The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-15
MORE THAN THREE PER CENT?
statistics Of Exports Of MANUFACTURES
Ques,ioned-The Eject 81 strikes.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-.Sr' All thst
you Set down In your editorial. we Need
Larger Foreign Markets, Is both interesting
and exact But. In the opinion OF q number OF
export merchants and manufacturer OF TINS
city and neighborhood who export largely.
the statemen tina only per cent. Of American
manufactures Is exported is incorrect, though
the statement is grounded upon Government
reports CON piled with care from the best OBJ
tsinlbe statistics.
1t il doubtful il there is a manufacturer or
an exporter in the United States who has gwen
our Government or newspaper an accurate
report Of sales on foreign account. know
machinery manufacturing corporation ID
New Jersey which has twenty-seven foreign
agents and which at the present time has
enough foreign orders on its books TO keep
more than thousand men at work for nine
months Another concern in Newark. IN the
same state, sells in Europe three-ssvenths OF
the output OF a plant which employs nearly
thousand men. A machinery making con-
Germ in New York city sells in the European
markets machinery to the value OF saUOouo
year These firms habitually report TO the
Government statisticians or to reporters Tor
the industrial or daily press who ask Tor In
formation about export trade that they 90
next to nothing for foreign markets. The
largest export firms in New York city. Boston
and Philadelphia have never allowed anybody
in their ELI pioy to state the amount OF their
business.
Merchants and manufs ctursrs in our own
country and In Europe take pains to keep the
knowledge of the amount OF their sales from
public reports. Al the present time the for
-isn markets for machinery. leather. and
leather goods. shelf hardware. tools and
woodsnware are dull owing to the general
commercial depression which rules in several
European countries
Our manufacturers who export 70 countries
in which long credits are given have curtaued
business OF late owing TO the existing strikes
and threatened strikes wh'S9 unads 1mDoss I.
notably the case with certain kinds OF COTTON
goods which are made especially ior China.
for which market prices must be made moro
than 4 year ahead. These cotton goods are
sold al very close profit a mere shaving OF
a margin that is only possible through the
closest economies OF production; recent
strike in New England cotton mills resulted IN
China, Japan, and India. the loss Of which Will
pinch the bones Of the New England opera
tiyss in the coming wintef =. ~. and. y, 4,
earth and make good capital Tor the salesme en-
OF our foreign competitors. who say to their
customers:
lea. tn land OF strikes. where your orders m ay
be- h ED for months until the Knights OF Labor,
the Sovereigns OF Industry. the unSrowned
Machinis,s' Business Disturbing Union have
and ship owners sweat blood"
There are in Europe and ASIA N-oAy not
fewer than a thousand frs -class American
travelling statesmen all Of whom make 10 Al
most every letter home the statement that tn e
strikes in this country are the great factor In
keeping them out OF GGaHWy rf orasr' p.Ascr.
NEW YORK. June ~.