Evening gazette, Tuesday, November 29, 1898 · page 66

 

VY YV vv ‘7va vv‘vvvvvv‘vv

 

‘vvvv V‘Vvv‘v
l

‘ tory credit systems, and

 

“balm—flit! promlsore’sults that they do
not and cannot obtain. , .
A SYNDIC‘TE" WHICH WIS AN Am.

A syndicate or an association. of manufactim-
ers who band themselves together to secure the.
service-slit a salesman for foreign countries on

‘terrhs that are equitable to all is a perfectly.

legitimate and proper method of securing export
trade. Each member of such a syndicate should
know all of his partners, havenanvoice in 90"”
trolling the travelling agent, and be able ted-is-

mlss or recall him at any time. - The members of ‘-

luch a syndicate should know-exactly the record
and qualifications 0:. their;,ag,ent. .Unless the
concerns are small; or theigé'llst of spec1alties
short, ’four or‘ five is as largera-fnumber- as an
agentcan properly represent. -‘l‘hese specxalties
should invariably be closely allied, as, for ex-_
ample‘,clocks, ~watches, silverware and jewelry
-—but never watches and steam engines, for the
latter calls for altogether different accomplish-
ments on the part of the agent, and involves
reaching an entirely different clientele.

The frauds who use this idea to deceive the in-
echrienced seekers after' export trade are, per-
haps, the commonest and often the most de-
ceptive of those export schemers whose opera-
tions result in regrets instead of business. The
modus operandi is exceedingly simple. , The
agent assures each client that for his particular
specialty the markets-he proposes tov151t are
Jus-t’the ones he ought-to reach and for :fsmch-

4 " s are beef adapted. If be thin, _ 1g
2;: fimce a manufacturer to become a client
he does not hesitate‘to' promise anything. ' For
instance, he1~will promise to sellsleighs where it
never snows prheating stoves in tropical couri-
tries. ...Hever having been in the country- in
question,'”as is‘ often the case, the agent, may
himself‘imagine that. he isspeakmg. the truth,
and, in any event,-_if his assertions are not too
glaringly absurd the manufacturer is apt to
take his word for it. ' . 5

Finally, when a sufllcient number of subscrib-
ers has been obtained to 'make a “paying syndis
cate”'—-'-that"is.' one-that will. payall his livmg,
and travelling‘expenses . _
lands on pleasure bent, and yield him a fat in:
come besides—hc,sails abroad, or at least pre-
tends to‘do so.’ 'In' the latter case he goes to
some other city and continues his canvass fcr
the ~missiiig "one or two" members .of.his syndi-
cate, his letters to his earlier Victims being
mailed for him at .points in the countries for
which the syndicate Wasformed. At home or
abroad. however, the agent, as a rule, does not
neglect to send frequent reports to the confiding
manufacturers. who were so fortunate as to be
permitted to share. the advantages (and incx-
dentally-the expenses) of the undertaking. .

In these reports he explains h-OW‘lt happens
that the orders have not yet begun to flood his
clients. He calls attention to the irregularity
'of' the mails, the high rate of exchange, tlieslfzclk

' ' " ' rain season, unsa i -
of shipping facilities, soyon.. He does not fog
to add, however, that the prospects are sti
brilliant and that he is negotiating some big deal
for his client. Later, as the orders still fail to
materialize he reports that he is domg a. large
business for all his other clients (whose names
he has never divulged), and that he is gomg to
give this particular correspondent’s goods spe-
cial attention in certain other markets which he
has not yet visited and to'which he learns they
are especially adapted. Manufacturers frequently
make the mistake of supposing that an agency
or so in the leading city of a country means
that‘the entire territory is being covered satis-
factorily. Transportation ,faCilities are _fre-
quently poor in foreign countries, and it is of
great importance to a manufacturer to make his
goods known in every large town in each

‘nce. .

p'I‘Iotmseems hardly necessary at thisdate day to
point out the importance of advertismg, but it,
is certainly true' in the export trade as else-
where, that 'to reach buyers successfully the em~
ployment of papers having a bona-f‘ide foreign
circulation is essential. An advertisement in
an export publication, as‘in any other, simply
introduces the buyer and seller to each other.
It initiates business connections thahmay con-
tinue and expand indefinitely. Advertisers must
not, however, expect returns too promptly. Not
only does it require weeks in place of days for
replies to come in from distant pomts, but for-
eign. merchants are, as a rule, conservative, and
slow to disturb existing trade relations. But
the force of reiteration in advertising is irre-
sistible in influencing their preferences, ands
in time they are ledto place their first orders.

