The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-11-21
SOUTH AFRICA
A GREAT MARKET
Enormous Value of the Trade to
Great Britain.

| London, Nov. 1.-THE board of trade
today issued an interesting blue book
containing the report of Henry Birche-
nough, writer on statistical and polit-
zeal subjects, who was sent to South
Africa as special commissioner to in
quire into the present condition and
prospects of British trade ir, that coun-
try.
| In his report Commissioner Birche-
noush lays stress on the magnitude of
the South African market which, he
says, has increased $50 per cent in the
last ten years, the greatest increase.
however, having been shown in the last
two years. The annual value of this
trade now exceeds the sum of S235, 000-
900, and the commissioner says that
the rapidity with which South Africa
has come to the front as great market
for the exploitation of British manu-
facturers is almost startling.
Britain's Largest Customer
Commissioner Birchenough points out
That decade ago British exports to
South Africa were under S45, geo, 900,
while during the last year they exceed
ed $3.50, 600, 000 In 1898 South Africa
stood sixth in the list of Great Britain's
customers, but last year it was beaten
diets that South Africa will this year
be the largest buyer in the world of the
produce and manufactures of the
mother country.
These facts, the commissioner says. will
make South Africa one of the greatest
factors in commercial and industrial ex-
pansion. The present depression in min
ing and in general trade he considers to
be only temporary.
While there is a strong sentiment in
favor of British goods, British manufac-
turers, especially those in the engineering
trade, show a decided lack of vigor and
enterprise. Their most serious compeu-
tors are the manufacturers of the United
States and Germany. American rivalry
is in concentrated and refined branches
of trade in the natural products, such as
foOdstuffs, timber and paraffine, which
forms large proportion of American
imports to South Africa. The United
States completes with Australia and Can
ada, but not with Great Britain.
Strong Competition.
Commissioner Birchenough points out
that competition from the United States
is materially aided by the low freight
rates at which competing British vessels
carry American cargoeS. German COM
petition is not as formidable. except in
the case OF electrical machinery.
The board of trade commissioner sum
marizes the causes of successful foreign
competition, naming among them the SUI
periOrity of some of the natural resources
of foreign countries. the exercise of in
genuity and inventiveness, of closer study
of the requirements of those with whom
they deal, greater alertness and less con-
serVatism, the superiority of some of their
business methods, their closer adherence
to contract dates of delivery, the adop-
ton of standardization and THE better
finish and makeup of their goods. as
well as the fact that their products are
dumped from protected home markets.
Other considerations pointed out by the
commissioner are the greater liberality
in terms Of sale and the presence at the
mines of AGerican engineers who are
favorably disposed to American machin-
cry.
The commissioner supplements his re-
port by several recommendations, among
which are that British manufacturers
learn the weak points of their organiza-
tion study the methods of their rivals.
send direct representatives to the trading
zone and establish their system of credit
on a more liberal scale ensure more
prompt delivery, adopt standard types of
machinery, secure the British financial
condition of as many undertakings as
possible, and the uniformity of British
foreign freights and through rates and
bills of ladng to destination.