Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-09
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Ha1l1 e eagle
TRADE WITH MEXICO.
Why European Merchants Monop-
olize the Republics Commerce.
An American Merchants Observations
Popularity of American Goods-Euro-
pesn Merchants CouBterfeiting Yankee
Trade Marks-Other Live Topics.

Popularity of American Goods-Euro-
pesn Merchants CouDterfeiting Yankee
Trade Marks-Other Live Topics.
"Being resident of Monterey. Mex, for
khe past five years. said Paul K. Smithers
to a ST. Louis PostDispatch reporter, II
have fer the first time come to St Louis for
the purpose of making arrangements for
purchasing goods suitable for the Mexican
trade, especially in the line of boots and
shoes From st. Louis go East, where
hope to be able TO secure proper cottons and
coarse linens for the same country.
81 have been engaged in commerce for
number of years with Mexico, and am con-
Gnually astonished at the lack of enterprise
shown by our American manufacturers in
securing the trade Of this great
country which lies at our very doors,
is our natural tributary, and pro-
duces almost nothing Of itself except
raw materials Yet we allow the English
and Germans TO take by far the greater
portion of the trade away from US. and in
stead of excluding them, they come very
near shutting US out. The reason is not
that the transatlantic goods are better than
those manufactured in this country, for the
contrary is the case, but that every foreign
manufacturing house has a resident agent
who not only attends TO the sales, but keeps
his principals posted on the exact kinds Of
fabrics required by the people. Other things
being equal, American goods are accorded
the preference. An incontrovertible proof
of this is to be found in the fact that Amer
lean trademarks are most extensively coun-
terfeited by European manufacturers.
Some houses. who will not do this them
selves, do not raise any objection to its be-
ing done by the retailers to whom they sell.
LAS an instance of the extent to which
this IS carried, know of large shoe firm
in Saltillo, which makes practice of pay
ing small amount for every St Louis
shoe label which is brought them. These
they place On English shoes, and sell them
much more readily than they can those
stamped with the European brand.
"Where the foreigners beat US out of
sight is in models Take boots and shoes
for instance. The Mexicaus, at least those
Of the country districts outside of the rich
valley of Mexico, are a barefoot race, but
are just beginning to use shoes generally.
They want an article at once cheap and
light and model that can be bought ready
made and some kind Of fit secured. Our
dealers need an excellent article, but nearly
all the low-priced shoes are high in the
worst of all are made on a last that would
not lit one Mexican in a hundred. In this
country those who buy cheap shoes require
them to be wide in proportion TO their
length, and the average sizes are all
large The MeXicans are a small race, and
with feet small in proportion to their size.
The consequence is that an American con-
signment contains a majority of shoes that
viii suit nobody and are dead loss to the
purchaser. The English and Germans, on
the other hand, have made a peculiar kind
Of last, known as the Mexican last, which is
used only for shoes intended for the Span
lsh American trade. They are rather san
dals than shoes, with flimsy, light soles,
made of poor material and leaving the ankle
unconfned. AS shoes they are very poor
but are far more to the taste Of the Mexicans
than the articles sent from this country, and
with forged American trademark are
driving ours out Of the market
1.-The same fact is observable in cotton
goods. The Mexicans have a strong eye
for color but do not want it bright, and es-
pecially want it in large masses and figures
and not In small patterns Nearly all the
American calicoes are printed in small
flower or vine patterns, the ground beng
either white or bright red The English
ana FRENCH, taxing PANS 20 INFORM Jnen-
selves of the national taste, make their
prints of pale yellow or dull red, in solid
masses, ana for this reason their products
are preferred. A very slight change in our
system of manufacture in which some at
sention was paid TO national taste. would
Increase our trade tenfold. This is very
markedly the case with the coarser grades
of white cotton which are extensively worn
by the negroes, Indians and poorer classes
of persons. Our manufactures are too
heavy and too closely woven, being the ex-
act counterpart of the goods sold in the
Southern States of America, while the En-
Shsh goods are of a much more open text
ure, and are therefore greatly preferred.
They make goods especially for the Mex
lean trade, which they attempt TO sell in no
other part of the world, while we, making
our own market the standard. try to sell
goods suitable enough for that TO people
who want something else. a few shrewd
commercial travellers, who would be able to
appreciate both the needs and tastes of the
people of Mexico would be a Die TO increase
the business of their employers by millions
of dollars every year. No American can
see this great market, which belongs to US
by nature, absorbed by foreigners, simply
because of a little carelessness and inatten-
ton on our part. and l hope that our mer-
chants will open their eyes 10 the great
field for trade ready TO their hands -