The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-12-30
WATER TRANSPORTA-
TION MAY AID EXPORTS
Rv Charles A. MaIboeuf

as Great Britain is concerned. Ever
in those markets, which have hereto
fore consumed around three-fourths OF
a little more of our total European ex'
ports. the trade for our apples is com
paratively limited In 1914. the year
of our greatest exports, their per cap.
ita consumption did not exceed three
apples per individual, yet in that season
practically no apples were imported by
Great Britain from producing countries
on the continent owing to war condi-
tions. If we allow S2. so gold per box
as an average figure at which our APP
pies were landed in British ports that
year, the total valuation was about one
and half million dollars, or only ten
per cent of their entire imports of
fresh fruits before the war. Before
! 1914 consumption on the continent was
insignificant in per capita equivalents
around one apple for every one hun
dredth person.
Every country in Europe produces
fruit, or rather every one grows it in
more or less quantities. Nearly all
produce apples, and the majority of
| those countries export them. Ger
many Austria and Great Britain have
been the leaders in production, which
at times assumed large proportions.
All things considered, England has
! been the principal importer of the con-
tinental apple. In discussing Europe
as a whole, therefore, we are dealing
with territory where the apple mar
ket is doubtless keener than it is in
our own markets here at home.
In view Of these circumstances it
| 4 4 - n
frequently do that Europe is not only
our most logical but our greatest po-
tential export market. 1t is signiti-
cant however that such expressions are
made more freely today than they have
ever been in the past. These beliefs,
however, are largely founded on the
fact that direct water transportation
from the Pacific coast is about to play
most prominent part in our future
export conditions the most vital part
in my judgment. | would not share in
any such confidence if the present
order of things were to continue eXclus-
lively. My opinion of things then
would be that with adequate refriger-
ator service from the Pacific ocean
foreign markets would offer the great
est possibilities.
| have previously mentioned the
handicaps created through our depend
ence upon Atlantic seaports as our
trans-shipping points for European and
other Atlantic ocean foreign markets.
BY considering two of the foremost of
these handicaps, we can simply under
stand why our trade development has
been a mere bagatelle in comparison
with the needs of our growing produc-
ton. These prominent factors are
Indirect transportation, which has been
in part unavoidable and in part avoid
able and indirect trading which is the
result of our own choosing. Both have
resulted in the inevitable pyramiding
of costs, and these, in the case of any
foreign trade undertaking, invariably
hamper. restrict or destroy the possi-
bilities of great development. This is
clearly demonstrated in the light of our
own past experiences.
Not many years ago Brazil and Ar
gentine markets could only be reached
by transshipping our apples through
British ports. More recently we have
had service from New YORK City and
other Atlantic ports direct to those
South American market, but at a
freight cost aggregating nearly three
dollars per box equivalent from ship
ping point.
Germany's trade in our apples before
the war had assumed quite formidable
proportions, second only to Britain's
but Germany consumed only portion,
in their own markets; a large portion
was sold and reshipped to the Baltic
countries and Russia. Few of our APP
pies have ever been shipped to France
from any Of our Atlantic ports, and
fewer from originating points. The
same is true with Belgium, Holland,
Italy, etc. With the single exception
of the Scandinavian countries, especial
ly since the war, and of Germany, be-
fore the war, we have not, from the
beginning of cur export shipping to the
present day participated in any notice
able volume of direct export trading
with Continental Europe. The special
emphasis to be placed on these few il
Illustrations is that the freight rate
from our Atlantic seaboard ports to the
ultimate water markets to which our
apples were reshipped, have uniformly
been the same as to the British or Ger
man markets from which reshipment
took place.
Conditions of this kind, based pri-
marilv on indirect or roundabout trans
portaton, aided by indirect methods,
result in only one way. That is, in
much higher transportation cost. to-
gether with more aggregate handling
costs. than the product can possibly
stand on arrival at destination, and
reach beyond a certain class of consum.
ers those to whom money is not so
much an object as it is to the general
masses of any people. Export trade,
in true form. caters not to an exclusive
monied class, but to the marginal con-
sumer, forming the bulk of the con-
suming masses, those who will buy any
product of their desire or need, if the
cost of same is within their need.
This is the type of people in every
country whose thinuess or thickness of
pocketbook reflects the generally known
economic conditions of their particular
country Export trade bases its oper-
ations upon the knowledge of those
economic conditions. and seeks to de-
liver its product in the market within
the range Of same. Thus direct trans
portatiOn, which offers the minimum
cost Of transportation, and direct trad /
ing, through direct connections, which I.
eliminates all unnecessary iutermedi- 7.
aries and pyramiding profits or rev F.
enues, constitute the keystone and .
legitimate factors in successful foreign .
market development
! do not believe water transportation .
from the Pacific coast to Atlantic for
eign markets could come at a more .
opportune time than the present. 1t I
is already here I'm initial form il is .
true. but it has come to stay. and is
certain 10 rapidly assume huge and
powerful proportions. Domestic trade
and export trade are distinct and sepa-
rate factors. and the sooner we con
centrats upon that fact the better off
we viii be. The sooner. too. we rec