The herald., 1896-11-12
J. c. harvey's Address Before
the Merchants Association
MANY NEW MEMBERS JOIN
The Home Products Exhibition Making
Encouraging Roadway
Applications for Space From San Fran
cisco, Sacramento, Cincinnati and
Other Distant Points.

chants and Manufacturers association
held an interesting session on Monday.
New members were elected as folloWS.
Essen & Hunt, Spreckels Bros CONNER
cial company ,Arian Putnam, Z. Gordan,
T. Frank McGrath, Buffalo Wooden COM
papy and Emanuel Elsner.
The executive committee of the home
products exhibition reports encourage
ing progress. Applications for space
have come in from many distant points,
including several from San Francisco
and Sacramento. Two firms in Cincin-
natl, one representing electric dynamos
and motors, and another engaged IN
building elevators, have made inquiries
with a view to introducing their wares,
but it is the fixed purpose of the mana
gers to confine the exhibit to California
| productions.
| That a strong sentiment in favor of
| home products now prevails is mani
| Tested in various ways. Some one re-
marked the other day that the Los An
geles Towel company was using eastern
| soap. The proprietor was taken to TASK
and denied the soft impeachment in en-
| phatic terms. He was proud to say that
| in the seven years of his firm existence
goods from abroad; even his delivery
| wagon was built right here in the city.
| After the transaction of the uSual
| routine business the board ADJOURNED
from the committee room to the main
' hall, where number of prominent mer-
| chants had assembled to hear an ad-
dress on Our Trade With Mexico, by }.
c. Harvey, until recently the Los An
| geles agent of the Standard Oil company.
| Mr.. Harvey contemplates engaging in
coffee culture on the lower coast. and
has made thorough study of the trade
| conditions in Mexico ana Guatemala.
| He spoke as follows:
The great industrial activity which
has prevailed in Mexico for the last ten
years is undoubtedly the result or eX-
tensive railroad development coupled
with the great sagacity that has charac-
terized the administration of Porfrlo
Diaz the president of that republic. The
national debt has been most advanta-
geously refunded, foreign obligations
| have been met promptly, and, in Drlef,
ii may be said without qualification that
the finances of the sister republic are
on thoroughly sound and gratifying
basis So, with her enormous undevel-
| oped resources, it is not strange that
| American capital has here found a safe
and profitable field for investment. and
| we may surely expect that the future
development will increase in due pro-
portion. Owing to the geographical po-
sition of the country. we are naturally
led to wonder why the great bulk of
trade relations has laid so largely with
European countries and not with us
at least in the past. The answer has
been, cheaper initial cost of articles,
lower freight rates, an indisposition on
the part of our manufacturers to con-
form to the tastes and wants of the
people, while quite the reverse has been
the case with European houses. Hap
PLY the conditions are materially chang
ed, and now we find a considerable in
crease in the consumption of American
food products as well as manufactured
articles. I take it this is what most
concerns us. and 1 shall therefore call
your attention to some data, commence
ing with vehicles, such as carriages of
!, all classes.
II can be stated that they are now
supplied almost exclusively from the
United States. The tariff is rather high
when they are shipped into the country
, ready for use, but if they are implanted
or. as it is termed, in the white, one -ha If
the regular tariff only is exacted. Amer
lean drugs of late years have met with
much sale. Also American preparations
and proprietary medicines are on sale
in most establishments Sulphate of
quinine is now very lightly taxed, and
much of it is sent from the United States
Cocoanut soap is also received in con-
siderable quantity from the United
States and bears a low duty, and may
add is largely used for toilet purposes
DiSinfectantS. hide poisons and sheer
, dips are on the free list and are largely
used. Hops are also on the free list
. Condensed milk from this country has
an increasing sale. Crackers. especial
, ~ sweet and fancies, have large sale
Potatoes. onions and apples are received
almost exclusively from the United
q n f,r nj Il Z
j., , GRATED fruits is also good and under some
. proper plan of Introduction can be enor.
mously increased as the duty is light
, Certain grades of American grocerie.
are also in demand. while all sorts of pot
ted meats are much used, American
: brands being fairly abreast of Euro
, pean packing.
y AS regards hardware, etc. shelf good.
are imported into the country both from
, Europe and the United States; likewise
cut, wrought and wire nails; axes hoes
: shovels. picks and mattocks almost ex
a clusively from the United States: also
! | fair proportion of iron and steel 1,
bars and bolts and steel and iron plate
h Both heating and cooking stoves com,
g exclusively from this country. In short
\ the demand for hardware lines of Amer
a lean manufacture is steadily increas
ing. Arms, shovels, picks and hoy,
=, are on the free list.
!. With the great increase of the cattl
f business in Mexico large quantities O
a | barbed wire are used, all of which is sen
e from here Leather and rubber beltin
g when imported with machinery as
t component part thereof is on the fire.
v list. AS regards wine and liquors. lit
tie whisky Is imported, except to fol
v low i'm the wake of American enterprise
o and the sale increases in about an eve
e ratio with immigration. Pure Calforni
e wines are,however, sure of large sal
e if properly introduced
s Machinery of all kinds, whether NOV
n ed by steam water, electricity or anime
: power Is free of all customs duties: dc
tached portions of machinery for re
pairs or additions are also free. Agrj
cultural implement are also free. Dur
% ing the past few years American sta
:, tionery lines have come into use and tn
consumption is likely to increase Target,
a as very little paper Is manufactured /
\ the republic.
Il 1t should be borne in mind that TIL
i largest portion of the federal reve
I nue. Is derived from duties on import
e which are all paid by the importin
l. houses of the country. The tariff is ratf
v err complicated and needs to be well stud
led by those contemplating business re
lations with Mexican houses. Consula
', invoices are generally written in Spar
l. ish though English is permissible. Ow
r ing to many conditions existing in Mex
co commercial failures are extremel
I-rare, as the laws of the country in sue