The evening times., 1899-03-15
OUR TRADE WITH SYDNEY.
Relations With A"s.ra-
lila Becoming Firmly Established.

In introducing his report on the sub
ject of United States Trade with sydney"
Consul George W. Bell says that. COM
mercialiy. that city may be considered as
representing New South Wales; it is more
he adds. for it is the chief distributing
point of the continent of Australia Con
sui Bells report to the State Department
continues:
In the value OF its tonnage. sydney is
yet, l think. the tenth commercial port of
the globe, and by reason Of increasing &C
quaintance and mutual confidence. the
commercial relations of the United States
with Australia are becoming more firmly
established and the reciprocal trade more
extensive and profitable.
Consul Bell gives in tabulated form the
total value in round numbers of export ani
import trade of Sydney with all countries
for a number of years; also of the trade
with the three leading foreign competitors
the United States, France, and Germany
The trade of Sydney for 1894 aggregated
S1I6. $50, coo, OF which S5,4O9, 600 was with
France; S6.22O,G00 with Germany, and So,
800 with the United States. As an ex-
planatory note to this group OF statistics.
Consul Bell says: The export Of gold to,
and the import of wheat from the United
States being really abnormal, these COM
modities are deducted. leaving only in our
calculations our regular staple trade. -
The figures for the year 1897 were: Total
trade, 1921. $40 600; with France S. SO goo :
with Germany, sS, 700 600; with the Unite,!
States sS,460.G00. In 1898, the figures were
as follows; Total trade, S1S3, $40. 600; with
France, $780, 900: with Germany, $780,
zoe; with the United States. IS ,9e0, 900.
tNOnSui bn foil
tory note to the 1898 statistics: Owing
to a combination of circumstances our
people bought from New South Wales dur
ing the year 1898 but 1900 bales of wool.
while for the preceding year we bought
10000 bales. Had We bought from New
South Wales as much wool in 1898 as in
1897, our total trade with the colony for the
last year would have exceeded that of Ger
many
Until recently New South Wales had
not produced sufficient grain for her own
consumption in 1896 there was imported
from the United States some 49, 450. coo
worth Of wheat and flour. and, in 1897.
81, 900 worth. But, owing to the pass
age of more liberal land laws and the
greater encoura agement given to agricultur-
al pursuits, the wheat acreage has been
so largely increased that it is not improb-
able that the colony may soon to some
extent be in the export market.
Several new lines have been successful
ly introduced into this colony during the
last year and the old prejudices are near
ing the vanishing point American goods
no longer mean Yankee notions or handy
devices or ornamental novelties alone, but
they mean also nearly every modern ma
chine or appliance, from sharp tool to
the best structural steel for railway,
bridge, or building purposes.
"Our manufacturers have been learning
rapidly during the last few years, and the
complaints of poor packing, failure to keep
up to sample, and defective goods are te-
coming rare. However, l want to impress
our people again with the wisdom OF de-
Waiting, in many ways, from the methods
which win success in our own country.
"The experience of every passing month
confirms my opinion that special lines
should be handled by special agents on the
ground, and that staples should be handled
through well-known and firmly established
commission houses. l know of American
articles the agencies of which have been
secured by firms, seemingly for the very
purpose of keeping them from competing
with goods Of like character. and I also
know of firms that have lost heavily by
trying to deal direct with a view of saw
ing the usual commission house charge.