The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-07
COMPETITION VERY KEEN
American Invasion of England's
Own Markets..
FORGING TO THE FRONT
More Locomotives for Great Britain-An
American Will Improve Navi-
cation on the Volga-An
Immense Dredge.

Copyright 1899 by Associated Press.
London. May 6.-Public attention has
again been directed to Americas grow
ing competition with England in the in
dustral markets by the announcement
this week that the new English trunk
line. the Great Central railway, has or
dered batch of locomotives in Ameri-
ca, while advices from abroad show
that the Americans are beating the
English right along the line. The Brit
ish consul at La Rochelle. France, in
report just submitted, says that the
Americans are fast taking the agTi
cultural machine business in his dis
trict from English firms. The latter,
it is pointed out by the consul, would
not conform to the farmers demand for
light machinery, whereas the Ameri-
cans have adapted themselves to cir
cumstances and make a machine that
is actually suited to the farmers re-
quirements. The foregoing is only a
sample of tributes which are now con-
stantly found in consular reports to
American enterprise and showing that
American manufacturers are slowly ell
bowling their English rivals out of the
markets which the British thought
were their own preserves. Articles on
Anglo American industrial and COM
mercial rivalry, which are very fiat
tering to Americans, constantly appear
in the English press. The Daily News.
in typical article on american
Engines-The Threatened INVASION
compares the enormous progress in
power and speed of American loco
motives with the slight improvements
in English engines. The Daily News
says:
ut is trife humiliatng, but still
none the less a fact that our modern
English engines, both for passengers
and goods trains, have not increased
in power faster than trains in weight
On the other hand, the technical ex-
perts come back from America with
glowing accounts of great improve
ments in railway working there
The article further declares that this
recently created superiority. which must
be ascribed to the latest developments
in the American locomotive, in which
were combined speed and power, has
not yet been realized in England.
In connection with this commercial
invasion of the old world by America,
a Chicago engineer named Bates ar
rived in London this week. Mr.. Bates
is playing an important part in the in
PRODUCTION of American machinery and
methods. Eighteen months ago the
Russian government requested Mr.
Bates to make a study of the river
Volga with view to the improvement
of it's navigation. AS result the gov
eminent has decided to adopt his
methods for 1000 miles of river inn
provement and has instructed him to
construct the largest and most p 2W,!--
full dredging machine that could be
built. This machine has just been COM
pleted in Belgium. it is an electrically
self-propelling hydraulic dredge of $500
horse power. 1t is creating a great deal
of comment and speculation in engi-
neering and scientific circles.
Prince Hilkoff, the Russian minister
of public works. and the Belgian minis
ter of public works, together with a
large company of Belgian officials, were
present at the tests of the dredging ma
chine, which were made on the River
Scheldt a few days ago. Since those
tests were made committees represent
ing the Australian and Indian govern
ments have inspected the machine, as a
result of which Mr.. Bates, in London.
to-day. signed contracts to furnish SINH
lar plants for India and Australia. Com
niittees from the Panama and SueZ
canals, from South Africa, China and
Japan, besides several European coun-
tries, are coming to inspect the ma
chine. The last to announce an intend
ed visit are the king of Belgium and
Prince Albert son of the heir apparent
to the Belgian throne.
Regarding the general industrial sit
uation. Mr.. Bates said that the present
boom in iron and steel in the United
States has had the effect of checking
the expansion of American trade in Eu-
ropean countries. Up to a few months
ago he had been able to import all
kinds of machinery and material
cheaper from America than it could be
bought in Europe but this is no longer
| the case.
The Iron and Steel institute held its
| annual conference here this week, con-
Guiding to-day with the reading of q
| paper by Bertram Summers of Chicago
The delegates included Andrew Carne-
| gle, Captain John Jacques. L. S. N.
John Plat of New York and C. F. Hen
merry of Rochester. Captain Jacques
who is on an official mission to report
regarding new developments in the
! forging of armor and heavy guns. ir.
| formed the correspondent mere of The
| associated press that he had visited
continental centers in pursuance of hi:
| instructions Everywhere in continen
tai and English manufacturing centers
| Captain Jacques said he had found TIL.
| trend of thought directed to the i'm
| mense advantage of American labor
saving appliances, and since his las
visit to Europe there was an increased
respect for American competition.
Captain Crosser the military mem
Der of the American delegation to thu
international peace conference. is like
wise here making inquiries at Wool
witch before he goes to the continent
Captain Crosser carries credentials t
French and German military depots
His mission includes investigation o
and report upon the latest phases ant
| developments in quic/-tiring field artil
| lery.
Douglas Harry Coghill member o
the house of commons for Stoke-on
Trent, will next week ask the govern
ment whether, considering the injur.
done our trade by the present Unite
States tariff, the foreign Office will en-
ter into special commercial negotia
tons with the United States with
view to obtaining favorable treatmen
for British manufacturers.
There was considerable astonishmen
at the dinner of the Hardwick societ