Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-05-02
GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE.
MONDAY. MAY 2. 1888.
Semi v eek|y,
FOREIGN TRADE.

lie olu lOlSlllS IoI dll eAltHSlol U
our foreign trade is still expressed. Man,
plans are devised, but without success
Our field products find ready sale in Eu
rope, but the foreign markets are still
largely closed to our manufactures. Al
American conference is proposed, partly
with view of extending our commerce
among the Spanish American countries
An agitation has been started to promote
commercial union with Canada. An
American exhibition has been held in
London and has disappeared. Such are
the recent leading incidents in connec-
ton with the development of our foreign
trade in manufactures. The chief obsta-
Gle in the way is our inability to sell as
cheaply as foreign countries. 1t is the
mission of this country to invent labor
saving machinery, and then see that ma
chinery reproduced abroad for export to
this continent. This is the case with sew
ing machines, which are made in elias
gov for export to Mexico, where they are
sold at less price than our makers could
afford to sell them. Americans were the
first to introduce sewing machines into
Mexico, and still sell a great many there ;
but the need for low-priced goods stimu-
lated the Glasgow trade to make cheap
article for that country.
Another obstacle is the lack of Ameri-
can houses in foreign countries. Form
erly American houses did large business
in Australia, but they gradually retired
from that country, leaving its trade in the
hands of Europeans. We still sell axes,
implements and clocks to the Australians,
but the bulk Of their hardware, dry goods
and general merchandise is imported
from Europe.
The practical way to deal with these
obstacles is to sell cheaper abroad than
at home. The English houses do so. An
American house can buy some goods
cheaper in London than a home estab-
lishment. Most Of the large British man
ufacturers have export rates which are
lower than those for the home trade. No
one complains for the "nation of shop
Keepers knows that on foreign trade de-
ponds the commercial stability of the en-
pire. In this country it is deemed unfair
to sell cheaper to the foreigner than to
the home trade. Until we do so we must
find ourselves undersold in foreign mar
kets by countries which have cheaper la
Dor and capital in greater abundance.
We should concede that it is not unjust to
the home trade to sell abroad at small
margin of profit when no higher price
can be obtained. Foreign countries are
so accommodating in this respect as to al
low their manufacturers to make goods TO
export in bonded warehouses, where the
materials are imported free of duty.
As to the establishment of American
houses abroad the best results will be OBJ
tanned by united action on the part of
large manufacturers who have the means
and determination to maintain agencies
for the sale of their goods. They should
study the foreign market carefully and
learn where success is practicable. There
are classes of goods in which price is not
the sole test of fitness. This is notably
the case with American implements and
mining machinery which have both such
good name that foreigners do not al
ways question the price. Such goods
should be kept in stock and freely adver-
tised. When credit is needed the agents
should be prepared to give it. In this
way much business has been done already
in foreign lands. In due time reciprocity
treaties will place us on better footing
and our goods will be as common IN all
American countries as they are through
out this union.