The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-22
A COMMERCIAL EXHIBITION.
adelphia Beginning Next
Fall,

In December last congress appropri.
ated 100000 to aid the Philadelphia
Exposition association to erect build
ings in which to hold the exhibition
next fall of foreign manufactures and
such other objects as may be useful in
comparison with our own products. An
additional sum OF $4,000 has been APP
propriated for the collection Of sam
pies of foreign merchandise that arc
demanded by various countries and tc
illustrate how foreign goods are pre-
pared and packed for shipping. ~ large
tract of land has been given for the Ell
terprise and the erection of the build
ings is about to begin. The purpose OF
the exhibition is to present in the most
striking possible way the opportuni'
ties for foreign trade and the require
ments of various nations. 1T is de-
signed for business men and in the in
terest of the export trade. In addition
to the money appropriated by the ma
tional government large sums have
been provided by Pennsylvania, Phila'
".
corporations and individuals. II is eX'
pected that the exhibition will be a
great success.
Philadelphiaalready has permanent
exhibition we'll known all over the
world as the Philadelphia Commercial
museum. 1t is possibly the finest cx-
ample of the permanent institutions
that are rapidly being established in
various countries for the convenience
and education of manufacturers and
the promotion of foreign trade. The
larger number OF them thus far are to
be found in Belgium, France and Ger
many.
The Philadelphia Commercial mu,
scum occupies the large buildings on
Fourth street once occupied by the
Pennsylvania railroad as its general Of
fees. The rooms are crowded with eN
hibits, arranged by countries and also
with foreign manufactures which are
exported to lands where our own goods
come into competition with them. In
the department devoted to Mexico, for
instance, there are shown not only the
products and arts of that country, but
also the goods that are now being made
in various European countries and sold
in the Mexican market. Suppose that
Rhode Island manufacturer of cut
lery wishes to extend his trade to Aus
tralia. 1t is important to him to know
the quality shape and price of the goods
now selling in the Australian markets
AT this museum he will find samples
of these goods with their prices and can
ascertain all the technical points, fol-
instance, of the various sheep shears
preferred in that country.
One department of the museum is the
bureau of information which collects
and disseminates IL large amount of in
formation about trade conditions i'll
other countries. The museum is free
facturers who desire special informa'
ton bear the cost of collecting and re-
porting it. The catalogue system
makes it easy to refer at once to any
article or country represented in the
museum. The institution is in CORE.
spondence with over 10000 business
houses in the United States and about
10000 in foreign countries. 1t is sup,
ported by the city of Philadelphia and
by fees received from subscribers to
whom the regular and special reports
are sent.
When the industrial crisis that swept
over Europe in 1879 greatly reduced the
In NJ al ~
examination of the consular system
was made in the hope to devise Il
scheme by which the consuls would be
more effective in promoting the com,
mercal relations of the country The
first result of this investigation was the
founding of a commercial museum il
Brussels at the expense Of the govern
ment. with the twofold purpose of ex
hibiting Belgium manufactures ant
goods that might be successfully sole
in foreign countries and also to shoy
foreign buyers what articles suitable
for expectation could be produced il
Belgium. The Belgian consular agents
throughout the world were instructed
to send specimens of every article i'm
ported into or manufactured in tn
countries where they were serving
The museum was at once successful
and many other smaller museums wer
Immediately founded in other towns O
Belgium.
During the past few years France
following the example of Belgium, ha
established some IS or 20 of these insti
tutions in her principal manufacturing
and commercial centers, and they ar
regarded as an unqualified success.
Among other commercial museums
some of them private and others sur
ported to n greater or less extent b
governments, are those in Vienna, Bel
lin, Stuttgart, Berne, Milan and Rom,
A large commercial museum is sur
ported in the Japanese city of Osaka t
afford central place for the exhib
ton of the goods of native and foreig
producers.-N.Y Y. Sun.
A Child's Cnul
The following folklore is from Liz
hook, Hants. A child born in cal