San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-23
JAPaNs WONDERFUL PRODUCTS
We See None of Them, Neither Tea
Silks Porcelain Nor To-
DacCO.
Toxic Letter in Philadelphia Press.

Toxic Letter in Philadelphia Press.
There is at present an earnest effor
being made by Japanese munufactu
rers to encourage and establish 8
direct trade between themselves and
dealers III the United States. II such
a thing eau be accomplished, and
there IS no valid reason why it should
not, Japsns trade America, both i'm.
port and export. will be increased by
MANY millions of dollars annually
but more than this, the people OF
America will for the first time have
the opportunity of Judging the merits
of representative industries of this far
away country.
The majority OF Americans have an
idea, no doubt that q part from tea
and silk, Japanese merely manufac-
ture pretty curios, paper fans, break
able tea. trays and flimsy screens
all artistic, but in no wise durable.
These Japanese are however, ty no
means represen tative japanese indus
tries, but are for the most part manu-
featured merely for export, and their
use would be derived here. The
reason for the demand for these film
sy articles is due to the fact that
"a Incl lCduS olO hoi"hS Va
the eXistapce of q better class of goods
and also because Of the system of agen-
cies which now exists, that would so
increase the price of reputable goods
as to render them unstable.
1t is for this reason that Americans
when slipping tea that comes from
Japan, and imagine because it caused
them 81 a pound that it is good, are
in reality drinking an infusion OF an
artificially colored article, costing
about l2 sen Cents pound, and
which would be regarded as almost
unfit for use here. IT is for this rea-
son also that the lacquer trays you
get over there crack and get tarpIsh-
ed so soon look battered and the
gold embroidery looks tawdry.
The majority of Japanese goods
bought ny the American purchaser are
procured as follows: The munufactu
rer cells to some Japanese commission
house, this firm sells to the Ameri-
can commission dealer in one of The
treaty ports. He sells to some COM
mission house in America. They
sell to the wholesaler. He sells to
the retailer, and the ultimate buyer
gets the goods plus lin most instau-
ces) 80 to 100 per cent commission.
Naturally superior articles, costing
AN honest figure, would be beyond
the price of even the liberal Ameri-
can purses when increased at this
rate.
The Japanese merchants are begin
ming to realize that they are not fairly
represented in America, and are al
ready anxiously looking forward for
a speedy remedy. The commission
dealers in the treaty ports are equal
" anxious that the native mdnufac-
tnrers shall he entirely ignorant OF
the American system of business.
. But the change will soon come, for
the Japanese way of doing business
has been remndeled, and is now prac-
tically the same as the American.
Evan some Of their banks have sgen
cies in America, notably the Yoke
hama Specie Bank, in New York
Ia this way drafts can be drawn,
credits established and the standing
of firms ascertained without difficulty
Let us for moment consider the
Improvement such q direct trade
would make in the American supply
alone.
In the first place you would get
true Japanese tea from certain districts
and not an agglommeration Of all
kind under fancy names scOrched to
death and colored with Prussian blue
c~d aoanstona to make it green
Then the texture and patterns Of silks
naue for nome use are infinitely
more beautiful and OF better quality
than the majority of the stock impor-
ted.
A store window full of these dainty
goods would create fGror among
the fair shoppers of Chestnut street.
The finer grades of porcelain are
really cheap, and could be sold in
Philadelphia at prices tar less than
French or English porcelains, while
in some respects their beauty is great
or. Good Japanese laquer will OIL
crack a peel off, neither does IL loose
its brilliaucv. but it will stand boil
ing water and the hardest wear with
ouv injury. Little if any of ii is seer
outside of the brio brac stores il
America, while here 1t is put to al
most every conceivable use.
Among the Japanese goods tina
are practically unknown to Ameri
Gals, anu yeG tila1 woulu nooV WIN
ready sale, are Wallpapers, especially
the so called ivory embossed wall-pa
DER, which can be scrubbed with soal
and water: their fine stationary, in
Guiding the most delicate linen ant
parchment papers-some exqulsitel.
decorated; Japanese cotton goods
which are artistic and durable; diver
household wonderfully
cheap and very useful; tobacco, tn
better brands of which surpass Tur
kish tobacco in delicate flavor AM
so aroma; cigarettes of the same to
bacco and packed in artistic pack
ages-truly delightful smoke-ant
: Il