Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-01
OUR PRODUCTS AHEAD.
Imported American Goods Preferred In
British Colonies.

Accommodating Than English.
Their Manufactures Are More At
tractive and suitabIe-A Thorough
investigation Proposed.
The Liverpool chamber Of commerce
has received from a well known Eng
llsh business man the folio Fing letter
calling attention to the fact that Amer
lean manufactures are being accepted
by English purchasers in preference to
those of home production, reports
James Boyle United States consul at
Liverpool:
Il desire to submit for your consid
Grafton summary of the observations
which | have made during my close
association with colonialS for a period
Of seven years spent in Africa, Aus
tralia and Canada and during Il brief
visit to the States. | have found that
American and German manufacturers
are gradually ousting us from all these
markets. This truth irrefutable from
statistics, is scarcely appreciated at a
time Of worldwide prosperity, but it
will make itself unpleasantly obvious
when the inevitable reaction sets in
l find that throughout the countries /
have named there is n universal com
plant: You English will not make
your goods to suit our markets. You
send your samples and tell us to take
them or leave them-you don't care
which. If we ask you to alter things.
you either refuse to do it or else you
demand prohibitive prices Germans
and Americans, on the other hand. care
for and ascertain our requirements and
then supply our needs at reasonable
prices. Furthermore, we are in closer
touch with the actual producers of
American and German goods. English
goods go through too many hands
I'm every case | have made much
careful inquiry and comparisons, and
find that the German and American
goods actually fetch better prices than
English goods supplied for similar pur.
poses. The reason Is that the former
are generally either better or more taste.
fully finished and are often more APP
propriate for the purposes for which
they are made. l find that even near
last week | went into a commercial
sample room in Stoke-on Trent and
saw n display of American and Ger.
man Birmingham ware The travel
| er answered my inquiries in words al.
most identical with the above. Fur
ther, gentlemen, | would impress upon
you that the relative influence of the
foreign element in our markets has
most perceptibly increased with each
year during the last seven years: but.
he it noted we are not undersold but
only outclassed. From a careful study
Of the position | am confident that
nothing but prompt measures will pre-
vent irreparable damage. And. on the
other hand, am equally confident that
| by judicious and immediate action not
| only may the inSdious progress of our
| competitors be Stald. but the lost
| ground may be regained. That this IL
| feasible needs no proof if my hyputhe.
sis be accepted What is chiefly need.
full is a wise, intimate acquaintance
with the needs of our customers and
an absolute knowledge of the tactics Of
| our competitors.
THE present is fitting moment to
make thorough investigation of the
| condition of our trade, and | venture
to submit for your consideration n
method Of inquiry. Let suitable pee.
| IONS be appointed to travel throughout
lot only the empire, but the world
Iquip the men so chosen with ample
discretionary powers and with funds
With which to purchase samples of ev.
ry class of goods OF foreign manufac
| -ure. Let them trace each article to
| It's source ald make a concise report
under the following heads: a. Retail
price; (2) wholesale price at distrbut.
ing center; (8 wholesale price at place
If manufacture; a. import duty; (5)
| cost of shipments and expenses OF
transit; Co number of Intermediates
or middlemen; ca suggestions as to
suitability or otherwise for the purpose
intended and general remarks.
Let them also purchase similar ar.
ticles of English manufacture and re.
| port likewise. The two samples should
then be sent for exhibition TO the cen.
ter of the industries affected. A shrewd
| '-' WV iHi5hI hhhS must VALUABLE
suggestions as to future trade and 10.
cal requirements. One of the many
causes operating to our disadvantage
Is that English merchants frequently
overlook the immense distances from
railway communication of many of our
colonial markets-so great are they
that often the freight exceeds the
| value of the article Germans and
Americans study this and make their