The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-01
LAX in THEIR METHODS
SOME AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS
ACCUSED OF NEGLECT.
Orders from England Not Filled Ac-
cOrding to Samples, and Insufficient
Stamps Put ON Letters.

NEW YORK, Sept. sO.--A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The con-
sular offices of the United States continue
to warn manufacturers and shippers of the
penalties they must pay for neglect or re-
fusal to cater to foreign tastes and de-
mands. In these dispatches recently it was
shown that Canadian manufacturers of fur
niture have built up paying trade in Eng
land at the expense of the manufacturers
of the United States. simply because the lat
ter were not willing to conform to English
tastes and preJudices, but insisted on trying
to educate their foreign customers to prefer
the American styles. Now comes Consul
Halstead of Birmingham, with other warm
ings, which may or may not be needed
According to his report some American
shippers are lax in business methods, as
we'll as obstinate in their determination to
cram their own tastes and notions down
the English market. Among other things,
he says, under date of Aug. 16: THE jewelry
and fancy goods manufacturers of Great
Britain make articles on 'forty-line scale
In measures for the common metals and ar
ticles, line is one twelfth of an inch, butt
in the fancy trade a line is one-fortieth of
an inch. To-day a declaration of re-
turned American goods was sworn before
me, meaning, of course a big loss to an
American manufacturer, and due to his fail
ure to make the goods in accordance with
the exact specification of the order. A Bir-
mingham manufacturer ordered from an
American manufacturers a lot of indie
structibe pearl giving measurement he
required in lines Not knowing what
lines meant to the fancy trade, the Amer
lean, without making inquiry, had recourse
to the metric system, and his goods are by
this time on the way back to him. Two
weeks ago $500 worth of fountain pens were
sent back to a manufactures in an interior
American city The Birmingham purchaser
said: They were without question better
pens that | ordered, but they are not like
the sample. l am not in the business OF
educating the public to new things, but sell
them what they want, and these goods go
"A few days ago was shown sixteen let
tiers from sixteen firms, all Well known IN
their line in America On twelve OF these
had only a two-cent stamp to carry Them
This meant that the Birmingham man who
wanted to buy from some OF these Amer
lean firms had to pay double the deficiency
in postage, and his frame OF mind and opin-
ion of American business methods can be
imagined Steamer mails mails rro fer the uheee
hours on Saturday, and If there is deficient
postage letters will not be delivered at no.
tells, ETC., until Monday, and the travelling
representative loses time waiting for home
instructions much Oftener than could be re-
allied by any one not aware how general IS
the failure of American firms to pay full
postage. One American house tells its
agent that deficiency of postage is a guar
antee that a letter will be delivered 10 the
right party, as no one else would pay the
postage penalty in order to get the letter.
If an English or a continental house sends
a telegram, letter always follows, even to
POINTS nearby containing copy of the
telegram Very few United States houses
do this, even with cablegrams and a failure
to deliver means loss of valuable time. If a
letter is sent to a foreign point, letter.
press copy follows by the next steamer as
Certainly as the second of exchange fol-
lows the first With bills of lading the Eu-
ropean house does not depend upon the trip
licate copy forwarded by the shipping
agent hut itself sends the duplicate copy to
tie consgnee, retaining the original. Amer
lean houses are constantly negecting this.
Reid up in foreign custom houses.