The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-11-07

there lS no line of trade in which com
petition is so close. In every county in
the United States where agricultural i'm
plements are sold each manufacturer has
an agent, who sells only one makers
goods, and upon the number of his sales
depends his profits. He crowds the
trade as much as it will bear and some
times more than it Will bear, while the
manufacturer is protected to some extent
| by his patent, and thereby has limit
ed monopoly, this fact does not enable
any one to ignore his competitors and
make prices Independently of theirs.
! While one farmer thinks the Woods
mower better than any other, his neigh
Dor thinks another make is better: vet
| each would yield his opinion if the prices
differed materially, inasmuch as the
actual difference is slight. The condit-
ions OF the trade, as before suggested,
necessiate greater gross profit from the
home trade, than if the trade were con-
Quoted on cash basis. If therefore the
manufacturer can ship his goods into a
foreign market, market upon which he
does not usually depend, and dispose of
them at any profit at all for cash, what
ever profit he makes is clear gain and his
home market is not affected by the
sales.
Should a consumer from the northern
coast of California come into the Port
land market to buy a bill of goods and
make known his residence, and the fact
that the goods were to be used there, he
would be able to buy to better advan-
tage for cash than would regular cus-
toner from The Dalles. He would be
from point outside the usual trade of
the Portland merchant, and if any profit
at all was made it would be clear gain !
whereas, goods sold at the same rates
within the territory usually supplied by
the Portland merchant would simply |
dlsorganize his market and render it |
impossible to maintain his trade in the |
future with other merchants. 1t he |
could cut into the trade of the San Fran |
cisco merchant by reduced prices he |
would not be doing his trade any harm, /
but on the other hand, would be making
a small profit and opening new market |
and encouraging a new trade. And SO
it is that the Walter A. Woods manu-
featuring company can afford to sell
machines in Australia or South America |
at less profit than at home. They
could and would do the same thing
under tariff for revenue only, OF free
trade. The price at home is scarcely
affected by the protecting tariff, but the
home market is protected from the in
cursions of foreign manufactures such as
the home manufacturer is enabled to
make in the foreign market. Under
Iree trade the foreign manufacturer,
after supplying his home market would
lump his surplus in here and sell it at
ess profit than what he could afford to
10 business at home for, and if he made
| profit, however so small, it would be
lear gain and no resulting disadvan-
ages.
Fourthly, it is probably true that
American manufacturers have sold
,oods, particularly farm machinery, in
oreign markets for actual cost delivered |
here. Trade in this class of goods is .
periodical only, and goods made today
nust be carried until the next season.
n the meantime the trade is absolutely !
It rest; his capital is tied up and he '
tands in danger of having his goods be-
ONE unsaleable by reason of improve
nents in the same class of goods made
y other manufacturers. New patents
re constantly being taken out and new !,
improvements being made. If, there =
ore, he errs in judgment as to what the
emand will be for his goods when the
ext season comes around he may have 2
large stock which cannot be sold in T
he home market at such profit as will s
nable him to continue in business. To d
orce the sales here by selling at cost e
Iould ruin his trade for future years; v
e therefore does the only business like t
hing he can do; unloads in the foreign p
larket, the market heretofore supplied fl
v European manufactures; sells his Il
oods for actual cost, gets his money out g,
them and is then prepared to make W
goods for his home market for ii
ne next season. Under free trade he s,
-ould do the same thing under the same e
circumstances, and SO would the Eng b
shman, the Frenchman and every Il
ther man who had more goods than he t,
'anted to carry. a