The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-31
CoMMERcIAL MUSEUMS

museum of American products, In
Rome, and the success attending such
institutions on the continent of Eu.
rope, are directing the attention OF
business mon and manufacturers, both
in England and the United States, 10
the practical value of such means for
opening up or enlarging trade and
commerce. The object OF these com.
mercial museums is to enable i'm.
porters and exporters to study al
their own doors, through specimens
and tariff lists furnished by consuls
abroad, the products Of, and commodi-
ties, with tho prices ruling, used in
foreign countries. This is tho home
museum. Then, in the country to be
reached, another museum, with sam
pies 9fall manufacturer and products of
the country seeking the trade, is to be
maintained,wlth prices and tariff lists.
There are many such exhibitions per-
manently maintained in Europe, but
they have not their counterparts
abroad. They are maintsined tor tho
convenience and Information merely
Of home importers and exoorters.
Brussels has one; Milan and Turin, in
Italy, also one each; Lyons, Bordeaux,
Lille and Rouen, in France, have
them; Stuttgardt, in Germany, one,
and in Austrls-Hungsry one At
Flnme, and at Vienna, and even In
Portugal there are two.
To illustrate: If Philadelphia were
DESTROYS of enlarging i.s commerce
with Mexico, it would open Mexican
museum in the city, sustained BIZ the
city and Chamber OF Commerce, where
full line Of Mexican samples of pro.
ducts raised and commodities used In
Mexico, with catalogues Of tariff and
transportation rates, would be kept on
hand, furnished by our cousuls to
Mexico, regularly. In that museum
the Philadelphia importer or exporter
could easily determine whether Mexi-
co had what he wanted, and at price
satisfactory, ior he had what Mexico
used and could, under existing TARIFF
and transportation, furnish it ut
profit to the Msxicans. A similar mu.
scum In Mexico OF Ameri3an products,
commodities used, tariff and transport
tstion lists would, at his own doors,
open the eyes Of the Mexican importer
or exporter to the possibilities and aG-
vsntages, If any, Of an American trade.
In other words, 1t Ia vast system OF
international sample-rooms, and Just
as tbs sample-room, an adjunct OF tho
drummer system, Ia found convsn.
fence and q promoter OF inter state
trade now, 90 may great results be an.
ticlpsted from an enlargement OF the
plan to an international basis, where
cities and States take the place OF |
firms in establishing and maintaining
the display,
Tho subject IL beginning to ns /
noticed by influential prints In Greet
Britain, and it ought not to escape at
tention here. In referring to the
scheme the Manchester guardian has
this TO say:
"At q time like the present, when
competition for tho trade OF neutral
markets hGs bscone so very sevsre,
and when our manufacturers have to
strain every nervo 10 hold their own,
1T - important not 10 neglect any
weapon hat may usefully DO eR
ployed in the struggle for supremacy,
or, rather, for existence. such a
weapon Is likely TO be found in this
system or commercial museums, or
collections Of trade products, 20 which
attention lhs lately been drawn, in
connection with the Antwerp exhibit
ton. Ia these days OF heroic remedies,
when proposals are made TO tax the
food and clothes of the people for the
benefit OF land owners and capitalists,
or to contiscate or brighton away the
capital OF these latter, 30 as 10 increase
the wages fund, such proposal may
seem commonplace. But the trade-de-
preston commission, IL it ever meets,
might do worse than elaborate a
scheme for carrying out some such
plan.n
Such cities as Boiton, New York,
Philadelphia, Charleston, New Or
leans, ST. Louis, Chicago, San Fran
cisco, could easily, through the Cham
oers Of Commerce and Merchants
Exchanges, establish in their midst
Mexican, Central and South American
commercial museums, or "sample-
Tooms," and in the larger cities of tue
countries named, counterpart Amer
lean museums, with, doubtless, tho re-
suit OF quickened and enlarged trade,
with decided profit. Tho scheme "a a
novel and MISUNDERSTANDING one, at
any rate, aud is working most satis-
factorlly in Europe, even in It's impsr-
feet, one-Siied development. As tho
journal before quoted romarks: AT a
time like the present, it Il important
not to neglect any wospon thst may
usefully be employed In the struggle
for supremacy, o., rathor tor exist
enoe," commercially.