The Philipsburg mail., 1899-05-26
UNCLE SANS COMMERCE
Its Rapid Growth Is Causing Much Appre-
henson Across the Pond.
ENGLAND UNABLE TO COMPETE
Invasion by This Country of the Contin-
entail Markets Long Held by the
Britons-American Firms Se-
cure Contracts Abroad.


rected to Americas growing competi-
tion with England in the industrial
world by the announcement this week
that the new English trunk line, the
Great Central Railway, has ordered a
batch of locomotives in America, while
advices from abroad show that the
Americans are beating the English
right along the line. The British con.
sui at La Rochelle, France, in report
just submitted. says that the Ameri-
cans are fast taking the agricultural
machinery business in his district
from English firms. The latter, it is
pointed ont by the consul, would not
conform to the farmers demand for
light machinery, whereas the Ameri-
cans have adapted themselves to cir
cumstances and make machinery that
is exactly suited to the requirements of
the farmers.
The foregoing is only sample of
the tributes which are constantly found
III consular reports to American enter
prise, showing that American manu-
facturers are slowly elbowing their
English rivals out of. markets which
the British thought We're their own
preserves. Articles Oh Anglo American
industrial and commercial rivalry,
which are very fiattering to Americans,
constantly appear in the English
press.
Replying to question in the house
of commons as 10 whether the Indian
government had given an order for the
GOktick viaduct in Burmah to an
American firm, and why the British
manufacturers had not been asked to
make a tender, the secretary Of state
for India, Lord George Hamilton, re
piled that the Indian government had
nothing to do with the contract. 1t
was given, he said, by the Burmah
Railway company, which invited six
English and two American firms to
make tenders. Four of the former re-
fused TO bid and the most favorable
English tender received required three
years for completion OF the work at a
cost of Gig, 900, while the best Amer
lcan tender proposed to complete the
work in one year at a cost of t6O 125.
The company had, under these circuln-
stances, accepted the tender of the
American company. Lord George
Hamilton added that the Indian rail
ways always gave preference to Brit
ish manufacturers, but he was sorry to
say that this was not the first contract
in which there was a marked differ
ence in the price and time of delivery
between British and American tenders.
The Daily News, in typical article
this week on American Engines
The Threatened Invasion,' compares
the enormous progress in power and
speed Of American locomotives with
the slight Improvements in English
engines The article says: 1T is
tritie humiliating, but still none the
less fact, that our modern English
engines, both tor passengers aud goods
trains, have not increased in power
faster than trains III weight On the
other hand, technical experts come
back from America with glowing ac-
counts OF great Improvements in rail-
way working there. -
The article further declares that this
recently created superiority, which
must be ascribed to the latest develop
ments in the American locomotive, in
which were combined speed and power,
has not yet been realized in England.
In connection with this commercial
invasion Of the old world by America
a Chicago engineer named Bates ar
rived in London this week Mr.. Bates
is playing an important part in the
of American machinery
and methods. Eighteen months ago
the Russian government requested Mr..
Bates to make study of the River
Volga, with view to the improve
ment of it's navigation. AS result,
that government has decided to adopt
his methods for some $500 miles of
river improvement and has instructed
him to construct the largest and most
powerful dredging machine that could
be built. This machine has just been
1t is an electrical, self.
hydraulic dredge, of $500
horse power. 1t is creating a great
deal of comment and speculation in
engineering and scientific circles.