Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-27
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
CIRCULATION.
WE GET THE BUSINESS.


have entered the markets of the world
and what is more to the point of get
ting the business. s
4 To an unthinking person such a con-
dition seems strange, after he has
been told that wages in European
countries are lower than in this, and
he naturally wonders why American
manufacturers can compete with for
eign corporations.
The gist of the matter is that Amer
lean machinery is. the finest made and
this coupled with American push and
ability to see the true inwardness of a
situation, enables them to gain sew
eral points in the race for the com.
mercial plums.
Englishmen hint that this is true
but would much rather attribute it to
something else, while acknowledging
American supremacy.
The Editor of the British and South
African Export Gazette has been stir
ring up the British and South African
pnblic on the fact that American man
ufacturers are making rapid Roadway
In the markets of Africa. In a letter
to the leading publication in London
and republished in the British and
South African Export Gazette of No.
vember 1900, just received by the
treasury bureau of statistics, he saws:
For the information of your read,
ers, herewith append lengthy
INST or some orders lately ex.
ecuted, or now being executed in
America for Cape Colony. My data
may not be exact as to quantities, ETC.,
but the fact remains that such orders
nave been or are in process of being
executed:
In December, 1897, American makes
had in hand orders for go saloon car.
riages for the equipment of the eastern
section of the Cape Government rail
way, and in that month six 50-ton
locomotives were delivered at the Cape
Government railway works from the
Baldwin Works of Messrs. Durham
Williams & Co., Philadelphia.
In March, 1896, six improved Pull
man cars We're landed at Cape Town
for the Cape Government railway.
In July, 1890, several Baldwin loco
motives were delivered at Cape Town
in part completion of Cape Government
contracts. In that month, according to
the general manager of the Cape Gov
eminent railways, there were still 80
engines and about 10000 pounds ster-
ling worth of trucks and other rolling
stock on order in England and
America. Four engines built by
Dickson & Co., Philadelphia, for the
Selati railway, have been acquired by
the Cape government, and are now
running on the Wynberg branch.
In September, 1900, the Union
Switch and Signal company, of Pitts
burg, Pa, U. S. A., had in hand large
order for special frogs and switches
for the Cape Government railways,
and several side tank engines from
the Baldwin works were daily expect
cd to be delivered at Cape Town for
the railways.
In September, 1900, the Pressed
Steel Car Co., of Pittsburg, u. S. A.,
had in hand an order for the Cape
Government railways for several steel
platform cars of 40 tons capacity.
Apart from these items it is signifi-
cant that for the year ending June
30, 1899, the United States of America
shipped 40,691 tons of steel rails to
South Africa (value 100000 pounds
sterl1ng), as against 3,105 tons (value
1914 pounds sterling) in the previous
year. In the estimates of the Cape
Government for the current year the
sum OF 645,SO2 sterling is put down for
rolling stock, locomotives, ETC., but
nothing is, of course, said as to where
these large orders will be placed.
DO not altogether blame the Cape
Colony for thus diverting a large share
OF It's orders to other countries, for it
is notorious, as Sir Walter Peace has
remarked, that as time is now the es-
sence OF the contract, British engin-
eering firms have been and are unable
70 accept them, the work already in
hand being more than they can over
take. Price, too, is an important
factor, and especially is this SO with
railway material, locomotives and
trucks, which cost considerably less in
the United States than in the United
Kingdom. 1t is, however, impossible
TO overlook the fact that many impor-
tant orders have gone to America from
the Cape that could have been placed
N tnls country had efforts been made
to this end; and, rightly or wrongly
suspicion exists in the minds of manu-
facturers that is entirely due to the
anti-British tendencies of some of the
Cape's officials. Whatever the rea-
son, the empire at large will agree
that it is disgraceful that other coun-
tries should receive the advantages of
the sacrifices we have made in the
Boer war; and while admitting that
governments, like individuals, must
be guided by business prudence it will
certainly be lamentable if every effort
be not strained to check the tenden-
cy to favour the foreign manufacturer
at the expense of his British competi-
tors.
There is one way whereby the ten
der system leads to the diversion of
orders to America, even despite the
good Intentions of the colonial gov
eminent, This is in case where no