The evening times., 1898-09-24
TIMEPIECEs IN The EAST.
Consular Reports ON Clocks and
Watches at Alden and Cape Town.

Consular Reports ON Clocks and
Watches at Alden and Cape Town.
The following extracts are taken from
letters from the American consular Off
GERS at Alden and Cape Town. in answer
to inquiries made by an American watch
case company, concerning the watch and
clock trade in Arabia and South Africa:
Consul Cunningham, of Aden. says;
There is no firm in Arabia watch han
dies watches on a large scale, and there
are no regular watch dealers in Aden-
The trade is carried on by the general eX-
porting and importing merchants There
were only 4S9 clocks and watches import
ed during the year ending March Il. lo9l-
of this number 1l9 were from the United
States. What percentage of th5Se are
watches / was not able 10 ascertain; but
l should suppose at least % per cent OF
the entire importation would be clocks
There is no duty on this class of imports
Il am not able TO furnish any catalogues
or circulars pertaining TO the watch trade
in Arabia. nor do I think there are any 10
be had.
The kinds of watches and clocks which
are sold here are of 4 cheap grade, none
of which would likely retail in America
for more than S. or $40. and there Is no
reason why the United States should not
clock trade than ii does. as i am told the
American goods always give satisfaction
There is no commercial agency in Ara
bia similar 10 Duns for obtaining re.ta-
BILE information regarding the responsible
ity of merchants in Alden, and the proper
way to ascertain this information would
be for the American merchant, through
his local bank. 10 make inquiries of the
National Bank of India here: or. time
may usually be saved Dy having the in
quiry made direct TO the National Bank Of
India home office in London. England.
where ratings are regularly forwarded by
their branch here. But this inquiry must
always come through the local bank
Consul General Stowe. Of cape Town.
says:
..There is no such publication in Africa
as Dun's or Bradstreet's. and the only in
formation to be obtained with regard to
the responsibility of dealers must come
through the banks. The export commits
sion houses of the United States. which
have for so long been doing business with
the South African merchants. are better
able than any one else to speak Of their
reliability.
While there are merchants who deal eX-
clusively in jewelry and sell watches and
clocks. these articles are also sold by some
merchants who conduct a general busi-
ness The duty upon watches and clocks
is 9 per cent ad valorem- No catalogues
issued by dealers are to be found
Both the very cheap and the very best
makes of watches and clocks are on safe.
They have been introduced by export
commission houses of the United States
and statesmen sent by the manufacturers.
| The total declared value of watches and
watch cases imported into South Africa
during 1879 was $237. .256-7S- The countries
| from which they were received, in the or
| der of the quantity imported were: The
| United Kingdom, United States. Germa-
nv. France Belgium and Holland. The
imports from the United States amounted
| To $S1. $3.50. No separate record for
| watches and watch cases is kept by the
custom-house authorities