The times., 1898-07-21
THE REALM OF COMMERCE.
Americas Notable Advance i'm Pro-
Juctiye Industries.

| ing the years 1S96-1S97, presents. In con-
| junction with a review Of all commerce.
many striking evidences of the increasing
| popularity of American manufactures
| throughout the world These, according
| to an official summary, prepared by the
Chief of the Bureau of Foreign Com
merce, are especially in connection with
the interest of iron and steel, labor-saving
machinery and tools. boots and shoes,
leather, furniture bicycles, electrical sup
| plies, hardware and cutlery, locomotives
| cotton goods ETC. 1t is shown that, not
withstanding the enormous gain In ex-
port of agricultural products, amounting
to nearly 900 for the eight months
! ending February 2S. 1898. as compared
with the same period of the previous MS
/ cal year, the percentage of exports and
manufactures, compared with the total
| exports, show decline of but L52 per
cent. During the eight months of the MS
| cal year 1895 there was. in fact, an in
| crease in exports of manufactures
amounting to s6,474,245.
In the summary referred to it is men
toned that '.the secret of the steady ad-
vance of United States goods in popular
is to be found in their superior excellence
| at little, if any. difference of cost to the
consumer. The only thing lacking to en-
| hance their acceptability would seem to
be the special adaptation of styles and
patterns to the local requirements of
particular market. Until quite recently
it was a common impression in foreign
countries. as well as in the United States
that the higher wages paid in the latter
would always operate to the disadvantage
Of our exporters in the competition for
the sale of manufactured goods abroad.
Actual experience. however, seems to
have proved that, owing to the greater
producing capacity of the average Amer
lean operative. with the aid of Iabor-sav-
ing machinery, the real cost of United
States goods in many lines of manufact-
ure is lower than that of similar products
In European countries. and that the Amer
lean exporter is thus enabled TO meet his
foreign rival on equal terms or even to
undersen him
Referring TO this particular view Con-
sul-General Mason. in a report on Amer
lean shoes in European markets. men
tions that the labor cost of a pair of
American factory-made shoes IS definite
Iy less than that of a similar pair of
shoes made in a German factory. giving
as a reason therefor that the American
factory system Is superior to that Of any
other country. In this country, he says.
the shoe manufacture has been special
led the whole energy of a factory
equipped with the most perfect machinery
is concentrated upon the production OF
one, two or three special classes OF
shoes one factory turning out for in
stance, only woman'S shoes. another
mems and another children's footwear
whereas German manufacturers have
generally not yet passed the stage at
which single factory is spread out over
the entire industry and makes everything
that the retail dealer may want So. 1t
is remarked what is true of the shoe
industry in the United States is equally
true of many lines OF industry. and the
| advantage thus secured in the relative
CheapneSs OF product serves largely to
explain the great strides made in recent
years in our exports of manufacturers.
and offers the strongest reason for con-
fideuce as TO the future expansion of this
branch OF our commerce.
1T is frequently asserted of particular
industries in the United States that the
output of factories working at full capac-
|
market can possibly consume and II
seems to be conceded that every year
we shall be confronted with an increasing
surplus of manufactured goods for sale
in foreign markets, if American oper-
atives and artisans are to be employed
the year round. The enlargement: Of for
eign consumption OF the products OF our
mills and workshops has. therefore be-
come a serious problem of craftsmanship
as we'll as of commerce. and this fact Is
made evident in the steps being taken to
! negOtiace reciprocal agreements with va
rious nations, as well in the important
, efforts being made by such organized
trade bodies as the chambers OF COM
merce of great export centers the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers of
, the United States. the Philadelphia Com
mercial Museum. the export associations
of New York and other like organiza-
, tiOnS to open new channels of trade as
well as TO improve the old ones.
; Continuing with review of the worlds
commerce. the summary states that the
= most important incidents of the past
year in foreign diplomacy have a sig
nificance for US which might not have
attached 10 them in the absence of con-
l certed efforts 10 extend the sale of our
! goods. 'It may be said that the chief
business of European diplomacy at the
, inpresent day is 10 secure new spheres of
influence ana WIDER opportunities for
trade. as well suitable territory for
occupation by the overflow of population
from the more densely inhabited coun-
! tries. The world has watched the pro-
gress of the diplomatic drama in China
with an interest which has been height
ened by the knowledge that the practical
outcome might be the opening of new
| channels of trade to the commerce of the
globe or the appropriation of them by
| particular nations for their own special
| benefit China has for some years been
one of the most promising fields for
/ American enterprise, industry and capt.
| tal and the entrance of that vast en-
pire upon the path of Western develop
| ment under conditions which would Sc
cure equality OF opportunity to the
! United States. would doubtless result in
| immense gains to our manufacturers in
) the demand sure to follow. for lines of
: | supplies and goods of various descrip-
tions that we are pre-eminently fitted to
| provide"
1t is set forth in the official summary
| that it is not with the relations of the
: different nations toward each other that
| we are alone concerned The industrial
! changes occurring within the territory
of each obtain new and much graver
Importance In their possible effect upon
i our nascent development an exporter
of manufactured goods. The conditions
| contributing to the rapid growth of man
| ufactures in Mexico in recent years; the
fiscal changes in Russia, India and Japan
as well as in some of the Latin-American
countries; the extraordinary impulse
| given TO the Industrial and commercial
growth of the German Empire as a factor
of international trade; the advances of