The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-27
MANNHEIM A TRADE CENTRE.
The American Consul Calls the At
fentiOn eft manufacturers to IT.

AeHABon hfAnuEsISKGEeES 10
Mannheim. Germany, has become quite a
centre for American manufactures and
II. ". Harris, the United States Consul at
that place, has, through a communication
to the State Department, called the at
tention of American manufactures to the
Importance as a point for the establish
ment of facilities for distribution to
southern and western German cities The
combined population Of Mannheim and
Ludwigshafen- which are only separated
by the River Rhine. Is 20I. Noo. exclusive of
a suburban population Of I0o00- Mr. Har-
lis. writing TO the State Department,
says:
There passed through the customs de
partment of Mannheim, including the city
90 LudwiSshafen- during the year 1890 the
following quantities. in metric tons, of
some important articles Of import into the
Empire:
Wheat. 1921: rye. 1913; oats. I5.O12;
barley, IL.=25; corn. $3.50: lumber. 50.6lS:
tropical fruits. i,fs5; raw coffee. 1905: IN
manufactured tobacco. 2.22f: refined peJro-
leum, $3.50; superphosphate, 5,465.
"On December / 1850. there were in the
warehouses of this city the following
quantities in metric tons of the more i'm
portant articles of merchandise:
Wheat In; rye, 2.49S: cats, 1892; bar
ley. 3.7gS: corn. 1872. -four 761: rice. pa;
coffee 1.2II: petroleum. I5.T4I-
These figures are referred to merely
for the pUrpose-of indicating the impcr-
! tance of Mannheim. situated at the head
Of the principal Rhine navigation, as d
/ centre Of trade for southwestern Ger
many and the nearby territory. and as
preliminary to the suggestion that in GER
tain other lines of export. the same ter
! ritory has rot been so systematically
worked as in those named above.
Letters received and other enquiries
{ made would indicate that some of orr
manufacturers are still hoping to sell TO
retail dealers direct, often by means Of
/ correspondence alone. In isolated cases.
good results may have followed this
I method In the snajority of cases. it GER
tainIy does notz have the desired effect
/ The local dealer is generally timid and
buys cautiously. If his American stock
I is low, he can replenish only after long
delays In the meantime. his customers
want goods. and he soon becomes disgust
ed with the effort to sell goods which
must come to him a distance Of 5000 miles
or more On the other hand the manu-
facturer, being remote from the consum-
er, has less chance to study the needs
of the particular locality and to adapt
! his goods to those needs. The foreign
business appears to be insignificant. and
! he soon neglects it or abandons II en-
tirely.
The shoe trade as II exists in this city
! is perhaps the best Illustration in point
At least six dealers sell American shoes
They buy from manufacturers in Boston
al in Chicago These dealers report a
/ c.@siderabIe demand for American shoes
! This demand certainly exists but it is
s, = to say that the trade in American
: 81 ges in this combined city of 200. 600 peo-
pie would not require nearly the fun time
: OF one clerk; and it IS doubtful whether
( it ever will while the dealer must get his
/ supply direct from the manufacturer in
! the United States and meet the usual de-
! lays incident to shipments over long dis
tauces and by different lines Of transpOr-
tation. II the local shoe dealer could re
I plenish his stock from some large supply
house in this city. Berlin, OF Hamburg,
there is no doubt that the trade in Amer
I lean shoes in Mannheim and the neigh
/ boring cities OF Karlsruhe, Heidelberg,
( Baden Baden. Wiesbaden, Freiburg, etc,
would be an important item
What is true Of the shoe trade will be
I true to q greater or less extent in all
cases where the retail dealer must depend
upon the manufacturer directly Tor MS
supply IN most lines. il may be fairly
/ said, our manufacturers have recognized
/ this and the most ample facilities have
been afforded for supplying the local deal
er The results have been IN most cases
I satisfactory. and the city Of Mannheim
Is a desirable point in which to apply the
principle still further Manufacturing IS
/ constantly growing in extent and variety
in this part of Germany and creating new
! demands for improved machinery and
tools This activity has given risl TO a
1 large amount of new residence building.
which should make n constant demand
for our bath tubs. furniture. and other
! articles Of export
The selection Of this city as a location
for large warehouses and factories by
such foreign concerns as the Standard OIL
Company. the Pure Oil Company. . US
sian oil corapaT5-- the Diamond Match
COMPANY and Others Is evidence Of its
desirability as a centre OF distribution for
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