New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-28
SOUTH AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
FACTS AND FIGURES THAT MR.. cooMBs MIcHT
STUDY WITH PROFIT.


STUDY WITH PROFIT.
TO ne E6tfor or rae Tribune.
SIR notice In the issue Of your paper OF the 18th
inst. that correspondent takes exception TO some
assertions made by Mr.. W. J. COMBS at one OF tho
meetings lately held In this city by the National
Furniture Manufacturers Association. think that
Mr.. Coombs's long and wide experience IN the export
trade ought to enable him to speak on the subject
with authority and TO entitle his assertions to serious
consideration. However. 1t seems TO me that some Of
his statements are at variance with facts easily
cessibe and with the experience Of other business
That your correspondent insinuates. there any
intention the part Of Mr.. Coombs 10 mislead his
hearers, cannot admit: while can hardly believe
that he spoke In ignorance Of the facts that his
experience differs much from that OF other persons
Did the reporters understand him rightly. or is this
one of tho many puzzles which the discussion now
going about our export trado Is furnishing every
dayf
Your correspondent is perfectly right. think. when
he alrms in contradiction 10 Mr.. Coombs's assertion
that It Is easy matter for manufacturers 10 get
the BEST Of their European vas In the foreign markets
To DO suro. In American sDecialtes" our manu-
facurs stand unrivaed but rs ability TO compete
with tho foreigners 70 be determined BY what We do
or can do in things In which nobody seriously con-
templates competition with usl Yet even in such
things to cite only instance. not fact that
Vienna furniture II sold in our markets, suppose
with profit, In spite Of the duty 1t pays' Have VII
or have we not the greatest possible facilities 10
manufacture furnftirei Again. how do we comree
abroad with the foreigneT in cotton Roodsi How
much OF the largo trade IN prints and In white goods
DO tbs English allow US to do in Spanish American
Gan We have better facilities for the manufacture Of
cotton goods, Further how long have the English
allowed US to control the trade which building
UP In some kinds Of hardware with Australia Are
We lacking facilities for this manufacturer On the
- a.
find 1t very easy to introduce hardware. superior
as II H. 10 the Argentine Republic. and may even
add, IN almost all Spanish Americsf Such facts seem
to me TO indicate that competition in the foreign
markets with the Europeans IS easy task. In fact,
We know that Il Is not. and the sooner our manu-
facturers come to the fullest possible realization Of
the better It WIN be for them II they increase
their foreign rado thoy must get ready TO tight for
will not como at their nero bidding. and It IS well
they should b aware Of the fact
As an evidence that our foreign trade Is not
making progress a. fast as Il is believed, ! refer
tho reader 70 the following figures. representing the
s.Ss; 90 S
esS zig SO See a: ssS
sS5 . % $SS
seI2l .ooo Sl,9s00Oo, s2,3So. 900; carrages-sl,-
clocks and parsHsi 500 oo6 si,iiS GOO, 81 $4,000,
81 l23 600 musical insrruroents$041 400 Ss7l 400
1881 500 zoos 800; soapse97 900, sss3,ooo. ss47-
DO these comparative statistics Indicate much
progess' DO they indicate that We arc driving
away competitors fIom tho foreign markets. In somo
cases, It seems me. thsy show that not
holding ground. At all ovonts, fail TO see tn
tbem any cause for exultauon on the contrary, con-
siderfg how rapidly our manufacturing Industries
are expanding. the paueity of the exports is serious
and alarming fact.
Your correspondent, think, Is also very tho
truth when he asserts that the decadence and ruin Of
shipping engaged In tho foreign trade cannot be
attributed to the lack Of return freigrs The figures
he owes In support OF his assertion are. however,,
erroneous: they are not large enough by good deal
He that We import from Spanish America. Brazil
and tho West Indies about sixty millions than
We export to them; II he had said about one hundred
millions no would have been nearer the correct amount
for such Is tho difference between what We send 10
and what got from those countries. He could
have added further to strengthen his position that
We also-Jmport from Asia and Occanica some forty
FIVE millions Of dollars moro than we export 10 them
10 would be. therefore. somewhat difficult 70 provo
that for want Of return cargoes shipping In the
+. G. PIERRA
No. 20 wslLst. Ncw-York, June 10. 1852