The morning call., 1892-07-30
POSSIBILITIES OF TRADE.
A Matter That Is Worth the At
tentiOn of Our Merchants.
The Opportunities They Lose by Not Making
en- Effort TO Secure the Business OF
South American Cities.

South American Cities.
A gentleman of this city who has devoted
a great deal OF attention to The SUBJECT OF
trade and its possibilities on this coast said
to representative of THE CALL yester-
day; 1t would seem that in order for san
Francisco merchants TO increase their trade
they would have to use their utmost en-
beavers to increase the population in their
own legitimate territory and also seek new
felds in the foreign countries bordering
unou the Pacific Ocean. This latter trade
has been almost completely Ignored by the
merchants Of this city and as a consequence
has been gradually absorbed by English,
French and German manufacturers ana
merchants. A striking Illustration OF what
can be done in this direction has been fur
nished by the results achieved by Messrs.
Rix & Birrel, the youngest firm Of me-
chanical engineers and machinery dealers
Of this city One of the members OF this
firm some two years ago made an eX
tended visit through the Central and
South American republics with a view
Of intelligently exploring them and
from tile standpoint OF trade clearly
ascertaining their requirements. During
this visit he succeeded in introducing for
the first time in the history OF the west coast
drilling machinery, ami subsequently Sc
cured a contract for supplying the Govern
ment Of Chile, Of which the late Balmaceda
was then President, with a large amount of
mining machinery. Since then number
of shipments OF similar class have been
made to that country, aud also shipments
Of large pumping plants and mining ma
chinery to Guatemala, and this firm has just
shipped to Call3O Peru, the largest plant
ever manufactured in this country for q
r1 nrnh a m a n
factory. This latter shipment in all
amounted TO some 200 tons, consisting Of
Tefrigeratng machines, caldT0ns. steel d.
gesters. necessary steam kettles, cooling
tanks and stearlue presses, together with
all the umber, timber, hardware and tin
necessary for the successful operation of
the plant.
BIG PLANT.
The entire plant is capable Of turning
out $4,000 pounds Of lard and 100000
pounds OF sausage daily. Inasmuch
as lard is used in Peru in much the
same manner as we use butter in this c0un-
try and as they consume 3 much larger p0r-
ton per capita than we do il will be readily
seen that this is a very important Industry
in that country. TIE plant istcapable Of
handing and converting Into lard and
sausage 500 hogs per day. This plant is the
first one for manufacturing purposes of
American make ever introduced into
Western South America. In fact during
referred
found 10 bis travels through the REPUBLICS
of Bolivia, Ecuador. Peru and Chi le but
one representative Of an American house
| and that party represented a leading house
| IN Chicago. This hrm has In preparation
| specifications and dra wings for other bust
! ness 10 Peru and Chile of great magnitude.
| Throughout that country European meT-
| chants aud manufacturers control the
/ markets. The South Americans are greatly
| I'm favor Of the American type of machinery,
ic
| functions capable Of producing a larger
| amount of finished products with mini
| mum amount OF labor. The general de-
| signs OF our machinery are also much
Deater and more attractive than those Of
| European manufacture, and are In cOnse-
Quence more appreciated by those people.
IL Is most astonishing condition of affairs
that this firm was compelled TO ship their
r0ck-drlllng and air-cOmpresslng MACHINERY
TO Chile via Liverpool for the reason that
on this coast we have no through line OF
steamships touching SCI''h American ports.
/ Ia order TO ship TIE machinery for the lard
| production e.orEs II was necessary TO char
ter q essei, as the freight charged By
tho Pacific Mail Steamship Company
I was pTOhibtiye. This company wanted 10
charge freight rate averaging about SEQ
per ton. By chsrtering sal'ing vessel they
/ were enabled to ship IL at SO per ton. The
South American people would, as matter
of choice, prefer dealing with the American
| merch The opinion that their credit is
not good Is erroneous. As a rule they are
entirely Trustworthy and their terms of
purchase entirely satisfactory. 1t is almost
an inyariabe custom with those people TO
pay cash-that Is, from One-third 10 one
half cash with order and the balance on CO.
day drafts on London upon receipts Of bills
OF ladlhg-ana when SO requested they viii
| furnish guarantee for the payment Of
| these London drafts in the shape Of an in
| dorsement by the national banks CT their
country.
A EUROPEAN CUSTOM.
This mode Of collection is, however. rare
~ imposed upon these people By European
merchants, as they, as a rule, have repre-
sentatlves At these places, who are the
| Judges Oh the parties worthy OF credit
sad representative is invariably man IA
milaT %lth the people and their language:
| ne receives all orders and attends 10 coller
| tiOns upon receipt and acceptance of the
! goods. lhey are willing to meet the de.
mands OF American merchants for cash
| payment, though they are naturally q very
proud people, and are disposed 10 resent
| anythlng that has any tendency to question
their credit and integrity Ii would thus
| appear that our merchants are at present
| not adequately equipped to compete with
| European merchants for the trade on the
| west coast Of South America which
| should naturally come here II the in
| domltaole will. spirit and energy which
are Characteristic Of Chicago aud New
| 1ork were displayed here We would very
shortly hold the monopoly of all trade in
| mat section OF this hemisphere About the
nrst requisite would be a steamship line
from here to the leading ports on the west
| coast OF South America. A line Of this
klba could be made to pay large profits by
| seholnR from two 10 three steamers monthly
| we should then send statesmen through that
HHInIilofy, or, what would be better. esfah
W. AGENCIES at the principal points In
nnes,grn South America and Central
So h,eiiSai 1t Is absolutely necessary for
nose uOiuR business with these t-eo4Ia n
nave IN thelr employ some one who il thor.
ougHly conversant with the Spanjsh Ian
huage. Is u not an astonishing fact tb., q,
.he city OF San Francisco among Ali The
business houses there are less than one can
count on one hand who can speak the Ian
eusee OF the people so geographicallv close
70 tuem ana whose trade would bs in ali re-
speeis most satisfactory and pro6tsblaP II
requires no great amount Of argument To
| point out the moral OF this article. which IL
| Iof our manufacturers and merchants 20
| cease complaining so much about dull bust
| ness ana business that does not come tn
tnem and adopt the PRINCIPLES of all great
manufacturing and commercial centers and
Dy enterprise and energy meet competition
successfully, push and sell their products.
4
| Bidleman's Financierinp
LIE expert who has been tracing nm da