The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-08-15
Worlds Carrying Power

The worlds carrying power now includes approximately $1,000
vessels with IN aggregate capacity Of forty-seven million gross tons
and has nearly doubled in capacity during the last twenty years. In
number, however, this commerce fleet has decreased slightly, thus
showing a tendency toward larger carrying units. These figures are
based upon the tonnage of all vessels over 100 tons engaged in trade,
whether domestic or foreign, n ocean. river and lake.
This country ranks second in number and tonnage OF vessels en-
gagged in commerce, but this is due to the vast number engaged in lake
and ocean coastwise trade. since the number of American vessels en-
gagged in foreign trade, according to reports received by the bureau OF
foreign and domestic commerce, department OF commerce, Is iesst than
that of Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy or Norway Accord
ing to a recent statement of Lloyds, out OF an aggregate tonnage OF
forty-seven million gross tons in I9I3-I914, forty per cent were credit
ed to Great Britain, eleven per cent to Germany, about five per cent
each to Norway and France, three per cent each to Holland, Italy and
Japan. and from two and three fourths ito and three tOurths per cent
to Russia, Sweden, Austria Hungary, Denmark and Spain.
The carrying trade of the United States shows a marked growth
in coastwise and lake traffic and a striking decline o the ocean. While
the gross tonnage OF American vessels engaged in lake and coastwN
trade was increasing from 3y657, 3o4 tons in 1888 to 97oS,5oI tons in
1913, that of IL vessels in the foreign trade was decreasing, from l.
3o2oo5 tons to 1,o27z76 tons. II increase in M case of 16S per cent
and a decrease in the other of Fl per cent during a thlrtyyear period
in which the value of III foreign trade rose from one and one-half bill
lion to four and one-fourth billion dollars.
The volume of the oversee commerce served by the worlds mer-
chant marine can not be definitely stated. 1t is known, however, that
a considerable portion of the forty billion dollars worth of merchan-
disc imported and exported annually by the various nations is carried
by vessel. The United Kingdom, being IN island community, neces-
sarly imports and exports all its merchandise by vessel. The United
States sends about four-ffths of its exports to South America and
oversee countries. Brazil sends o5 per cent of her exports to extra
South American communities. Nearly half the goods shipped from
countries in Asia is destined for extra-Aslatic communities, and prac-
ticaly all of Africais trade staples find markets outside the Dark Con-
tinent. While trade between the European nations is considerable,
those countries ship a large part OF their surplus products to other parts
of the world.
Recent consular advices indicate that many of the leading nations
are charging their shipping facilities for trade through the Panama
canal, for it is expected that the markets of western South America,
Australasia, and eastern Asia will be stimulated by the opening of the
canal. The countries fronting O the Pacific have an aggregate import
trade OF over two billion dollars, and it is believed that the share of the
United States in that trade will be advantageously affected through
shortening of distances and improvements in transport facilities. OF
that trade w now supply about 10 per cent, a much smaller proportion
than appears in our trade with nearer and better served communities
from the standpoint of steamship lines.