New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-12
GOODS PACK ED FOR EXPORT
AN ART IN WHICH GERMANY. ENGLAND
AND FRANCE EASILY LEAD.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.


American manufacturers in spite of themselves"
This remark, made to me several weeks ago by
prominent New-York exporter. was recalled
to my mind when ! read the article in The
Tribunes illustrated Supplement of a recent
issue regarding the work Of the special packer
for goods intended for shipment to South Amer
lea and other mountainous countries.
had just returned from South America my
self having made trip Of nearly a thousand
miles over Andean trails as the special repre-
sentative of several manufacturers who had
become convinced that the question Of packing
was worthy Of some study and investigation
The New-York tourist referred to in The
Tribunes articles. who believes the export trade
Of this country would be larger if the manu-
facturers would pay more attention to the con-
ditions of transportation, only voices a truth
that has been proclaimed by every Minister,
consul and consular agent who has ever served
at a Latn-American post. The same manu-
facturers who have produced goods that are
the admiration of the world pack their goods
in the same wretched condition they did fifteen
or twenty years ago. This and the refusal of
the manufacturers to extend credits the same
as is done by German. English and French
houses are the chief reasons for the slow devel-
in South America.
PRIMITIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.
The description Of the means Of transporta-
ton in one South American country Will serve
to give an idea Of the lack Of facilities in nearly
all Of the republics. There are differences, OF
course, but they are not essential Take the
Republic Of Colombia. for instance. The only
present method Of carrying merchandise to ana
from the coast is by means Of the great rivers.
OF these the Magdalena is the most important
and has the best service. II is the artery oil
the country. and forty odd sternwheel steamers
run from the city Of Barranquilla to La DoIaua'
the head Of navigation, a distance Of about SIX
hundred miles O her rivers are naVlgabe loI
| certain distances by boats Of light draught win
/ the exception of the river traffic ana lc"
short lines Of -'aroads. the whole commerce Oh
the country is carried on 10y means oil hu'eS
The country is the most mountainous IN lh'
world As a result. communication always ha'
! been most difficult and expensive Nearly al
/ freight must be transported 10y mules as Soo'
as it leaves the rivers.
There are several important places in the IN
torior If Colombia one Of them being Mcdellin
capital Of the department Of Antloqua' WIN
nonuIation Of about fifty thousand. and Bogota
!
estimated at from one hundred thousand t
one hundred and fifty thousand. Medellin lies
upon the western slope Of the Andes, in a pict
uresque and fertile valley the ''''"V W '
rich mining region
Whom I was in this city a few months age
,bera were twcnty-four statesmen there from
German English and French houses. one Ger
| man salesman had nine large rooms filled VIII
sanplos one English salesman maintained sN
/ .or,rlo rooms The others were also wei
/ oouinped Bocota being the national capital, i
necessarily of commercial importance. an
bringing in this information simply to show tina
the fields are worth cultivating.
D1.Ttrs ESTIMATED on GROSS WEIGHT
Take bale Of fright destined for Medellin
II arrives at either Cartagena or the Poi' "
cavaniIa At the present time Savanilla Il
probably the chief port Of entry. Nheh 'n
steamer arrives he freight is unloaded at thu
pier: then it is put upon freight car an,
taken 70 BarranquiIla. where it passes through
the custom house.
And right here let me bring in one importan
too, The duties in Colombia are estimated OF
the gross weight of the package, so it Is wei
,ot 90 have the boxes unnecessarily heavy.
.or,, ie told in Barranquilla that some good
,or,. orco Skinned from America to that cit
in a box so heavy that when II was "'IE"''
was found the duty on the box atone ""9 'V'
than the value of the goods IN the poN'
When the freight has passed through '"e '''
tom house it is carted across U'e ''S 81"
loaded upon river steamer. II 'h'n gus ".''
100 miles up the river to Puerto hei'Io NV
# is unIoaded into storehouse' t"'" I'''
upon a car and carried to Caro'""' '"' -
t,. oC tb. road. From Carocoli begin
the toiIsomc journey 10y mul' u"'"' '''' -