The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-24
PRESSED BY AMERICANS
Yankee EncrOachments on the
South African Trade.
locomotives, Pullman and other
Cars Supplied by Firms in 80
United states-yyori1 Can ~ Exc
cuted More Quickly in Thi, Coun-
try Than 1t Can in England

The editor of the British and South
African Export Gazette" has been stirring
up the British and South African public
on the fact that American manufacturers
are making rapid headway in the markets
of Africa. In q letter to the leading pub
LEGATION in London and repubiished in the
British and South African Export Ga
zette" of November, 1890, just received by
the Treasury Bureau Of Statistics. he
says:
For the information of your readers, l
append herewith lengthy list of some
orders lately executed, or now being exc
cuted- in America for Cape Colony. My
data NAV not be exact as to quantities,
but the fact remains that such orders
have been, or are in process OF being, ex-
ecuted;
In December. 1897, American makers
had in hand orders for sixty saloon car
riages for the equipment of the eastern
section of the Cape Government RailWay
ana in that month six hfty-ton Iocomo-
tives we're delivered at the Cape Govern
ment Railway Works from the Baldwin
Works of NeSsrs BuTnham, Williams &
Co., Philadelphia.
In March, 1896, six improve Pullman
cars we're landed at Cape Town for the
Cape Government Railway.
In July 1860, several Baldwin iocOmo-
tiYes we're delivered at Cape Town in part
| completion of Cape Government contracts
IN that month, according to the general
ma mayer of the Cape Government Rail
! ways, there we're still thiFty-nine engines
and about EGO geo worth of trucks and
other rolling stock on order in England
and America Four engines built
| by Messrs Dickson & Co. Philadelphia.
/ by the Cape Government, and are now
running on the Wynberg branch
In September, 1900 the Union Switch
and Signal Company OF Pittsburg. L. s.
A. had in hand large order for special
| frogs and switches for the Cape Govern
nlent Railways, and several side tank en-
gines from the Baldwin Works were daily
| expected 10 be delivered at Cape Town for
| the railways
IN September 1900. the Pressed Steel
| Car Company. of PittsbuTg United States
\ of America. mad in hand an order for thu
/ Cape Government railways fer several
! steel platform cars Of forty tons capacity
| Apart from these items 1t IS sign f.
! cant that t3r the year ending June 90,
| 1883. the United States of America
| shipped 40. 691 tons of steel rails to South
| Africa tvalue $50. G00), as against 3. 1C5
| tons fvalue e13 14D in the previous year
/ In the estimates of the Cape Government
/ for tae current year the sum of E645. seq
/ is pUt down for rolling stock. locomotives.
4 etc. but nothing is, OF course. said as to
| where these large orders will be placed
Il do not altogether blame the Cape
1 Colony for thus diverting a large share Of
| its orders 20 other countries. for it is no
4 torious. as Sir Walter Peace has remark
| ed, that as time is nov the essence of the
| contract. British engineering firms have
4 been. and are, unable to accept them the
| work already in hand being more than
! they can Overtake- Price, too is an i'm
| portant factor and especially is this SO
| with railway material. locomotives. and
| trucks which cost considerably less il
4 the United States than in the United
| Kingdom It is, however. impossible TO
| overlook the fact that many important or
| de-s have gone TO America from the Cape
| that could have been placed IN this coun-
] try had efforts been made to this end:
and, rightly Or wrongly, a suspicion exists
| in the minds OF manufacturers that is en-
| tirely due to the anti British tendencies
OF some Of the CaPe's officials
| Whatever the reason the Empire at
| large will agree that it is disgracefuI
| other countries should reap the advan-
| tage OF the unparalleled sacrifices we have
| made in the Boer war; and while admit
| ting tnat governments. like individuals
| must be guided by business prudence. 1t
VIII certainly be lamentabIe II every eff
fort be not strained 20 check the ten
dency 70 favor the foreign manufacturer
| at the expense OF his British competitors
There is one way whereby the tender
| system leads TO the diversion Of orders 10
/ America, even despite the good intentions
| Of the colonial governments This is in
| case where no stipulations are inserted in
| the contracts that the material employed
| shall be ordered OF British manufacturers
| Quite recently an order for rails for a
Natal municipality found its way to the
| Loraln Steel Company. Of Johnstown. Pa
IN this way. wholly, it is permissible 10
! believe, against the intentions of the mn
| nIcipa! authorities. AMI possibly against
| the intentions of the contractors. vf13 had
probably based their estimate on the low
| er American cost"