular
ly desirable in selling such articles as
cotton goods and furniture, in which
different markets require different
grades and styles. The Importance
of this is shown by the decline of the
exports of cotton goods from the Uni