Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-01-05
SLAMS ELECTRIC BOOM
White Elephants Stable Light
ed With Incandescent Lamps
POWER FOB QUICK AUTOS NEXT.

Consul General King Says Tendency
Of the Electrical Trade Is Toward
the American Earket-3sany Sup
plies For New Tramway Ordered
Here--CompIaints of the siamese.
The stable of the white elephant OF
the king of Siam is lighted by electric
ity, and the priests who worship the
pachyderm ride to and from his tenn
pie In an electric trolley car, says the
New York Journal.
Electricity has captured the Siamese.
Bangkok is lighted with 10000 lamps,
and the company that does the work
pays per cent dividends.
The electric company announces that
1t Will shortly be able to furnish power
for electric automobiles. The streets
are well paved. All that Is needed to
give the automobile trade a boost is
for the king to be seen riding about in
one. This. 1t is said, will be arranged
shortly.
Hamilton King, United States consul
general to Siam, writes encouragingly
to Washington Of the electrical boom.
"The three companies that import
electric supplies report that their busi-
ness has more than doubled during the
last ~ months, while to my personal
knowledge their orders during the last
two months have exceeded those Of
any II previous months. There is
large and rapidly increasing business
along this line In Bangkok. and there
is no reason why the United States
should not get generous share. The
tendency is toward the American mar
ket
1.-THE orders for the entire supplies
for the new tramway during the last
two months have been placed in the
United States, with the exception of
the rails. The order for the rails went
to England, because the company
thought they were unable to secure the
peculiar kind they wished In any other
country. This, however, ] believe Is
largely due to want of information on
the subject. Again large quantity Of
the American electrical goods used here
comes through London and European
houses. This Is another obstacle that
can be removed by our manufacturers
placing themselves In direct conmuni-
cation with importers here. American
goods are In favor, and the prices suit.
"The importers complain of Ameri-
can lack of promptness in attention to
business. While goods are delivered
L 10 fvV,r,
they are ordered from Europe and
England. seven or eight months, and
sometimes more. are consumed In get
ting them from the United States. This
delay should be remedied. 1t Is within
my knowledge that answers to impor-
tant cables have been delayed a full
month.
II quote from a letter just received
at this office from one of the leading
importers of this city bangkok:
My experience tn doing business
with The United States for the last ten
years is that generally in the United
States you get for the same money II
better article tSsan in ssost European
countries; but. @ith few exceptions.
American firms are NOT prepared for
business with distant countries. Some
of them have not even cable address.
and nearly all are slow and unsys-
tematic in their correspondence. Ship
ping arrangements to Siam are also
defective. as much as four or FIVE
months sometimes elapsing between
shipments from New York (whence
we get most of our goods) and arrival
in Bangkok.
"Tn consequence, we often prefer to
order dearer or inferior articles from
Europe to avoid delay and uncer-
tainty.'"