New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-26

AMERICAN PACKING.
The failure Of American exporters to consult
the convenience OF their foreign customers mas
often been commented on IN these columns.
With the increase of our commerce ana our at
tennis 70 compete for trade long controlled by
the English and Germans, attention TO this de-
feet in our commercial practice is Imperative
When exporting was rather a pastlme 10 our
manufacturers who had all the market they
wanted at home and sold abroad only "hen
rhev made some article that foreigners required
and insisted on having. no matter how II was
packed. the complaint Of the buyer did not much
matter Now we are facing struggle FOR the
markets OF the world 10 take the overnowhg
product OF our mills. and ought TO be anxious 10
please those whose trade we seek. jamaica
merchant has recently been writing to "lhe
Boston Transcript" telling his experience win
bad packing, and his tale Is profitable reading
for e1hortation and reproof by the American
manufacturer and exporter.
This writer tells of the embarrassment OF con
s,enecs from the prevalent bad marking OF
American packages Frequently they reach dis
tant foreign wharves entirely without visible
marks and the owner has great difficulty In
hunting them out and, having found them ne Is
comnoled TO give n bond running for year
against tho appearance Of some other claimant.
Then he has trouble amounting to tan swear
ING, 70 SQUARE his goods and his invoice and
has 10 nav n penalty at the custom house for
the irregularity, and when he finally gets MS
goods II is at the cost Of so much money ana
trouble that he is likely to wish never TO see an
American box again. And all this might have
snondent saws the trouble is due to weak mark
ing ink Too frequently the man Win the slen
cl annles # TO box Of new paned lumber with
brush dipped in ink diluted with so many al
d,,iors NJ water that II is n light lead color
Then the box takes a long voyage IN the nold OF
n ship. where the damp heat turns the iumoer
dor, and fades the thin color still further, I'LL at
mort the markings may be llegihle If not invisi-
Bile. OF our packing he tells this story from MS
own experience:
Two months ago an old New-York house
shInped two hundred and fifty dozen suspee piers
10 nv store in the island Of Jamaica Inc GOODS
were put up in dozen pair cartons Inc TWO
hundred and fifty dozen did not MI the nuee
HOY. about six cubic feet was vacant Inns
epaca was filled with waste paper, OLD burldp
ond trash The case was taken to the steamer
and as il appeared all right. receipt was gwen
as On good order and condition. AFTER the
| hepn rolled over a rev TIMES Atlf SUI
filling became hardened by the weight upon II
when the case was bottom side up; every time
the case was rolled over between decks OF on
the wharf each roll smashed the cartons. W men
| the case reached my store the contents were a
| loose rnass Of rubbish. made up OF smashed car
tons. old paper and burlap. mingled with soiled
] and crushed suspenders. worth 80 per cent OF
| original cost.
IL such defects Of packing are 10 he found
when the problem is simply one OF boxing and
ocean transportation what must be the short
comings Of our shippers TO South American
points where the railroad train is mule and
the track a mountain trail? traveller from
Colombia recently remarked: IF you 10 TO an
"Amercan manufacturer and tell him that there
"are thousands Of people ready TO buy million
dollars worth of goods II they only come ia
chem hy nuleback he will look at you as II ne
"thonght Won crazy" Yet there is just such a
market if we only adapt ourselves To II. The
way we fail is told by the letter writer in a
fashion that gives point 10 the remark Of the
| traveller mentioned:
During my late voyage from the West Indie:
to Boston one Of the United States Legation a
Bogota and Colombian consul from Bogota L
New York were on board. Both had sad stories
10 tell Of United States packing. To state
few: Several cases Of mirrors shipped from Pitts
burg. Penn, arrived at Bogota, every on'
|
been supplying them. rarely plate broken -
machine Weighing about half ton arrived
smashed up. not worth hauling from the rail
road station" | said 10 them: 1T IS A wonde
that YOU can get anything up 70 Bogota un
broken II is one Of the most difficult places Of
earth 10 reach with freight transportation From
the river you have sixty miles OF road up tn
mountains: in some places are long distance
where the road is only narrow shelf on steel
mountain face At the end Of this road you loa
onto the railway train and tumble along slam
bang 10 Bogota" The cOnsuls said that man.
hundreds Of pianos from France and Eng an
and scores OF grand pianos and locomotives IRON
England have gone mp that road unhurt
This IS trife inaccurate In that il exagger
ates the number OF locomotives taken TO Bogot
and fails 10 note that the pianos and other larg
articles are carried there In parts and set NJ
At the same time II clearly shows the need O
special packing and the existence Of a civillze
md wealthy community whose trade Is wort
having. In spite Of our shortcomings the CORE
spondent comedies that we are bound surely 4
control the markets OF the Western Hemisphere
II will take time and effort. He says: bad in
"voicng packing, marking and mailing arc th
SHOALS that will wreck many efforts NJ expor
trade AS this trade Increases, In like propor