The evening times., 1897-02-16
OUR TRADE WITH COLOMBIA
Envoy Mckinney Says 1t Is Inex-
cusably insignificant.
IT is AMERICAS OWN FAULT
No Manufacturing Plants There and
Everything Imported From Eu-
rope = Am erican Business Men
strangely Supire n Noting the Co. =
ditions That Exclude Them.

| "Itis a singular fact, and one deeply TO be
deplored as well, that the people OF the
United States, and particularly our manu-
facturers, fail to appreciate the value and
profit OF building up large trade with the
| South American republics" said Hon.
Luther F Mckinney, envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary To the Repub-
| lie OF Colombia, to Times reporter today,
| in speaking OF the country where he has for
the past three and one-half years ably rep
resented the United States. Mr. Mckinney
has just recently returned from his post OF
| duty, having been stationed at Bogota, the
pltal OF Colombia, during the present aG-
ninistration. He is weILremcmbered in
Washington, having served as a Represent
| atiye in the Fifty-second Congress from one
OF the New Hampshire districts, and was
later the Democratic candidate for governor
ofthat State. Mr.. Mckinney has given spe-
| ciaI attention to the study OF the matter OF
our trade with Colombia and other South
American countries, and being in a posi-
ton to acquire inside facts his conclusions
are OF especial interest. During his close
observations for the past three years he
has obtained much knowledge which should
be invaluable TO our manufacturers and
tTadesmen.
Colombia is the nearest Of all the South
American countries 20 the United States
continued Mr.. Mckinney. We are seven
days by the present slow line from New
York TO the port OF Colombia, while Liver
pool is fifteen days away and Germany
eighteen days distant. Yet, with this
advantage in our favor, we have practi-
cally no trade with the country, its entire
imports coming from Europe, principally
from England and Germany. There are
no manufacturing plants in Colombia, and
consequently all its manufactured articles
are imported. There are B 900 900 peo-
pie in the republic, and the United States
has practically no trade with the coun-
try. The reason is because our manufac-
turers do not make any effort 70 supply the
kind OF goods which the people want,
while the English and German manufac-
turers have their agents Constantly there,
cultivating the tastes OF the inhabitants and
catering to their needs. They sell goods
and report 70 their houses, and the articles
are made in accordance with their wishes,
not as to style, but also quantity.
for that is largely worn except in the
mountain regions whereth climate is cold,
in eighteen, twenty -.our AMI thirty yard
lots United states manufacturers place
their goods N forty five yard pieces, and
consequently they cannot be sold in those
countries Again, the tariff duties in
Colombia are fixed, not according to
the value OF the goods. but with regard
a. -.
American manufacturers take no pains
TO snip their articles in lightweight
boxes. while the English manufacturer
and the German will wrap his goods in a
waterproof covering and coarse bagging,
and pays duty on little else than the
real goods themselves. The United States
products often come in heavy pine boxes,
and il very often happens that forty
pounds OF goods will be encased in a box
twice that weight, and the result is a
threefold duty must be paid Further,
there are few railroads in the country
and goods can only be conveyed TO the
interior regions on the backs Of pack
mules. One animal will carry ESQ pounds,
but it must be in two packages so as
to be placed upon his back so that he can
carry it.
American goods often come in 800
pound boxes. Il third Of which may per-
haps be in the pine boards OF the box.
Then it is necessary to uncase the goods
and repack them. In the rainy seasons
they get wet, are damaged, and the loss is
often large On the other hand, Euro
pean manufacturers send their goods in
125-poUnd packages, tightly wrapped, with
light coverings and waterproof, and in
condition To be placed upon the merchants
shelves All of this accrUes TO the credit
OF the European manufacturer, and as a
consequence he gets the trade, while our
people fail to cater to their wants. and our
trade amounts to nothing. What is true
of Colombia is equally true Of other South
American countries, while as a matter OF
fact they would much prefer to deal with
us for many reasons, principally because
we make better class of goods.
Another cause for our failure to get
the trade Is the fact that the merchants
of Colombia want six months credit,
which we refuse, while the same is readily
granted by foreigners. During my stay
in Bogota, a city Of 125. 900 inhabitants.
there has not been one failure OF large
merchant, and they contract no debts
W hich they are not able to meet. so
that goods can be sold to them with no
fears of a loss. There is no possible
reason W hyAnIerican manufacturers, with
all our facilities, Improvements and advan-
tages, should not in a short time absolutely
monopoliZe the entire trade of not only
Colombia, but all of the South American
republics, il our manufacturers would SIM
ply cater to the desires of the people who
want to buy, furnish the kinds they want
in the style they wish, and pack the goods
according to instructions, and allow time
as is done by their European competitors.
For the past thirty years we have followed
the policy of protection and the home
market, and have paid no attention to
foreign trade The result is that our
plants run only seven or eight months dur
ing the year, and then the home market
is supplied, while if our trade with South
America were increased, those countries
could use our surplus output, and our mills
could run during the entire year, instead Of
shutting down and throwing thousands out
of employment. This would be doing far
more for the laboring people than can ever
he done by the policy of protection and the
home market
Another deplorable condition of affairs
is the fact that of the thousands of vessels
which entered the port of Colombia last
year, according to the report of the consul,
only three of them floated the American
flag. They are all English and German
vessels i am satisfied that we can man