Commission merchants, as such, cannot push
the sale of any specific make of goods. Their
business is simply to execute the orders they
receive. Were they to recommend goods to their
clients they would incur risks and lay them-
selves o.pen, to the charge of partiality. The

while visiting foreign .

._ HENRY
‘Flenry Clinton Backus was born in Utica ‘May 31,1848. He was prepared for college at
Phillips Exeter Academy, in New-Hampshire, 'a nd was matriculated at Harvard University in

1871.

Wilcox & Hobbs.

viser of several large estates.
State of Kansas agt. Baldwin.

office. .

cieiy. -

can workingman will suppose that he will allow
himself to be handicapped; ’ _
In the development of foreign trade the impor-
tance of shipping lines cannot be overestimated.
The manufacturer is largely dependent upon
them for the prompt and"'satisfactor‘y delivery
of goods to the-foreign buyer. - ‘
The various companies in New-York Who carry'
freight to. other countries are not without a
realizing sense of the importance Which at—
taches to their end of the business, and they are

Elosing no time in meeting all of the require-

ments of the rapidly developing export trade;

Inauticipation of an increased business with
MeXico and Cuba, the Ward Line has under
way two new steamers of five thousand tons
each. .The new steamers will be finished early
in the coming year, and will make a notable ad-
dition to the‘ large fleet already operated by the
Ward Line. ' ‘

It is announced that the United Steamship
Company, of Copenhagen, which possesses a»;
large fleet of steamships, is about to establish
a. direct line between Russia and the United
States. 'The boats Will make me experiment 6f
running between St.-Petersburg, Riga and New~
York. The advantage to the exportersin the

 

ex’poi't' commission merchants and shipping
agents are, however. indispensable parties to .
the. proper conduct of the export trade. They :
collect from. various sources goods ordered by
clients at one time and ship them under one bill
ofladirig, procure insurance, the necessary ship-
ping documents. consular invoices, etc. Foreign
buyers select their own agents, «and manufact-
urers should treat all of them alike.

Many manufacturers have hesitated about en-
tering the export trade because they think
they are liable to have an endless amount of.
trouble in collecting their accounts.
fallacy, for it is probable that fully 95 per cent 1
of all foreign buyers order through American
export commission merchants.

The manufacturer thus receives the order
transformed into a domestic account, which
can be collected in the same manner as all other
domestic bils. ‘

The cry that the exportation of American
goods has been handicapped by poor packing fa-
cilities and some carelessness in packing seems
to' be only an echo of a similar cry which is
heard in almost every country where an export
trade is done. An English newspaper recently
lnduired why the manufacturers of that country
did not follow'the'example of‘the Americansand ‘
pay more attention to their packing depart- l
merits. It was pointed out that the English
packers were careless, and in' consequence the
export trade was materially affected. ,

If anything further were needed to show that
this question is by -no means so serious as has
been‘~re'presented, a walk along the water-front-
would‘ffiirnish it.‘ It 'is no uncommon thing to
see hundreds of American-made boxes lying on
the“ 'wha‘rves, which afterhaving been sent
abroad-filled with our merchandise are used over
again for shipmentseto this country.

While it .is'doub‘tle'ss true that the foreign
packers have‘in‘m’any instances had the advane
tags of longer training in the handling of mer-
chandise for shipment, no one who knows the
resources and the hustling abilities of the Ameri—

This is a‘

 

United States of this direct line, which has not
hitherto existed, will be in cheaper freighis and
avoidance of transshipment. It is hoped 'there‘
will be sufficient goods to make the trial suc:
cessful and induce the company 'to continue
the line. The existence of such a line is certain
to increase the trade between the two countries.

The United Steamship Company has-been in-
existence about thirty years, has a. capital of
about $12,000,000, and owns over one hundred
and twenty steamships trading between various

. European ports. It is estimated that Russia
- alone consumes one million bales of cotton annu-

ally, of which a. comparatively small proporticm
comes direct from America; but this proportion

.could be immensely increased by avoiding the

delay and expense of transshipment at Liver-
pool, Hamburg or Bremen. The Same is true
in respect to the products of American manu-
factories, for which there is an increasing de-
mand from Russia. The United Steamship Com-
pany has now a bimonthly line to Newport

News and New—Orleans. '

The new Scandinavian-American Line, for-
merly known as the Thingvaila Line, will op-
erate a weekly instead of a bimonthly service
between this port and Christiania, Copenhagen
and Stettin, beginning on December 1. The-
company is now ope-rating only four steamships,

' the Norge, the Hekla, the Island andthe Thing:

valla, which carry both freight and passengers,
Four additional steamships Will"be"added"'fdi"
the freight service, and as asoo'n ‘asf‘tbey'can be}!
built will be put on fonthe passenger business.
Business between the United .States and
Sweden is growing steadily, and merchants of
that country'are finding a liberal market here
to purchase in. They are buying largely of our
grain, corn, pork, products, machinery and agri-
cultural implements. They-are also taking some"
of our cotton, bicycles, tobacco, hides, leather,
organs, pianos, etc. The company has ample
dock facilities at Hoboken to meet all the re-

‘Im , mm” m .m' mp?

