Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-07
IGNORANCE.
american Merchants Must Keep
Up With the Times
If They Want to Secure Latin
American Trade.

South and Central America to Learn
the Wants of the People-we Should
Do Likewise, as Our Goods Are Put Up
in an Unsatisfactory Manner.
WASHINGTON, Nov. There appears
to be but one thing in the way of the
successful introduction of our manufac-
lures and farm products in the Latin
American countries and that is the un-
wieldly and therefore unsatisfactory man.
ner in which we put up our goods. Most
of our manufacturers do not produce the
styles or forms desired by the people in
South or Central America, or should
they produce just what is wanted they
do not put it up in the proper form 1t
appears that the enterprising individual
in England, France, Germany and Bel
gium has sent agents into the countries
south of us, found out what is wanted
and in what shape it should be put up
for transportation, on muleback or other
wise, over the mountains of Central and
South America, and they are doing the
business at present.
should ~OIlow Their Example.
Realizing that the federal government
should take the initiative in the intro
duction of Jur products in South and
Central America, the proposition is seri-
Ously considered of sending agents there
and also to England, France, Germany
and Belgium, for the purpose OF first
ascertaining just what is wanted, and i'll
what form it should be shipped; of talk
ing to the wholesale and retail mer
chants and the consumers, and learning
all that is necessary to get orders for our
surplus; and to get from the manufac-
turers in the old countries named sam
pies of the goods they produce for ship
ment to South and Central America.
These are to be sent to this country and
placed ON exhibition at a point most
convenient TO producers, and have them
presided over by the agents who visited
the countries and who can tell the pro
ducers with whom to correspond to get
orders. This is getting right at the
practical point i'll the whole business.
1t means that common sense part OF the
business which business men themselves
would give time and money to have.
The first important thing for us to
know is, what do those people require,
and what will they take from us? This,
it is believed, can only be established or
answered by an actual canvass of their
wants and a sample of what they take
from other nations than our own. We
must be prepared to furnish what they
want and just as they want it, quality,
measurement and package to suit the
convenience of their trade. That we
can do this there is not the slightest
doubt, and the only way to do it is %
meet their requirements, which can only
be done by studying their customs and
needs and their prejudices. We must
take the desirable pattern and style of
dress goods and other fabrics for wear
ing apparel; boots, shoes, gentlemens
furnishing goods, ct. and to do tbs
we must have a specimen or. sample Of
the article which they now consume.
The styles and measurements and pat
terms differ materially from our own,
and the great trouble has been that our
manufacturers have not known just
what to make, and our merchants have
endeavored to force upon South and
Central America our own styles of goods.
1t therefore resolved itself into an effort
to introduce new styles of dress, manner
of living and ways of doing business,
and not a substitution of our products
for others of the same kind.
1t has been ascertained that our mer
chants in majority of instances have
had our goods refused in the new mar
kets, not because of their quality or
prices, but because they were not the de-
sired styles and were not put into the
proper form for convenient shipment or
sale.
How to Work 1t.
At first it was suggested that circular
letters from Secretary Blaine, directing |
or demanding the consuls from this
country in the various parts of Europe |
to seek the desired information and
secure the proper samples, would |
be sufficient. and the secre- |
tary has sent out such instructions,
making them explicit and the inst1uc-
tions for immediate and effective work |
strong, but now it is believed that spe- |
cial agents would do the work quicker
and better.
1t seems that our consuls consider in
structions of this character as the duty
of every citizen of our country, and it |
has been the experience of the state de-
partment as well as individuals that that |
which is everybody's is nobody's busi
ness. In any event the conditions of the
markets and the samples of goods that
can be sold abroad are to be procured
and placed at the disposal of our pro-
ducers together with true verbal state
ment of the conditions Of the markets
and an ascertainment of what kind Of a
exchange is possible. This is
getting reciprocity down to practical
,.,,,a L.