The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-21
EDUCATION IN COMMERCE.
PRESIDENTS LoU AND ELIOT SPEAK
ATIHE COMMERCIAL CONGRESS-.

Things which Merchants should Know II
Thcy go Into Foreign Trnde-Niews OF
Foreign DeIegntss-Further Extension
of the Parcels Post system Urged.
TuriApEtpHtA oct. 20. Various phases OF
commercial education we're presented to the
delegates to the International commercial
Congress this morning. President Seth Low
Of Columbia University presided. and on the
stage with him sat President Eliot Of Harvard.
President Athcrton Of PENNSYLVANIA State Col
lere and Dr. tindsay OF the University OF Penn
s,lyauin In his greeting to tho delegates. Dr.
Low said that he had been Identified with tho
commercial interests OF this country Tor ten
years. lie said that while the commercial
courses IN the schools and colleges wore worth
little without practical experience that they
opensd n vidcrneld to the student and taught
him valuable Lessons that were OF the great
est use in business life.
President Eliot Of Harvard University said
that the commercial courses were being
offered to tho detriment OF students In many
cases for the reason that they were taken
instead Of certain elemental studies. He said
that international as well as domestic trade
was becoming more com pick. that II Is necos-
sary for the successful merchant OF to-day to
have n much more varied stock OF knowledge
than it was a few years ago The struggle Tor
supremacy, for increased trade. is getting
and profits smaller. A knowledge OF the
modern languages. he thought. ia almost
indispensable but said that young men
in the United States are handicapped. for the
reason that unlike the English. the German
and the French boy. they cannot cross the bor-
der and work readily in n country where the
language and customs are different They
must make long VOYAGES which take time and
money and to the majority are impossible. He
,.fl . NaN, ttf,F
service made up of men who were trained In
financial and commercial affairs and said that
such re representatives would tend to increase
the trade Of the country very materially.
Prof. Rowe OF the University Of PENNSYLVANIA
spoke 81 Higher Education in Relation to In
ternationa Trade
At the afternoon session the question OF the
advisability Of establishment OF an internation-
al parcels post was discussed. II was expected
that Observation-Disclosures Charles Emory Smith
would be present and give the views Of the
Governmonto a the question. !but he was not
able to be at tho meeting. In his absence DR..
Wisloj presided. Mr.. j.. s. Jackson OF this city
spoke OF the institution on the parcels post by
England saying that to il was largely due her
success in expanding herltrade. because IL al
low.k sending samples at little cost. and facil-
itated thu placing and filling Of orders.
Capt. de GraGa. representative Of Brazil ad-
vDpatel TIE tS'abII~llIlfnl bl the DuTttlS IOst,
saving that he was convinced that it would re-
suit in largely increased trade between the
United States and his country. jacques Schuk
OF Budapest Hungary. said that although the
comm ercial dealings between his country and
the United States were not large. that
lie had been here six weeks before the
opening of the congress. and that
lie had established connections and
bought goods from many manufacturers
in this country. and that he hoped that soon the
trade would lie much larger. He said
that this desired end would lie reached with
much greater ease and speed il tho parcels
post was iuaugurnted. He said that a parcels
post convention had been entered into with
Germany and that il would be unfair to extend
the privilege to the Germans and not to other
III this Partially continued to be shown" he
said. there is no doubt that all the surround
German Post Office for forwarding their par
GELS % tn" nlted States, thus Germany will
will have The control ~ European trade with the
United states. ! feet conild"at thar this will
ana that III" only way to rroilt. BY .ths great
advantages offered hy the facilities Of the par
GELS post is to give to other countries the
same privileges you have given Germany III
i. Il. tiandh Of Bombay India. said that
commercial education ia the nited States was
an absolute necessity If merchants expect to
GO into the EXPORT trade .EEtensively The h
extension % American export trade, There
are two factors to bs attended to il the Ameri-
must hav" competent knowledge of the con
diti"ns existing IN tn" countries in which they
manufacturers are well educated in general.
but display WONDERFUL Ignorance in regard 10
the economies II trade. commercial geog rnphy
and trading conditions abroad.
g know that 1t would lie the most polite
matters. but we are her" 10 discuss the con
ditions in various parts ~ the world, and we
must therefore, taco the matter boldly. Your
manufacturers cannot succeed in building up
an exno,t trad" unless they know some
hing Of the commerce Of the world and tho
cannot he taught IN school or college. One
learns hy. being engaged IN il. but there are
For example, ON" must know how trade
balances are elualii&"d. about finance. concern.
Ing the economic, uses OF various products Of
the world. thnlr chemistry and have knowl;
Gdg% Of the w"r!S rgrrS Si,I Your method
f. o. j.. in New York shows that your manutnc-
turers arc not ilt:ed TO deal with the SUBJECT
such method is useless and waste Of time
r :. fairb@nks Of New York said that lie
OF mmediair and mracti"alie a 9lS'' n" Of
more importance than III" post. and said that
the SonIH d% nG'hnx letter
G Barker Of N"w,, York sad he thought the
parcels post could h" established were
Yrry great and rwrgSro not p%n4ersn,"E2,a;
Department would have To take the mar
cells from the seaport Offices a. whrh
they were received and carry them to remote
places such as beyond the Rocky Mountains
and Alaska. The country. from which the
parcels ar" sent retains all the revenue derived
from their sending and SO the United States
would have To- bear great part OF the expense.
John VI. Keith. delegate from Costa Rlca. al q
Dr, Charles BE n0rhl ol Naples spoke in favor
Oft II" establishment ot the parcels post
The congress adjourned until Monday after
RdoTting Il motion that DIR. Wilson should act
az spokesman for the delegates at thu recer-
ton To he given hy the President ut the White
House tomorrow aiternOOn. The delegates
Will leave hare ut 81 o clock in "A special train.
They will return in the afternoon.
70 pREYENT MY IMITE ICrInrAr.