 

CLINTON ' BACKUS.

Two vear's later he was graduated from the ‘Law'Scho ‘ I ’ ‘ ‘
. . ; .. > 01 of Columbia UniversitY. and
was thereupon admitted to the New-York Bar. A year later he entered the office of Beebe.

His practice has not been confined. -to any single branch of legal judicature. He has
been counsel in many important cases of algreat' variety of character, and is the legal-ad-
He conducted successfully thetnoteworthy criminal case ,of the

Mr. Backus has long been conspicuous among the politiCal leaders of this city. For-“more
than ten years he was a. member of the Republican County ‘Comm‘ittee and for five years
served on its Committee on Resolutions. In 1891 he was elected leader, of his party in his
Assembly district, and he has at numerous times'represented his district in the county and
State conventions of the Republican party. He has declined various nominations for public

Mr. Backus was one of the committee on the. construction of the tomb and monument of
Ulysses S. Grant. He is a member of the City and State Bar associations, ofthe Republican
Club, Harvard Club, and Dwight Alumni Association. ' , "
Railway Conductors’ Club of North America and a fellow of the American Geographical So«

.sérldan English catalogue tols anish-speaki
. pick: the same as sendin
" English-speaking «people.

 

quirements of the increased service.
A company has already been incorporated.

 

...-w»... v» -..: ' ...—... .-.

as. ..-.~.. ... ... _f'

He is also an honorary member of the

$13,000,009, to develop Cuba
It ls entitled The American

with a. capital of
and Porto. Rico.

Indies Company, and the necesSary capital h'as'

already been ‘paid in. The company has a- gen-
eral charter authorizing it to build and operate
electric'plants, telegraph, telephone, steamship
and. railway lines, to conduct real'estate and
mining operations and to carry'on business in'
gongtnglbserr of otcllier branches? One of the incor-
ecen y outlined the '

company as folloyvs: purposes at the
The company has been in process of forma-
tion for several months. and was organiaed for

the purpose of taking advantage of‘the extraor-r

diiiary economic transformation now at ' I
in Cuba and Porto Rico. It intends to 3232-:
vate old‘ enterprises and create new ones in
those prodigiously rich islands, and to that end
it secured. the co—Operation of some of their
most enlightened and conservative citizens—men
of wealth and enterprise—éwho even under the
late restrictive. d o pressive regime have
gamed distinction as) enchants andadminis-
trators, and ..who..repi’ésenting the new com-
mercial aspirations of those communities have
enlisted both capital and experience in this uh..-

dertaking. Under the new commercial condik

tions industries, especially those conce -
crating public franchises, will need Malawi?-
Eileent, regrggnizfitim; and development. This is

w_or ‘ e" me can Indies- '
org%§izeg to accomplish." ' Company was
," e - merican Exporter” has recentl '-
ilshed the following list Of “Don'ts,” whiychpgg-
porters say are of value to those who wish to
3:22 1085,9311“ the conduct of a foreign busi-

iDon’t subscribe to any export 3 mil
for reasons which are full " cate scheme,
pig-t 0: this circular. y set orth in another
7 on“ pay export commission merchan -
mend your goods to their foreign eligittso 33°95?»
push the sale. .of such goods in foreign countries.
As commissionmerchants, they cannot do either.
‘Dont employ salesmen to represent you abroad
:léeiléé‘ci’asleakfil" him“ °‘ ”"3 ””918 "my
,_ e 0 vs . e ’ '
deaf and dumb. \ y might just as well. be
Don’t .COnstltute any American house the sole ex-
pggtrégcntto ford yogr goodsthForeign buyers have
or er irec or ’
this country. rough their agents in
Don’t give any foreign importer or agent the sole
rightto sell your goods in any place or territory
ufiiless such agency guarantees adequate returns.
( eading foreign importers, prefer to handle only-
such-goods as they- can buy from the manufacture?
giddirectly or through their agents in this coun-
"Dori": distribute ainong foiielgn buyers catalogues
and circulars-inn language they cannot read? To
pee--
in panish catalo e to
‘ ery few will be able to
appreciate them. .. , __
Don’t send catalogues or price lists to export mer-
chants in theexpectatlon that they will distribute.
them among their foreign ”clients, as they‘don't
go to such trouble and expense._ »
Don’t solicit foreign orders from export commis-
sion merchants. .. Unless .theyrecewo orders for
your oods theycannot‘give them to you .and when
they 0 receive such orders you will get them with-
out the asking.

