The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-24
HARPER'S WORK ABROAD
SAMPLES OF GOODS COLLECTED IN
NEARLY ALL COUNTRIES,
And to BE Placed on Exhibition at
Philadelphia for Benefit of United
States Manufacturers.
of the Associated Press.


LONDON, July 23-Wiiiam Harper. chief
of the Bureau of Information of the Phia-
delphia Commercial Museum, is about to re-
turn home at the conclusion of one OF the
most important missions ever connected
with the export trade of the United States.
A year ago the American Congress appro-
priated $4,000 for the purpose OF collecting
samples of the principal goods which the
countries of the world import from other
nations. The object of this appropriation
was to give American manufacturers an ex-
act idea of the goods they were called upon
to produce in competition with other coun-
tries, whether they be agricultural imple-
ments or ladies slippers. AS the Philadel-
phia Commercial Museum had, under State
and municipal endowment, been collecting
foreign data for American Boards of Trade.
the appropriation was intrusted to their
agent, who. with his assistants, has recently
visited almost every capital of the globe
from St. Petersburg to Johannesburg, and
Melbourne to Honolulu. AS a result OF these
Journeys Mr.. Harper is now busily engaged
in forwarding to the United States for ex-
hibition before the International Commercial
Congress- at Philadelphia, next October, one
of the most varied cargoes OF samples ever
handled by commercial trader.
In conversation with a representative OF
| the Associated Press last night, Mr.. Harper
said: Il am compelled to run over TO st.
Petersburg tomorrow, but snail start
h9meMard from Paris within 1h i I1,,
| taken me into almost every corner OF the
world, where l have not only obtained i'm
possible information concerning the wants
| of buyers of American goods and have OBJ
| tanned samples of the goods now used and
| exact models of machinery with photo
| graphs and specifications, but have made a
| careful study of the American consular
| service as WELL 1t is safe to say, however,
that considering the general era or pros
| perity upon which, following the Barring
failure and consequent panics, the world is
now entering apparently, the United states
must more and more look 10 lts export
| trade as the market for its superfluous
products L have studied this matter pretty
| carefully, as you may imagine. England,
Germany and France s are pushing mn g7b Their
| States Is coming into the race at period
| when those older countries are more or less
with our immense natural resources of
| coal and iron, our improved machinery
capable of turning out such great quantities
| intelligent work displayed by American me-
| chanics, We have more than even changes
of controlling the worlds markets The
| fact that one Philadelphia firm is supplying
England this year alone with seventy-tWo
| locomotives shows our capacity TO meet the
| mother country on her own soil, and to-day
England and the English colonies are the
greatest consumers of American products
| The soil has, however, so far only been
scratched. Hundreds Of opportunities for
competition have been overlooked simply
| because American manufacturers have not
| been able to learn just what sort of article
was required for specific localities and pur-
poses. hay rake that will work In Minnie
| sofa will not do for Russia. A Pennsyi-
vania 'Mogur locomotive requires certain
changes for use on the London q North
western. And in hundreds of other cases
American goods have sought competition
| abroad because the maker could not use the
y,at 1.-Two orff md mot "a
details that made the proffered machine a
| success or a failure. That is what the con-
gress is now supplying.
manufacturing machinery, shelf hardware.
tools, bicycles, typewriters, cash registers
United States and 1 am taking back 1000
| pounds worth of samples of these goods.
| Then we are breaking into the Manchester
| 1 found great demand for information
regarding our work in that line.
| One of the most interesting and profita-
| BILE interviews of my trip enjoyed with
| Prince Chilkof, minister of ways and COM
munications of Russia, and great friend
of the Gear. Prince Chilkoff got his train
| ing in the Altoona shops of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad and is doing all he possibly
can to develop American trade with Russia.
| He told me Of the great pleasure with which
| he watched the erection OF the new West
inghouse factory in Russia, where the goods
through the original plant in Pittsburg.
! Another most interesting interview was
one with President Kruger, whom L found
| greatly interested in American political and
| commercial progress. had told DR.. Leyds
| that i desired to talk with President kru-
| GER and President Kruger said: Tell him
| to come at a. m Tomorrow. II was WIN
ter in Pretoria then, it is now, and when
| i reached the Presidents cottage it was
! still dark. His wife had prepared break
| fast and President Kruger had talked with
| several members of the Rad when called.
| Through an interpreter he told me how
anxious he was to give America every
| chance to develop trade and urged me to
| go and see how real burgher lived. The
| next day l went twenty miles into the coun-
| try to call on this burgher who lived like
| a patriarch, amid his family and servants,
| all of whom attend prayers and dined to-
| gether. One of most wonderful things
discovered the wide advertisement that
| the Paris exposition has already attained.
| / verify believe that the whole world will
| be in Paris next year. The exposition is as
| well known in Central Asia as ii is in New
| York. and l heard 1t talked of from Cape
Town to Buenos Ayres."