Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-13
NOT MANY TRADERS.
Pittsburg Business in South America
Confined to a Few Men.
MAINLY ENGINE AND OATMAKERS
There Never Was Much Trade, and it Has
Fallen Off in Ten Years.
THE CITY CAN'T BOAST OF ITS RECORD.

james Rees & Son, the engine and boat
builders Of this city, have just received an
order for two steamboat boilers and pump
to be shipped to Barranquilla, South Amer
lea, The firm began work upon the order
Yesterday, and will ship the product in
about six weeks.
'What does your trade amount to in a
wear. and what has Pittsburg done COM
mercially with South American countries
within the past ten years?" was asked Of
Captain Thomas Rees by a DISPATCH re-
porter.
'sThe trade is not as extensive as some
Pittsburgers imagine. 1 only know OF two
concerns in this city that have regular
trade in the South American countries.
These are H. Z. Porter & Co., the locomo-
tive builders, and ourselves. Up until
about four or five years ago our business In
this trade amounted to over 5000 per
month. This was in engines, boilers,
pumps, etc. Now the business does not
amount to more than $500 per month.
ENGLISH COMPETITION. -
The decrease was caused by too much
competition from English manufacturers,
who knocked US out through high transpor-
tation rates. The steamship rates from
New York are about four times the cost OF
sending the stuff from Pittsburg to New
York 6v rail. The transportation by sail
ing vessels is about one-tbird less than on
steamship lines. Notwithstanding this
cheaper rate. we cannot compete with the
ENGLISH on account of the difference in the
price of labor. The English manufacturers
have secured drawings of American work
and copied them. They have now got the
idea of light running steamboats,, and have,
in a measure. stolen this trade from US.
Another bad feature of the trade is that the
Southern merchants want long credits.
With some of them we have had TO wait
five wears before we received our money.
We could not stand this and had to quit it.
They generally pay up, however, in tour or
five months.
81 think the visit of the Pan-American
delegates to the city will be productive of
good results to the town. 1t will have
tendency to brace up the small trade be-
tween Pittsburg and South America, and 1t
will vet assume enormous proporuons Inc
commercial relations between the Southern
people and ourselves are very pleasant, and
the business only needs to be fostered. was
in South America for ten months, and put
in all nv time travelling from State 70
State. know what the people there think
of the Americans, and if Pittsburg manu-
factuts,x cannot build up a good trade now
If is their own fault. We have an agent in
BarrauouilIa, United States of Colombia,
and 1 am in hopes of receiving number OF
large orders from him."
HIS TRADE PERIODICAL.
h. Z. Porter, the locomotive builder,
when seen, said: "We have pretty good
trade with South American countries, but it
is periodical About four weeks ago we ex-
ported an engine to Central America, and
have had no orders since. While do not
think that the visit of the Pan-Americans
is going to throw direct bidders for
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of stuff into the city, l believe
that it will stimulate trade between
this city and the South American
States. One of the delegates sat in my othce,
and looking out on the river said: Those
are the kind OF boats we want on our South
American waters. He took particular
5ieasure 20 hunt up Mr.. Rees, and have a
long talk with him about steamboats,. This
is one way in which the city will be bene-
fued."
The Westinghouse Electric Company re-
Gently shipped a dynamo and other electri-
cal apparatus to Rio Janeiro, in Brazil.
They have erected a plant there, which is
now in operation. They have also a plant
running successfully in Havana. The air
brake and machine companies have also a
good trade in the South.