New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-08

secure only which is pure article above
sweetmcnts wasted This is a typical illustration of
the American lack of adaptabillty in dealing with
this market. There is also 4 similar ia lure on the
part OF American commission merchants IN Bra
ri 10 accommodate themselves TO the crOtchcts
and sinuositlcS of the Portuguese merchants with
whom they come in contact They consider them
deficient IN mercantile honor and are not careful
TO conceal their opinions. These merchants may
often he trlcksters and knaVcs. hut il does not
help matters nor tend TO promote the interests
OF American trade to characterize their bad traits
too openly and freely.
These observations apply with much less force
TO the conditions of American trade with Para
than elsewhere in Brazil iHIrf1tiLabe the
English and Germans have been in their efforts
10 control and direct the commerce of the Amazon
Valley. they have met with sharp and successful
competition during the last ten years from Amer
leans. X +. Sears, of Newly orl, has shown signal
ablntN ana enterprise IN developing not only the
rubber export trade. but a lso the importation of
American goods. There have been years when
he has exported more than onc.half of the rubber
product of the valley and consigned to the United
States thrcc-iithS of the supply. At the same
time he has largely promoted the importation
of American brcadstuiiS. calcocS, drilling, kcro-
Senc, hardware, machinery. lard, canned goods
and other classes of merchandise Iiy his energy
and skill he has largely counteraccd the adj
NantagcS derived 10y the English and Germans
from superior resources of capital. by which they
were enabled to multiply transit facilities in
inland navigation and 10 bring remote towns and
villages within reaching distance from Para. II
American interests were rs iutcligcntlN directed
at Pcrnambuco and Rio as al Para a very dincr
cnt exhibit of the export trade with Brazil would
be made. The development of that trade here
is an earnest of what may be accomplished in the
near future when American merchants and manu-
acturcrs direct their energies +" success ul com
petition with Europeans for the control of the
Brazilian market
Not only have the English accommodated them
selves To the requirements of law 10y furnishing
hotlla Of steamers 10 hc run ON the Amazon
under the Brazilian fla. thus providing low
frci2hs for the rivers as wei as for the ocean
but they have also established banks or banking
agencies in Para. 10y which drafts are constantly
cashcd against merchandise. This financial SNs-
TEN is found in nearly all the leading cities Of
south America. There are banks IN London
Hamburg Paris. Rome and other European cities
which, with their agencies IN every pppulous quar-
Ter of South America. are always ready 10 carry
accounts Of three, sin or twelve months and 10
cash drafts against car4ocs going IN either d-
rection. Thi, system has been of the greatest
value i'm developing trade. and Americans. if they
aim TO compete IN earnest for the import business
OF Brazil must provide banking facilities of equal
efficiency Con>ult,cucral Sutton. i'm one Of his
reports Ia the International congress M W wash
ington. recommends the establishment "' bank
ne Institutions in NcW\ ork and other American
cities. with correspondents or branches IN ~"
principal centres of population in South America
For example he would plant "A bank IN NcW.l 0rk
with q caWtal of - 5000. 400. and open branches
IN Para and every other centre o. American IL IN
the south. asked one OF the American merchants
here what he thought of these recommendations,
and after rcadm. Mr. sutton report he cN-
pressed hearty approval of H. Why. he sud.
" that l. what have been advocating ever
since ! went into business here. American bank
ing facilities are indispensable II there Is 10 lr
any extension of American trade ON 20 large scale.
Inc national banks ln Para are embarrassed ana
unsound. Business is done mainly through
ENGLISH and German banking houses. Ih" same
conditions prevail in other cities Of fra/iL IN
import ing from that country Sj3, ,1o.23l of mcr-
chaudisc as Americans dad IN lNNN, they were
virtually paying 10 English or 6cindu hAhhclN
"a discount ranging from IL 10 ? per cent N
the same time "a large share of the lrclehis both
100 the import and export trade, between BiHl
and the ultcd States went I" foreigners, since
the single line of American steamers lacked ia
elites for handling the business and for compel
Ing with tramp iIcl-hlcrs Nm lnclcas" IN lhc
number and efficiency OF steamship lines ana the
establishment Of banking agencies. with facilities
for extending credit on goods sold VIII IhcNII''N
tend 10 build mp American commerce ana I" pro
mote monetary exchange.
