The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-11-27 00:00:00

SATURDAY, NOV. 27, 1875

IN •

FOREIGN COMPETITION.
&own, t writes :—" It is curious to see how
to
t.
befo,nary cycle of business brings from time t
on
whio r!ublic substantially the same _ topics
tf there is nothing really new to be said. The talk
itilfZe!ga competition with our home manufactures
01 th• le now cropping up furnishes a good illustration
recurrence of old topics. The same cry has
~eard again and again for the last 30 years, and
to take the last previous instance the subje
of -teeprions thai even suggestions for the protection
rioreiltt:ah industry were made in quarters where
tive ewledge-might have been expected. Locomo-
-41.0411011es NiTre being ordered for our railways
• goods Astead of at home ; Belgian cotton piece
the CO
y 434_ been offered in Manchester cheaper than
Nctioilersuilivdere be Produced ruinedrinoducedt b
herye • the Clerkenwell watch-
French and Swiss compe-
l) good detallieee and such like facts or reports made Et
msi,eter..(c)if noise six or seven years ago, and sipect
r. what was known as the reciprocity agitation.
'Derii.„-s`l'jholi died a natural death in the years of pros-
, tll4-4116'cich came so soon after 1869, and during which
4bromtilltrY wai unable to supply the strong de m and frOm
H°Nott; bitlt
, dare say Bora of our readers have not
With 41 .'• Now, the talk of 1869 is being revived,
tiklufagn!lightlY altered cases. It is Belgian iron
w,,,hich are being heard of in the North of
f tuefg.faii4llll4:ro 41iferdshife' at prices with which the
anufacturers cannot compete, instead of
finTeleice Voda at Manchester as in 1869; while
k"relbein;g° we beard of American iron manufac-
laddeair°,l3orted at Liverpool, and are now hearing
ger wh:" °L lch h American prints the specimens of these
lotiolper. ave reached Manchester being reported
kat, I°gi ,rtotheEn lish manufacture that the American
Lotherrers are jakingsteps to introduce the prints
a„u'en co %1118.h.rearkets Thesugarrefinershavealsolong
111:et..Pti°11:111'4 °f,FFench competition. But with the
arepe i4Bt case perhaps, where the circum-
rl3l4hriln., ar;'what we hear lathe same old cry that
to so:47caCteOg is On to decline, though, we are
-blParee h is
strength of assertion as
- "44 1860, and without any suggestion for
"cePt in an obscure and exceptional way.
,eht to be
is very obvious. In a year
al tolerably certain that English mannfac-
fullY employed on foreign as well as
and the talk now indulged in will be for-
ce of the competition is of course
that in times of slack trade
country seek new markets,
-- partial success in foreign mann-
here are more than paralleled by the
greaterabroad
of otft o°fll r
foreignn mmaannuuf faacettuurreet
command of capital and resolution to
English manufacturers beat every
, and gain and keep hold of busi-
"econies highly profitable when prospe-
' round again. We should quite
antici-
that in some cases, of which American
instance, the spread of inanufac-
-4'
itself bs Which ought to increase everywhere as
ecomes more efficient, will lead to
f°ll3igri manufactures into England. But
us. Countries may exchange
as well as other articles to their
The constant mistake is to assume
Igh countries manufacture more,
hufacture less. This may be tilt
With regard to sugar refining, which
.tion so far, because the foreign
cially promoted by the bounties f
ts, but even here, as we have often
.hetion of our sugar refining trade
Bo certain as is sometimes alleged,
i 8 quite certain that our mannf ac
4441-do "cee grows from year to .year, whatever
Was there may be in particular trades."
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