Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-12
Trade With South America.

Trade With South America.
1t gives us much pleasure to print
the letter of President Finley Of the
Southern railroad on the subject OF
trade relations with South America, be-
cause 1t embodies such a comprehen-
sive treatment Of a matter that Is OF
very great Importance to the proper de-
velopment Of the southern states.
Consulting only the present thought
and activities Of the immediate circle
Of The Enquirers readers, we would
hardly feel warranted in giving so much
space to a communication like this, as
because we are very we'll aware Of the
small probability of any Of the people
Of this section making any direct con-
tribution to the object sought; but still
the ultimate purpose in view has such
bearing on the general welfare that
we think 1t well for the whole people
to acquire all the information possible
along these lines.
The time was when South Carolinians
were broader and more ambitious trad
ers than they are now. 1t used to be,
and even after this country had be-
gun to assume a high place among the
nations, that Charleston, for instance,
was one Of the most important ports in
the country, standing along with New
York, Philadelphia and Boston, In the
volume of her exports and imports, and
that time is hardly more than fifty years
ago.
1t is unnecessary to review the condi-
tions and circumstances that have
brought about the changes in the past
fifty years; but 1t is worth while to
consider that though the direct foreign
trade Of the south has declined to COM
paratively speaking, almost nothing,
all the conditions that make for volume
and importance of this trade have de-
veloped to a greater extent than ever
before, and as President Finley suggests,
the only thing needful to restore this
business Is more general, intelligent
and we'll directed attention to it.
The whole south is full Of intelli-
gent, well-to-do people, who never
dream but that the country as whole
is getting along as we'll as Is possible;
who have never realized that foreign
middle men have for generations been
reaping middlemen's profits from south
ern products by selling those products
to foreigners, and to whom it has never
occurred that If they, the southern peo-
pie, would give the subject greater at
tention, they could easily secure for
themselves rewards that are now 60
ing to others.
We are unable to see where we can
add a great deal to what President
Finley has said. He points out that
this country is now furnishing an as
founding volume of products to South
American countries, and also buying
from them products Of the aggregate
value of tens Of millions of dollars, and
that the trade Is not only very small
In comparison with what 1t should be,
but most Of it Is in the hands Of for
eigners. He gives some sensible and
practical suggestions also as to how we
should go about reclaiming what Is our
very own to do what we will with, even
better than the foreigners, If we only
will.
There are a number Of South Caro-
lima cotton mills, for instance, that ship
their products directly to China, Japan
and other foreign markets: but they
are not as numerous as they ought to
be, and they are greatly hampered be-
cause they have to depend upon foreign
competitors to market their goods. The
great majority Of our mills are at still
more disadvantages than those men
toned. because most Of their goods go
through northern commission men, and
they do not even know who are the final
wholesale purchasers-whether for
eigners or Americans.
But the great thing in view is to de-
velop direct trade with the people who
use our products. We should be so
situated that we could be in closer
touch with the people to whom we sell
and from whom We buy, and not be de-
pendent upon outsiders whose only in
terest is to make what they can off of
both buyers and sellers. If proper ef-
fort were made to concentrate our bus
mess through our own ports in foreign
ships, until we could work up a suffi-
cient volume of business, and then in
ships of our own. the commercial bus
mess of the south and along with it, all
other interests could be developed al
most beyond calculation.
Sometimes our southern neople fear
that there is danger of their raising too
much cotton. There Is such danger as
long as outsiders have a complete mon
opoiy Of the distribution OF cotton pro-
ducts: but If we ourselves should give
our attention to distribution as well as
production and manufacture, the trade
can easily be developed to larger pro-
portions than will ever be known oth-
erwise.