The American export trade with Brazil has
declined because European maritime nations have
been looking after their Interests IN ltl quarter
while our people absorbed IN their own domestic
business, have surrcndrrcd lhrT snare "I "
commerce that rieutUlly belongs to them. Amer
leans can regain their lost ground bN applying /"
brazilian trade the same principles OF enterprise
Intelligence and organization which they cippI"N
In tine active competition for the business ni 'h'l
own market Ihct must do whai Tie Eu2lls ana
Germans are doing IN South America. Ihc\ InuS'
find nut what is wanted in that market and then
supply H. They must make cheap ana inferior
Goods If thc Portuguese merchants cal Tor them,
They must stand ready - furnish their commercial
oocuts with capiial for extending trade IN the
interior They must provide frequent halI com
,,'-.I...,f ION, and cheaper and faster ocean
frcieltS aud they must establish adequate "'nN
iug facilities for the Transaction Z" ,'Is NI "'i
system of long credits. They must compete WIN
EuropcauS for supremacy ~ N"uth America
with the same inhcNibc determination ana m
firing energy with wmch lnN ,"hPW WI"
Americans for the control OF the nome market
II * American commercial energy that Is now
lacking. aud must be s"Ppllcu. ,,..iLo g. Pr,
Willie these reflections are "pplicapc 10 I"It
AZ well as 10 other South American centres "I
commerce n Is perhaps necessary ~ add ild' III
fine Valley Of the Amazon oNcT'iauhG mas pcc1
carried OH 10 such IN excess uuIHlI nrh, Nt"r'
as TO cN haust the financial resources 81 me n'il.
A. tLo situation is described to me ny Icsldcila
here there is perhaps no quarter o. hIaIIi MnriI I
0rcatrr caution is nee ed IN extending 'itIls an"
developing new enterprises IMAM 'i' F"sl Icsr"n
~ ,rIi.b para is the commercial centre. lhe
merchants and rubbcr-farmcrS oil 'hc interior ',T
80 heavily IN debt That nothing SHoIt "I -'iVI,t'
liam lati6n will free them from EMBELLISHMENTS
81 dcnlurablc las been their condition liidl an
ottcmpt has been made al RIO to luInlsh rieI
L,, LEGISLATION About S2j0OOO has been dls-
tribltcd nOminallN as a pupllc roam, an" J, -
49, ,octcd that This amount viii DE increased 10
~ 400 600 Even with this Government bounty
unnn ovcrtradiug and speculative ventures Ill me
mast the ,olNcncy Of the mcroahtllc com
p pa lao .im1Iou will moi be securely established
and i'm any partial process oi d'pi pawn NAV
NAV be attempted, the native merchants VII pc
likely 10 get what they can ana 'n' INTERESTS VI
,r,i.,rcrs will be- sacrificed. The Local dCIlhls-
ipati1n in Northern Brazil is described by AmcH-
can residents here with whom have ' taxed as
deplorably incompetent ana corrupt Ih'Ie -
~, a., celIcnt code Of laws but the magistrates are
,"o ignorant and too indolcnt TO interpret ana
a opU IL an couitablc principles The foreign
residents inevitably are drawn INTO h'S"'lon'
;,'nI,.iue intcruinahlc DELAYS and hafa'~inf an
,,oncne One of the results of the resolution
ragcry hoped for by foreigners ~ Para IS a
radicai reform Of local and judicial adminl3,ra-
ton.
CLERK TWONEY MAKES APPOINTMENTS
,r.....o,. ~ thn ROard q Alder