National Republican., 1883-11-20
AMERICAN GOODS ABROAD.
Considerable Increase I'm the Sale OF Use
fuI Articles in Germany.

Considerable Increase I'm the Sale OF Use-
fnI Articles in Germany.
Tho department Of state has received re-
port from Mr. Joseph f. Potter, United States
consul at Crefcld Prussia, in regard to tho
importation and sale of American goods in
Germany, in which ho says: "There has,
during the past year, been considerable
increase in the sale of useful articles and
household goods imported from the United
States, notwithstanding tho active opposition
of German manufacturers to the introduction
of ofimportations from America. There seems to
exist in Prussian Germany,a ,as have previously
reported, an organization of manufacturers
and merchants for tho purpose of checking
the introduction aud popularity of American
goods in Germany IL an article of American
manufacture is put upon the market hero
which commends itself to popular favor, it is
Immediately initiated, provided it cannot bo
kept away by free Interpretation of the
tariff laws"
The report also contains letter from Mr..
Il. Taschner, merchant of Crefeld, dealing
in American goods, in which it is stated "Tor
the possible benefit of exporters and manu-
facturers in the United States that many
articles not before known here have, through
importation from America, come into extern
sive use, and as result naturally following,
German manufacturers are initiating such
hardware, especially in cast goods, there
are moro initiated goods in the market
than there are of original importation.
The limitations are usually manufactured
without the slightest alteration In the model,
and are put up in such manner that they
cannot be easily distinguished flom the
original. This fact may be regarded as very
complimentary to American taste and skill,
but il is at the same time quite a serious set
back to my business relations with the ex-
porters and manufacturers of the United
States. The articles just referred to are such
as coffee pot and sad-iron stands, twine boxes,
coat and hat hooks, can openers, brackets,
handles, bells, drills, egg beaters, apple parers,
and many other articles altogether too numer-
Gus to specify.
The duty which is levied upon American
stoves is very heavy, and the imported is al
ways kept in state of uneasiness as to the
Interpretation which the custom house officers
are likely to put upon the tariff laws. I'm
porters who ship goods to this country ought
to make themselves thoroughly acquainted
with the German tariff, and know how to
pack their goods in such q way as to save the
purchaser here much trouble and useless eX-
penses. For instance The duty on cast
iron stoves is 8 marks per 100 kilo-
grams, and upon iron goods, in connection
with nickel plated iron, is "a marks
per 100 Kilograms. A duty of "a marks
per 100 Kilograms is also put upon nickel
plated iron not connected with other goods.
If, therefore, the American shipper of stoves
would separate the nickel-plated parts and
pack them in one case and the heavy iron
parts in another the receiver would pay "a
marks per 100 Kilograms ON the first case and
only marks for similar weight on the
second. 1t will be seen, therefore, that upon
stoves sent here without separating the nickel
parts in the way described the importers
must pay "a marks per 100 Kilograms
on the entire weight of the stove. The
lack of due care and knowledge on the
part of the exporter, his goods are thus bur-
dened with a cost for duties three or four
times greater than is necessary, and at the
same time rendering their sale very difficult.
1t is the same way with many other articles.
Greater care should also be taken in packing
goods, as the handling on board vessels and
railway cars is very rough, and, considering
the distance the goods have to travel over
land and sea, it can be truthfully said that the
necessary precautions in packing and ship
| ping are not taken"