New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-13
HONESTY IN FOREIGN TRADE.

Honesty. the copybooks used 10 remind u.s. Is
tho hest policy. The factor II is n facts
one we'll worthy Of taking Into consideration, In
connection with the foreign commerce OF the
Nation. The suggestion may seem shameful
IJnhappilv, Il Is only too strongly called for
We do not mean to intimate that as whole
the foreign trade of America Is marked with
dishonesty. On the contrary, we are confident
that It Is not American manufacturers and
merchants are. as rule, comparable with those
OF any other country in integrity. But there
is no use in attempting TO disguise the fact
that there are serious exceptions TO the rule,
and that to those exceptions-whicb, OF course,
cannot escape detectIon--is due the Inability
of Americans to compete successfully with deal
ers Of other lands. . That Is not pleasant
thing to say but the fact which it expresses
Is still more unpleasant. e.
The subject Is called to present attention by
report from the United States Consul at
Liverpool He says that the last year has been
the best on record for American trade there.
and that there Is reason to believe such trade
will continue to grow. But Canadian competi-
ton with us in agricultural products Is grow
ing and will continue to grow keener. and In
the important article Of cheese Is already too
strong for MS Then comes the gst of the mat
ter 1.-THE fact that American cheese Is being
displaced BY Canadian" says the Consul, is
becoming more and more apparent. On In
"auiry from reliable sources am told that this
is principally owing to the method OF manu-
"facture, which is spoken Of here as being rad
Ideally wrong; and assuming that the American
factory men generally wish to compete for
1.-The English trade, the sooner they set about
altering the style Of manufacture the better
And again. on the subject Of canned fruits from
the United States, he says: complaints are
"being made that in most of the fruits there is
"a metallic taste, extracted from the tin by
"the acid"
Now. those statements might mean simply
that American manufacturers did not take
pains to adapt their wares, so far az cheese Is
concerned to some peculiar taste of the Brit
ish public and that there was some insuperable
difficulty In the way Of canning goods In a per-
iectly pure and natural state. Unfortunately,
there is far too strong reason for thinking
otherwise. It has long been notorious that
either careless or dishonest methods are fol-
lowed In many American diaries in the manu-
facture OF cheese "Filled cheese" has been a
grevous reproach to us. Even In our own
market II has caused preference to be given
to Canadian and other foreign cheeses. And
In the canning OF fruits and meats it Is well
known that sometimes an inferior quality Of
tin is used, and sometimes various chemicals
are employed for the preservation OF the goods,
in both cases to the detrment Of the health
Of the consumers.
II Is, no doubt such methods OF manufacture
which are objected to at Liverpool as radically
wrong" They are radically wrong. And they
are inJuring American trade. No matter how
large trade We may build up in any place or
In any line OF goods and no matter how great
may be our facilities for maintaining II, the
detection of adulterants other detrimental
elements Will prove disastrous to II. 1t IL no
answer to say other nations do the same. Peo-
| pie will tolerate qualities In domestic goods
which they will not tolerate in imported goods
The strongest possible argument In favor Of
| Canadian cheese as against American cheese
| In England is the charge that American cheese
| Is either not we'll or not honestly made-a
charge which II is, unhappily. not always pos
| sIble to refute. The strongest poss BILE recon-
| mendatiOn OF American cheese would he that
! Il was the purest and most honestly made II
| IL low plane Of ethics to be honest simply
because it is good policy. But it is absolutely
| certain that In foreign trade permanent pros
| perity can be attained without honesty. False
methods may for short time mean great
profits But IN the end they will kill the goose
that lays the golden egg, and no human in
genuity can far postpone that end.