New-York tribune., 1902-08-09
TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.
MUCH OF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN CAPT
URED BY AMERICANS. BUT THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING IT.

URED BY AMERICANS. But THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING 1T.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: How to secure larger share OF the uaoe
Of South Africa for Great Britain is agitating the
minds of British statesmen and manufacturers
and a committee Of experts has been proposed ana
efforts being made to adjust matters IN
the lire of growth or TO recommend diherentiai
tariff to accomplish the results desired Ihe BTU
ish and South African Export Gazette rghtH re-
marks in \ recent issue that all efforts Will De
shor of much Of their utility If the British manu-
factlrers do not respond by producing what the
colonies require and that all the Information IN e
world will avail but little if there continues 70 pe
the same lack OF responsiveness as mas peeh us
played in the past.
There's -be rub and that IS one of the reasons
but not the main reason-why Americans nave
captured so much of the trade british naiiuido'-
,,rers are Of the opinion that they have been given
the cold shoulder by the colonies This cannot oe
.o 7ra6a is governed the world over by certain
fixed conditions that are inmutable. Countries
like individuals buy where they ca7 buy the chedP
est goods the most efficient and deslrabe' fudlly
considered and the British colonies. loyal as theE
are 70 the mother country. cannot be expected 70
exec1te any such regulations closing thelr
ports to foreign shipping" as has been suggested
Preference for British goods for IKE preference
:, colonial products will not avail Preferenual
duties and a high tariff on foreign goods o'hei
than British or colonial will also not avail for le
customs duties of the colonies are wanted to sup
port the government and are fully as hlsh as oU'
own tariff They co well. however. IN eNactl1S no
duties on articles in the needed to produce OF
that enter into articles OF merchandise they pro-
duce The establishment of q British colonlai eN-
hibition in the colonies while its eIect VIII "e
good as are all such exhibitions. cannot shut OUT
foreign goods that are needed ana ''la' toS119 ~
elements Of efficiency.
rb.+ R-itisb manufacturing interests are alive
70 the value of their colonial trade goes without
saying and the South African Trace Cou!lcH I'd icy
apponted has been organized 10 proceed 10 Sou'h
Africa and investigate and report upon the conuI-
+Io7s and the facilities for British trade It is said
thar many Of the members Of the committee OF
council are experts in their lines. and as they are
now in South Africa. their report may De soon eN-
rected The British and South African export
ceze++a- suggests that consular bureaus might be
established with powers. which would perform the
functions and services Of foreign consus on oehai
of the trade Of Great Britain. The committee Is
divided into three different sectlons one peI"k &c
,o,od to engineering interests and It is suggested
that special attention should be given 10 thls IN
terest which has been undermined or seriously
threatened by foreign competition Ondertnlheo
is hardly the word to use, for American :'lItIls
machinery was necessary TO develop economically
the production OF gold in the TransVaa American
experience in mining for many years produced ma
chnery and appliances that were efficient and eco
nanicai and adapted TO the wants OF me trans
yaal miners and in order to mine successfully
American mining machinery and appliances were a
necessity.
No foreign manufacturer OF mining machinery
was undermined, for foreign MANUFACTURED could
uroduce the machinery necessary. The same may
be said only Of English but also OF German
agricultural machinery, which has in this case
been crowded out, and trade In which has been
seriously threatened by American machinery, not
Only because the American product has been
pushed, but for the main reason that American
experience in agriculture, as well as in mining has
brought forth inventive genius which has pro-
duced machinery 10 do the work required, 40 Il
IpE east n sll
Tne farm machinery OF other non-farnIns cOun-
tnes as weu as UHe mining macnlucry CI
no.-ininlng COUNTRIES as nOt up date. Iney
chaIses Dut seldom as they are considered
see II is stated that the revenue of the Trans
ysai Tor the year en9eo SGe dS VIII and nf ao0nt c0
expressed mat by the emo OF the next year
OF 1855 the year before the war. My od fiiend
George Albu, large mine owner, says that
the EXPANSION Of the mining industry which would
IoUM srTaTtdne The volume Of trade Vii Certainly
exceed All precedents. Millions are to be expended
in railways, ana other millions Tor other PrFate
stocking Of the farms, the homes. the stores etc.
and the compensation OF those OF f al S
their own Will help TO start the bail rolling and
In January. 1902. in detailed statement, at pres
ent essible note an increase OF american 3 im-
January of 1901, or S01 per cent. The importation
cent also thal OF telephone and lei graph mate
riaIs. builders hardware and tools electrical ma
shoes canned beef etc. while butter was
ported IN June, 1877, against none IN June, lSJl
safely packed, should nnG a large market in South
Africa. Belgium, Australia and Canada now have
Assuming that The American manufacturer and
producefcan have their shar- of the South African
trade opening up, they should bear in mind
fat be carefny n9f coneered and it is the old esTab
lished wholesale houses that IL have not been af-
Such houses will run the risk of granting credits
to the newcomers in business and the old Gus,
toners that were forced TO close by the war. and
very naturally suffered financially thereby.
/ also note that mining machinery to the value
the first quarter of the year 1902 against only $1,000
In the first quarter ot 1901, and most of it of
In fact the increase of trade from LOW on will
surprise the most sceptical. All that is required
for the American manufacturer and producer Is a
knowledge of the wants OF the South African peo-
pie and the most economical methods of delivery
To-day everything shipped to South Africa from
have not single line of our own Every dollar
received from South Africa for goods sold has to
be collected through foreign banking institutions,
German bank in South Africa, for the Germans
realize that it is only by keen competition that
The establishment of this bank would make Ger
man capital and German manufacturers indepen-
ties upon which they now rely. German and
French capital employed in South Africa, particu-
Britain. and I see 1t is estimated by report from
the United States Consul at C'hemritZ that German
in the Transvaal The success of foreign banking
Institutions in South Africa, China and elsewhere
is an example that should American capi-
'"'-9'0 JAMES C. STOWE.
Ex-Consul General to Cape Town.
Kansas City, Mo, July g. 1902.
THE HOG ON HIS TRAVELS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir; That man hogs not all dead yet was in
evidence on Monday on the 4:I6 .. m. train from