 

EXPOMSOEBWSANDSHhss?“ ..

 

. . ~_.. ,c‘ .
.TIQNAL EQUIPMENT WITH- WHICH. V
,5, “1:0 Mann COMPETITION. _ _
A branch of American export trade that hill
developed undcrpeculiar- conditions is that de~
voted to boots’and shoes. ' j '
The progress .in nearly, every. other'line has
been largely due to the energy-and persistence
of the 'manufacturers themselves. In the boot
and shoe trade this has been less noticeable; in
facts large number of American: manufacturers
of-thesegoods havepreferred ,to devote all 9! '

their ‘time “and attention to ,the home market, “A
to the exclusion of foreign trade. The reason!
for this: s found in the conditions 'under which

the boot and shoe trade off/this ’country has .

been devéloned. ,, .. r . ,
In novcountry in the world has shoemaking'
machinery played a greater part than in Amerio sf"
ca, the land of its invention, and at a. very earl]:
date the industry became highly specialized. " '
Each manufacturer made and marketed a lim-;’
ited number of styles and devoted his effortsto
reducing the cust'a'nd improving-"the" qu’alities
of these. Successful .shape‘su-were. of course,»
imitated, to a certain extent, but. in_.spite of, all,
temptations the individual manufacturers._,de,-..
voted themselves to-‘their’vspecial lines; “Instead
Of ‘m’aking a hundred styles, a‘s‘ln Germany and3=
England, the American manufacturer‘was satisfy
fledwit'li a. muchsmaller number. ' . _
As ""i'esult, herturne'dvout a" 'as‘tly greater“
number 'of' casesr'of‘each'particular style, and it":
was. possible .for his workmen.;1to remain : con-.3-
tianule at the same operation, -,lnstead of“
droppingf’onevpart of the Work to'take up an- _
other. SM'achines‘ were "thus kept humming that“

' would otherwiSe'Ihave' remained idle for long: .

periods. » .- :5»,
The feeling that foreign competition. would.
necessitate greater diversity of styles and 'a'
resulting increasein cost Undoubtedly (had its
effectin deterring» manufacturers of boots-and
shoes. from engaging in that trade. , Atpresent. .
however, there is a. marked inclination‘ou their :
part to share 'in"‘th’e business of the world.
They are in a. osition» with their. present: far.
cilities to more han supply. the,“ domestic .mar-_
ket‘, and they are ready to meet whatever 0031‘,
petition"'may come along. - “ ' ‘ ‘ ' "
Almost every venture, large or small, that has
been made to test. the adaptabilitypf Amerieam -
shoes to meet the conditionsllof. foreigncomw
petition has proved successful. Andin~the'ag—
gregate a very respectable trade has already
been built _up ineathis line-abroad. " In 1870 the
exports of American boots and shoes (leather)
amounted to $419,612. In 1897. they.amounted'
to $1,708,224——an‘ increase of ’over 300' per 'cent.‘ '
During the fiscal year: that closed June 30, 1898,
they amountel to $1,816,538, and. this ratchot
increase has beenniore than maintained dart...
mg the last year. . '
In Porto Rico‘and Cuba the removal of re-~
strictions which have: hither-to handicapped
trade with the United States will be of par?
ticular benefit: to the. boot and, shoe trade. In'
1896 Spain exported boots and Shoés‘to the-isl-
and of Cuba to the amount of- $3,663,029; iand‘sif-
to Porto Rico _to the amount-got $1,125,552; 3
Our trade in the islands hasbeen compara;
tively small, owing to a discriminating tariff;
In 1896 we exported-to Cu’ba boots and. shoes-.-
.to the 'value of $34,992, and to«Porto Rico:
$9,339. the latter including all other leathen,
geods and manufactured leather as ~jwell. ‘
In 1892, when "our trade With LCt‘iba‘ was-'ln‘ '1‘-
flourishing condition, we sold there nearly. $200.9:
000 worth of boots and shoes, .- . _ .
Under present conditions it seemscertain that,
the American manufacturers will‘control the"
markets of—both-Portfo Ricoand- Cuba.‘ ‘~ 5‘5
It will probably: surprise many persons to
learn that the boot and-shoe. trade in the Philip-..-
pines is an important factor in. the‘export'tradé'
of France, Germany; Spainuand‘ England."
-———e——-—-—— ’

. -- UNpER rTiI-E ‘NEW- TARIFF.

