National Republican., 1883-03-28
THE coal OIL cAN-cAN.
As Used In Asia Minor to Defrnud the
American Trade.

IL appears that American petroleum is so |
much better than the foreign article that the
sharp fellows as far away as Asia Minor pick
up our cans and play off their old stuff for the
genuine North American article. The United |
States consul general at Constantinopie, Mr. |
G.. II. Weap writes to Hon. Alvey A. Adee,o OF
the State department, on the subject having
been informed by the consular agent AT Ire Ire
bizonde of the tricks of eastern trade. Ihls
agent has observed that merchants dealing in
Russian petroleum in the interior OF Asia Mi |
nor virtually acknowledge tho superiority
of the American oil by collecting tho
empty cans and cases which have contained
American petroleum, and whose markets are
familiar to the trade and consumers, fill them
with the inferior Russian oil and send them
into the interior. Although the Russian oil
IA cheaper than the American, it cannot com
pete with il in the market on account of its
poor quality; but by means Of this fraudulent
use of the we'll known marks OF the American
firms they are not only able to sell this, but
TO sell IL at better price; and it has the fur
ther effect of injuring the fair and well
earned reputation of the American oil. Mr..
Weap has instructed the consular agent at
Trebizonde TO enter protest against TINS
''illicit practice at the custom house,
and to make it as widely known
as possible, and when the rectifers
and exporters of petroleum in the United
States are informed of this practice they may
be. able to devise means to render tho use oil
their cases and cans a second time for petro-
leum impossible without detection. inquiries
were made at the Russian consulate to ascer-
tain the quantity of petroleum imported from
Russia since the opening of this trade, but the
officials could not or would not give any in
formation on the subject. 1t Is known, now
ever, that the amount is Inconsistencies Itis
brought in small vessels carrying nom 2oO 10
600 cases. and does not find ready sale here
tnFi 10 inforiOr uunlity. The DuSl-
ness of refining petroleum in the Bakon
region of the Caspian sea is still in its
infancy, but the company which mas
obtained the concession ffom tho Russian
government has large capital, and owns
numerous feet of steamers and sailing YES
sells on the Caspian. 1t employs mon OF high
scientific attainments and experience to I'M
prove the process of refining their oil, and in
facilitating and economizing its transporta-
tion to the Black sea ports. A railway mas
been completed from Bakon to Titles, whence
a road has been in operation to Poti, on the
Black sea, for several years. Poti and
Batoun, ports ceded by Turkey to Russia by
treaty in 1878 are also in railway connection.
With these advantages the Russian petroleum
company has facilities for supplying Turkey
with which the American companies cannot
compete, and it counts confidently on securing
the monopoly of the trade in the Asiatic
provinces when it has succeeded in perfecting
its processes of refining. Although they can
nndersell American petroleum the superior
quality of ours saves 1t for the present from
being driven from the market in Asia Minor
The quantity and value of petroleum I'M
ported at Constantnople from the United
States in the last three years are as follows;
1ss0-Number OF cases. 1649s0; value. S2iS,35l 75
1ssO-Number of barrels 800; Value. 4,i03 07
1Ssl-Number OF cases, 437 gls; value. 6gO,sg6 5s
iSS5-NumSer Of cases, 52sis5 value. 7ii'99s g
lSS3-Number ofbnrrels 3,ll9i value. 1851 O2
sl,7o2,8O2 O8
The number of vessels which have landed
there from the United loaded with petroleum
during the same period, is as follows:
Austrian. 20
English Zone steamer. )..,...-.....'............'
Italian 40
Swedish Norwegian ...,......................
70
No vessel under the American flag has
landed there with petroleum since 1873.
There were two in that year.
The average cargo of this sailing vessels was
1509S 75-100 cases and barrels. The English
steamer landed 1850 cases, and about 10000
at different ports of Greece and Salonica.
Mr. Weap says: IF Russian traders have
recourse to illicit and fraudulent practices to
find q sale for their goods il is an indication
that they cannot as yet compete by fair
means with the American. Should they,
however, De aDle eventually 10 prouuCe US
good an article as the American, there is no
doubt that there competition will be fatal to
our trade, as with the facilities they possess
for economical transportation they will al
ways be able to undersell u.s."
Rounania is also in the market with her pc
troleum, but its quality is inferior even to the
Russian, and il is weighted with fixed regula-
tions which gives their product small chance
of success by the side Of the American, even
in their home market. Their tin is imported
from abroad, and pays a heavy duty, upon
which no drawback is allowed when re-ex-
ported
1t is suggested that our refners will do well
to keep upand even improve the standard of
their oil, for if they allow themselves to be
distanced by the foreign refiners, this impor-
tant and steadily increasing article Of expor-
tation will lose the command of the Mediter-
ranean markets it has SO long and successfully
maintained.