The evening times., 1899-03-30
AMERICAN EXPORTS
TO FORNOSA ISLAND
Trade With That Country In
creasing.
Greater Care Necessary in Packing
Goods.
Public improvements to BE Made
Which VIII Require a Large
Amount of Machinery.

In his annual report 10 tne state depart
ment, ]. w. Davidson, consul at Tamsui,
Island of Formosa says that American
trade has made great progress in that
country during the last few years and
that the United States has a larger share
than any other country, with the exception
of China.
Embodied in the report is the following
tabulated statement which shows the ex-
act amount of trade between this country
and Formosa
In 1896. the total United States trade
with the island amounted to 7,717,7S9 Jap
anese yen s3,S5S, ,S97 in United States cur
| rency); and in 1897, out of total forsign
trade (excluding China) of about II ,000. 900
| yen (s5, 500, ,000), that portion falling to the
United States amounted to 6,517.65S yen
| ts3, ,25S ,S29.) The decrease in 1897 from the
preceding year was due to an unfavorable
| tea season. OF these amounts, the export
trade forms by far the greater portion,
still, the import of American goods, COM
pared with that of other nations, is con-
siderable.
Tn 1894. the last year Of the Chinese
administration, our import trade amounted
to about l65, 900 yen (Ss2. .500) With the
| island under Japanese control, our imports
reached in 1896 the value OF 594, $50 yen
(s297. .194), and in 1897. S11 $50 yen (s405,
330)'
In speaking of the nature of the imports
from this country. Consul Davidson says:
The principal imports from the United
States are: Petroleum, valued at 529, ,0S0
yen (S264, ,540); -four, valued at I'll, ,305 yen
t$195, ,652); and ginseng, valued at 81, ,431
yen (s25, ,71SD Other items appearing in
the customs statistics are condensed milk,
confectionery biscuits. cakes, etc.),
shrimps. clocks. brass ware, blankets,
piece goods, tobacco cement, furniture,
lamps, porcelain, and earthware."
In speaking of those lines of trade in
which the United States is losing ground
the consul says:
Tobacco, like milk, is rapidly falling
into the hands of our competitors, but in
this case. it is due almost entirely 10 the
method Of picking.
The damp air of Formosa, like that of
many other Eastern countries is such that
tobacco rapidly spois If il is not put up in
hermetically sealed tins. American ciga-
rettes, of which there was at one time a
considerable consumption, arrive in little
pasteboard packets, the cigarettes protect
ed by a wrapper of tin foil: and in a very
short time-a matter of a few weeks only
they turn green and moldy and are
practically worthless. Wills & Co, an
English firm. pack their cigarettes. which
are advertised as being made OF American
tobacco. in round tin cases holding fifty.
BY a clever arrangement a small blade
can be brought into position on the outer
cover, and a simple twist of the wrist
cuts circular hole in the tin, and the
contents OF the package are before you as
fresh and fragrant as the day they left the
| Co.
bacco, excluding cigars, is valued at ILL.,
432 yen (s55,71S). of which the United
States has but / ,146 yen (513).
Tobacco is not the only American pro-
duct lost TO this market on account of
| inferior packing. The writer has seen
United States oatmeal. buckwheat, rasins,
cakes, biscuits, and other products of a
! like perishable nature arrive from the
| United States, packed in the most fimsy
| light pasteboard boxes and paper bags, in
| tended, as at home, to be placed on the
| retailers shelves. But after being during
| a few weeks, subjected 10 the damp and
| 10 the attacks of insects, so numerous in
! the East, the package and contents have
| so deteriorated that the article is no long
| er salable. English oatmeal cakes and
| biscuits always come packed in air tight
| tin boxes, and rasins and salt in glass. In
| fact, provisions from England of almost
every kind arrive packed in either tin or
| glass and. while the cost of the same may
| exceed that of goods packed as American
| provisions generally are it is an expense
that the Eastern importers will gladly
meet.
Furthermore, where cans are used by
| the English the whole package has been
! invariably treated to coat of varnish
| and sometimes paint. The result is the
| package always looks well, even after it
has been on the shelves for months. Our
| canned goods have paper labels roughly
| pasted on, and, while at first very at
| tractive in appearance, they soon become
moldy and dirty, the wrappers loosened,
| and the tins covered with rust l have
seen American canned goods in Formosa
| that | knew had not been on the shelves
| for more than month, yet had the ap-
| pearance of shop worn goods, years in
! age"
| That the American bicycles are attract
ing attention in Formosa is shown by the
| following:
Two consignments of American bicycles
| have been received, and they were found
| very satisfactory, with the exception that
/ the order, which called for complete out
| fit-bell lamp. brake. pump, etc, as these
| articles are not to be obtained here-was
not filled, the machines being sent in one
| case without the bell and brake and in the
| other without pumps for initiating the tires
| The result is that the latter machines must
| remain on the dealers hands, losing in this
| climate much of their brightness, during
! the three months necessary to obtain the
| pumps from New York In the first in
| stance, the exporter wrote that the ma
| chimes were not equipped with brake be-
cause this was OF no practical use and was
sure to injure the tire.
The result was that two customers, for
whom machines had been specially ordeed,
refused to accept them; and the native
| dealer who had for the first time received
| shipment from America, while able to
! dispose of the whole consignment, was
| considerably annoyed. The United States,
| so far as can ascertain, is the only coun-
| try where the brake is not generally used,
| and. at all events, for the East bicycle is
considered incomplete If it does not pos
| sess this attachment"
| Regarding the possibilities of American
| trade in the island Consul Davidson says:
| The Formosan government is at pres
| ent endeavoring to secure 100000 yen
| $4,000, ,000) for harbof works at Kelung,
| 3O,0O0,000 yen t$15. .080;000) for railway
through the island and 20.000,000 yen
| (s10,000,000) for other public improve
ments. While the whole amount desired
may not be obtained. it is quite likely that
sufficient funds will be forthcoming to
| commence the work on Kelung Harbor and
| on the railway. There will be dredgers,
rails, locomotives. ETC., to be purchased,
and 1t is hoped that We may have share
! in furnishing them. 1t is necessary to add
| here that large orders, such as for water
| works material, railway and harbor ma
chinery, are generally given out in Tokyo.
Japan, and not in Fornosa, although 1t is
| we'll to have representatives here also.