Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14
FAVOR AMERICAN WHEEL s
Consul General de Rays Report on Bicycle
in Berlin.
boycott Fails to Limit Sales of The
Light, Durable and snapery
American Article

consul General de Kay. representative
VI th's country at Berlin, has made a re-
port 10 the State Department in regard to
oicycies IN Germany, in which he says:
me wide difference that exists between
the DUTY on American bicycles entering
germany and that on German BICYCLES on
terlng the United States continues to give
grave concern to the makers of native
"heeis. The boycott lad by the editors
VI sporting papers on advertisements and
hotlces OF American wheels has proved en-
ufeiy lnerectual. On the contrary an
pearahces support the conclusion that tbis
boycott has produced an increase of non.
uiar favor for American machines. To all
appearances buyers here have argued that
such boycott proves that the German
h1a goes not fabricate as light, dura-
ple ana shapely an article as the ameri
can, since the boycott is In nature Of a
native maker h VI Tic
american manufacturers who have
TAKEN need to the urgent advice from vari-
GUS consular officers in Germany to send
ovei Herman-speaking agents. can not com
pam OF failure to secure orders. whenever
~ Ie1s nave Deen represented by able agents.
II can believe the statements of q n,Irnher
OF these agents who have; visited the Fer.
., once, their business trips have had
prlillant results. And in part corrohora-
,,oh OF their statements 1t appears that
American cycles have arrived In very 1arao
quantities in Hamburg. Some Of hose q 90
LOT immediate distribution. but The rect
according to the papers, for storage at
.nat point until the chosen moment for
seillng them arrives.
stage of Exasperntion.
Inc reason for this quantity of orr
machines just now at Hamburg is not for
TO seek 1t springs from the same reaso,
as the boycott against advertisements in
GERMAN papers. The German manufac.
turers nave reached stage of exaspera-
tion at which their represent lions to gov
erhment may possibly result in customs
regulations to the detriment OF our wheels
Iney say with truth, that ;hefr wheels
are subject to very high duty on enter
Ing na the United States, while our wheels
pay very small rate, varying from 2 tn
marks al cents to $1.60. according tn
IN, Inc materials and weight of the machine
Inc least they will be content with Is a
o oaay o., OF 90 marks (s11.9o) on each Ameri-
rise In duty that American machines have
peen accumulated at Hamburg. lust as
vast quantities of German goods of ali
sorts nave been accumulated in New York
inS raNan une passage OF the bill for provid-
ing revenues now before Congress
The Bochumer Zeitung remarks
s.at SINCE the new American tariff will
nave TO be met in Germany by duties levied
states the raising of dutv an fore;gn hi.
cycles must be one of the first concerns nr
government. VI
quality Very Superior.
caii attention to the fact that good
american wheels retail for from 400 to $50
liiarhs (>So.2O to $lO7.1O, so that their quail
f'y niCst De very superior if they can make
any headWay In the German home market
against German wheels selling at from
A' ~ 10 80 marks s40:4e to s547H.
that t ~ no. because they are foreign wheels
...al ohey sell rapidly at the highest prices.
out because they are the strongest, light
est, soundest and most elegant in shane.
a-aG a nave quite taken the field from Bel
gran, austrian and British wheels / would
further say that large concessions coujd hs
lldoe win safety to the Germans in the
way OF lower duties on German-made BIZ
s sS les, because the German public is now
Wneels that We hold the market and will
continue to hold it as long. as our wheel
makers Keep to their high standard of
M morn; concession made lin the tariff ex-
pressly to meet the protest of German
manufacturers may prove, useful in this
way: II may prevent a violent perver-
SION SION OF some customs regulation, the OBJ
G Hre 81 "n.cn perversion weuld be to levy.
aairectiy or indirectly, a large, duty on
American Wheels
Consul Monaghan foContirms.
Consul Monaghan sends from Chemnftz
q report giving substantially the same
Facts as those mentioned by Consul Gen.
eral de Kay. The consul adds that while
United Stetes bicycles are much superior
10 those made In Germany, he thinks that
the Inevitable tariff legislation will pre-
vent permanent trade. 1t is not neces-
sary to await the action of large legislative
bodies In Gernany-the bundesrath and the
emperor can inaugurate and pass measures
that VIII seriously obstruct the import of
wheels. He says that the 500 wheels from
the United States will not sell except on
Is ZOE wheels costing from $50 to $50. 1t
Is diHcult to sell those costing from $75
upward. One of the drawbacks to the
skillful workmen get paris and put them
together With little rent and few taxes to
pay. these men sre able to sell from to
~ per cent cheaper than the large manu-