The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-14
INCREASED TRADE IN BELGIUM.
American-Nude Goods Selling ut Ad-
Vuncpd Prices There.


Alfred A winsiow. the Au,r Jean Con
sui at Liese, Belgium. writes to the state
department that trade between his con
SUlar district and the United States is
undergoing many important changes, gen
orally TO the advantage Of the latter
The consumption Of Aulerican-made
goods here, the Consul says, is hveral
times as great as it was three yeaIs ago
1t is very common thing to see in
] iege shop window a show card bearing
the word 'AmericIinc.' In some cases.
however, the articles are limitations
Goods manufactured in the United States
meet with a much more ready sale than
formerly, and usually at a considerable
advance in price. since their great SUPERB
GRITTY has come TO be so generally TeCog-
nized.
The change in the variety and quantity
of goods shipped to the United States is
also very marked. 1t IS interesting to
note that more than one-third of the fire
arms imported by the United States from
this district are in the shape of gun-bar-
rel tubes, rough bored and forged. Prior
to the 1897 tariff law and for a year there
after, a shipment of gun barrels was \
rare occurrence, and when one was made
! it was Of nish-gra,Ie DaElask barrels
During January, 1900. there were ship
! ped to the United States IS, SOL Eun-barreI
! tubes, valued at Sf6.I1S.59, and for FebTu-
/ airy 1883 tubes, at S16.456.52, against for
/ January Of this year 24,S9l tubes at a
value of S19. $50 50, and for February Z7.TT1
/ tubes at S2l 1853 1t viii be noted that a
/ year ago the average price for q gun
/ barrel tube was So cents. while this year
/ the average is 50 cents, and the quality of
! the goods shipped is said to be better.
Had the 7,IS2 gun-barreI tubes export
+ ed during January and February OF, last
/ year been made into guns and shipped to
| the United States, as they were prior to
! 1893, they would have represented a value
of at least $1I1, $40. instead of So 555.11, and
/ those for the same time this year, 1854, $50
! instead of $41.5l6-z9-
+ Guns that were shipped to the United
States prior to 1891 at from 1913 to S6-5I
are now sold at from $454 to $3.50. and in
! most cases the quality Of TIE guns is far
superior to what it formerly was. About
/ four-fifths of the guns exported to the
] United States from here are machine
made. The parts are interchangeable
Z and are far superior to the handmade ar
ticIes sold at the same price Nearly all
/ the machinery used in the manufacture
Of these guns is imported from the United
/ %
particular interest is its Capitalization AT
present, - per cent of the suns sent to
/ the United States are shipped by four
| firms. whereas formerly there were TWEEN
( " about equally represented
/ During the first two months CT this
year, beet sugar to the amount of $3.50 d
was exported 20 the United States. For
/ the same period. no straw goods were
shipped from here, against S2-5JL1G for the
! same period in 1900 and Si255l- II for 1893
The reason given by exporters Tor this de-
cline is that the braids are made so much
cheaper in Switzerland and Italy that they
are driven out Of the American market
/ For the year 1891. wool and WOODEN
goods cut a big figure in the exports from
{ this district but since that time they
/ have been a small factor. not a pound 81
I wool having been sent to the United StateE
Z and only 1896. 1874 worth Of WOODEN goods
for the fiscal year ended June %. 1900.
/ The expectation Of sailed sheepskins
however, shows a Temarka bic increase. be.
ing $40. 359 - for the fiscal year ended June
I -. 1883 and Sis9269.6S for the year ended
! June 30. 1850. The shipments of cut glass
also show a marked increase over January
/ and February Of last year
! For the first tow months of 1929 thC
/ exports from this district We're SlZ3 95}. 80
for 1868. SI4Z. 6-3J and for 1901 SI59 1879 Is
I while for the fiscal year ended June 80
1895. they amounted 10 Si,Z3t 1923: for
1899 81 SCI fg1Q 81 tst2 "a