The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22

much further preparation to our mar
kets.
There is no reason why Americans
should net have their share Of the
wool trade, and also Of the increasing
trade in meats. We understand how
to handle such things better than any
other nation, and there is no reason
why, fnasmuch as foreigners are pref
ty sure to do the business, we should
not compete for it,
Electricity has so far done little in
the Argentine. There are chances for
electric railroads, and this especially
in Buenos Ayres. Think of 1t! Buenos
Ayres has 100000 as luxurious people
as you will find anywhere They will
not walk If they can ride, and thew
are still relying almost altogether on
the old horse cars. The company which
can change these to electricity will
have a fortune.
The whole country, in fact, Is full
OF opportunities, but little known in
the United States and Europe. You
think of wheat and sheep when you
talk OF the Argentine; you have for
gotten, or perhaps do not know, that
1t has vast area of semi-tropicaI
lands. The province of Tucuman is
now raising the sugar of the Argeu-
tine. In 1898 10000 tons were pro
duced. There is a tariff on sugar, and
am told the business Is very profita-
BILE.
FRAUD IN TRADE MARKS.
The same frauds in trade marks and
labels which I found in the stores of
the west coast Of South America exist
in the Argentine. The Germans are
initiating many kinds of our ma
, chimes, and German machines are often
sold for American. The Spaniards are
dolng the same, and there are many
Things here sold under false trade
marks.
This prevails to such an extent that
there is house in Buenos Ayres which
makes a business Of manufacturing.
and selling fraudulent labels. You can
ouy labels for all sorts of patent medi-
clnes, Tor the leading brands of cham
pagnes and beers; for Florida wafer
condensed milk, and, in fact. for al.
most any article that has a reputation
Labels for Milwaukee lager will cost
you few cents a hundred. and Won
can get fac smile limitations of cham
payne labels for the same. A spar.
king cider which costs 20 cents a QUAR-
, with one-cent Mumm's extra-dry
iabel on it brings In Buenos Ayres SO
and the Average backwoods Arse
t1nian will pay for it and not know
the difference A'o
BAD PACKING.
one great hindrance to American
trade with the Argentine ia the had
packing which is done at home. Goods
are put up without regard to cost or
customs. Many of the duties here are
levled by weight and small articles are
oIten packed in big boxes so that the
uuty upon them costs more than the
articles will sell for. Every American
supper should have book Containing
the tar1H regulations of the Argentine
and pack accordingly
II the goods are at all damaged when
they arrive the importers will demand
rebate and where Dds are Maid po-
IN advance the trace Tor the future ia
lost. saw Chickering piano which
aTEsvcs IN Buenos Ayres not long ago
II came packed loosely in a pine case
Ihere was one cleat of wood between
the piano cover and the case, and tina,
was all. The result was that the rose
WOOD was badly scratched and the in.
strument would not sell.
Exporters should remember that oil
goods coming to the Argentine must
go over the equator, where the air 10
Iull OF moisture. Machinery should he
well oiled or painted with tallow mr.
1t will be ruined. This was the case
with job press which was Skinned
to Buenos Ayres by the American
Bank Note company of New York. and
also same arms sent by the Remine-
tons. The latter order was not at all
carefully packed, and the result was
that it cost 25 per cent Of the first
price OF the guns to put them in order.
AMERICAN HOUSES NA~nED.
So far our methods of trying to in
crease trade in South America have
been radically wrong. What we really
| need are American houses which
handle nothing but American goods In
Buenos Ayres. We should have q
museum there which would show the
different kinds of goods that the Unit
ed States has to sell. We should also
have an American bank, and there
would. believe. be a lot of money
eventually in the establishment of an
American steamship line.
AS to American houses there are sew
eral here already, but they do not, as
a rule. keep large supplies Of goods
on hand. so that they can fill orders
the moment they are received. The
French, English and German houses
deal to some extent in American goods,
Frank q. Carpenter.