The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-10-18
England's Business Competitors.

The first Of this year a series Of consular re-
ports contains a short account of the financial
condition Of the Sandwich Islands. The customs
duties constitute the largest item of revenue.
Consul General WOdehOuse observes that there
has been a large increase IN the trade with Great
Britain and her colonies -ince the treaty Of reci-
procity with the United States was passed and
that there il no doubt tire trade with Great BrI-
tain will continue TO increase, Notwithstanding
the difrrential duty Of 10 per cent. with which
English importers have to compete. When we
turn the leaf and read the report which comes
next in order, we find Consul General COwper
stating that our share in the m Of Cuba
IL becoming less year by year Tie says that the
import Of machinery and hardware, IN which we
were once unappTOachable, - falling into the
hands OF our rivals, the only remnants being a
limited import of cutlery and large pieces OF
machinery, such as steam plOws, sugar engines,
etc, and even these from various causes, are now
coming from other countries. notably the new
machinery from France, such as the centrifugal
machines, vacuum pans, and those connected
with disuIIing.. One of the largest imports from
England was the large cane knife or macbete /;
but though some Of these are still imported from
England, the fact cannot be, and is not, dis
guised from buyers that these knives are inferior
to those made in the United States and Germany,
at equal prices, the only advantage possessed by
the English article being superiority Of polish.
Hence n decrease IN the import from England.
The English plOw has no chance against the
American. for not only Is the latter One-third
cheaper, but the American manufacturer makes q
study Of the island Of Cuba, and his pillow is
consequently perfectly adapted to its require
ments. 80 with heavy machinery on sugar es-
tates: the planters find that an article the prime
cost Of which Is less, which has less freight to
nav. and which Is made expressly to suit the
island, Is preferable to the English one, which
does not possess these advantages. In railway
plant the Americans have also the advantage Of
being able TO execute orders more rapidly than
tie English, partly from near neighbOrhoOd and,
it is said, from keeping rails on the section re-
ouired ready for immediate shipment, and cheap
er into the bargain. Consul COlnagbi, reporting
from Florence, states that in steel rails and loco
motives. and IN Sheffield tools, and in machinery
turning lathes, etc), German enterprise is grad
uaIIv pushing US out Of the Italian market, and
the manufacturers Of the United States are also
endeavoring to push their goods in Italy, and to
this end . newspaper called the Scientific Anleri-
can, chiefly devoted to the hardware interest, Is
widely distributed throughout the country. The
Consul quotes a letter received from Alfred A.
DIXON OF Sheffield, who observes that our German
and Belgian rivals get their goods conveyed to
the coast at much lower rates than Sheffield manu-
facturers. NJ. Finet, IN a work published at
Brussels, maintains that all important canals
should be managed on the same principle as a
railroad company-that Is, be owned and worked
by the same persons, having . trains Of boats
with small steamers tor hauling them by a cable
attached to the bottom OF the canal, as is done
with many Of the canals on the Continent, where
all means are used to effect economy both for
carrying goods down to tie port and taking ore
to the works. SIR. Dixon holds that, with some
such plan adopted, the rate of carriage of heavy
goods from Sheffield to the sea would be reduced
10 LEES than half the amount which has to be
paid.-LOnd0H Times.