GAINS IN EXPon‘rs To AND 'nossns 1N iii?"
PORTS ERoM THIRTEEN c’ouNTRi‘Es.‘

It will not .be out of 'place at this time to point
out the great advantageswhich have accrued'to
the American manufacturersfrom the enact?
ment of the present tariff by a. Republican Ad-
ministration. When» the bill was being drawn
up for presentation there wereuthirteen foreign
countries which made‘diplomatic protest against
raising the duties existing under the Wilson=
tariff. Sufficient time has elapsed for a comfy
pa-rison to be made-of the exports and imports
to and from the United States and these thirteen-
foreign countries,and the appended tables show
the gains which have been made in exports arid
the losses in imports. The tables cover the nine ,
months ending with. Septemberf‘in 993115379311.“
consideredz, ' '

' ‘. Jan. to Jan. to Jan. to" 2'
Exports to—'- " ' Sept" 18.96. Sept" 1897. Sept.. 1899»
United Kingdom. $303,095,289 $319,738,4 $365,290,59
Germany ........... 67,844,603 85,617,745 109,661,873
France . ...... . . . . . . 31.875.%7 43.467.035 56,697,451
Br. North America. . ' 47,590,482 ,868, 68,883,343
Netherlands . ..‘.'...";- «2,716,261 . 44,274,383 ' 49,692,450
Belgium . . . . .. .. . . . 21.847.766 29.541.353 31,722,154
Italy . .............. .937;898 15.120.003 16,957,403
Japan . . . . . ... . . . . . ; 6.6841266 10.595585 15,103,215
Denmark. ......‘.'.'..'. 75.369.681 .903. 10,603,422
China .' ....... . . . '. . . ' 7... 93.440 .559, 9510.118
Argentina . 3 . . .. . . _. . 4.732.418 4.154.999 327.638
Austria—Hungary .. . 1. 796,705 3 305.461 4,551,480
Switzerland . . . . . . . . 83.344 110.793 . 198.151
Greece . . . . . ........ 71.181 128,717 131,501

The imports (into the United States from those"
thirteen countries for the three years were: '- -:

' Jan. to ' Jan. to Jan; to

- ' ’ filial-83%. gag-9.1.833, lil‘ablsdsa
United Kin om. . . . . , o. . . , o _ ,
Germany fa... . .L. . 1' .433. 81,149,559 59,066,43
France . . ....... . . . 44,215,712 53,602,240 40,883,423
Br. North America. . 28.071893 30,457,626 21,868,
Netherlands .- . . . , . . 8. 112.769 10 726,779 10,174,028
Belgium . . . . '. . . . . . . . S 762,490 11,570,817 6,592,930
Italy .... . ....... . 15.467.871 15,406,402 16,555,332
Japan W. 11 666.402 18,585,229 16,738,462
Denmark . . . . ..... . .. 186.962 , 76.128 67.040
China '. . . . . . . . ; . 12,401,610 15.866.436 13,148,286
Argentina .......... 5.640.464 9,815,179 4,226;
Austria-Hungary .1 -. : 6.001.113 . 5,873.8 3,663,541
Switzerland . . . . . .. 11,272,262 ‘ 9,583,510 . 9,277,57a
Greece ........... '. 364,639 269,131; ‘. 538.728

The contention oaths part of the freertra‘d'ers
that,the.,.short,age .011. food supplies. abroad was,
the sole cause of the gain in exports is dispelled
by the following table,.which shows. thegai‘n‘s
made, in exportsybylclasses: - . ;-. 5 —

' Agriculture. ,Manufactuizea- : All others;

Nine months '1'894..s':s-i,804,_030 $183,378,609 341.105.1113 >
. 145.793 6 ‘ 4 '

Nine months 1895.. 355.977.9130 . 4,652,619
Nine months 1896.. 410,364,411 184.792.4453 49,7993“)
Nine menths 1897 . 466,635,349 _ 213,357,671 53,515,845

Nine. months 1898.. 571,294,955 7.822.0l5~ 55,086,502

‘Thus,. while agricultural: exports,“ under the
stimulus of the recent exceptional-demand for
them abroad, have risen in value sinCe 1894
about 50 per cent, exports of manufactures have
nearly: doubled and miscellaneous exports show

 

Don’t subscr be to the 53pm of any export busi-
sea: scheme that savor- oharity or blackmail

a most gratifying and substantial increase.