The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-18


From these figures it will he seen that
Great Britain. without a pound of home
grown cotton, controls 63.6 per cent OF the
export trade of the world in manufact-
ures of cotton, while the United States,
/ producing Hwo-thirds of the worlds supply
OF raw cotton. does only 4.S per cent OF the
export trade in the various manufactured
cotton products
Germany. France and Switzerland each
lead the United States In exports OF cotton
goods, and it Is only within few years
that we have passed Holland and Japan In
this trade.
"One OF the principal causes is found in
the peculiar conditions which govern the
sale of the products Of the cotton mills,
conditions which are not generally found
outside OF the textile industries,
Very few GOTTEN mills do their own
selling, but dispose Of their product entire
/ ly through commission merchants, who are
given exclusive control Of the sale of tho
output.
"Tho mill, therefore. does not come di-
rectly into touch with the purchasers
other at home or abroad, and knows Of
! trade conditions, requirements and posi-
bilities only at second hand.
~ =
THE number OF mddlemen who take
profits at various stages between the mill
and the foreign consumer tends also-ss her
to reduce the proceeds for the manufact-
urer or to increase the cos: to the buyer
In many cases in the China trade for ex-
ample, the mill passes its goods through
! its regular commission house, thence
I 49, ,,svl, a.
mission export house in New York 20 the
| importing merchant in China or elsewhere
! In such procession as this no one Of
/ the intermediates has any particular in
terest in the trade beyond the profits of
his own part in the transaction. Where
the goods come from ar to whom they
are going flraily is of little moment.
such methods Of handling the export
trade in cotton goods are too cumbersome
to permit of very rapid growth, aud the
mill and the consumer must get closer to-
gether II larger trade is to result
III I may be pardoned for saying Il.
will venture the opinion that the conser-
vative policy of American commission
houses, and manufacturers as we'll. has
been something Of deterrent influence
! Both have manifested reluctance TO con-
| form to the requirements of the foreign
buyer.
know OF once instance In which a
commission house declined a sample order
for about $4,000 worth of brown sheetlngs,
which were wanted by very heavy buyer
in the Levant, and the only reason for the
refusal was the buyers request for an
extra label in characters, which the COM
mission merchant said he could not undes-
stand.
1.-THE difficulties which are encountered
In the development OF foreign trade re
less serious than they appear when first
viewed by a manufacturer whose whole
business life has been devoted TO the pro-
duction of goods for market Immediately
at hand among his own people.
There is no obstacle to the opening OF
foreign outlets which will not vanish
quickly before the determined effort OF
the American manufacturer There i.
! nothing in the requirements of the foreign
buyer OF cotton goods which our manu-
taeturers can not meet Just as easily and
lust as readily as their English and Eu-
ropean competitors
when asked to chance his methods 10
meet the wants OF the foreign buyer the
manufacturer often hesitates and then de-
elines because ne doubts whether 1t will
pay TO depart from his long established
methods. There Is 81 the United States
much OF disposition TO wait for foreign
trade thst practically guarantees that the
| trade viii not come.
1T IS gratifying to note. however. tnaI
many cotton manufacturers are equippina
themselves TO handle export trade. are
preparing 10 meet foreign requirements to
the fullest degree. and are reaching out
Cor direct connections with large buyers
abroad.
within the past three days have re-
cs!yed letter from one OF the largest
cotton manufacturing corporations in the
sunitsd States asking me to suggest q