Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-02

.toDef ~, 1919, at the poStOftiCe. Ottum-
wa, Iowa. under the Act of Congress Of
March 8. 1879.
WOULD BE FOLLY TO CHANGE
BUSINESS METHODS.
Suppose that you had been conduct
ing Il business for number of years,
and finally came to the conclusion that
you would modify your methods along
lines, which you were convinced from
slight experience would prove more
satisfactory than the one originally en-
ployed. And suppose that after a few
years under this new plan you made a
comparison with some of your compel
itors, and found that instead of doing
the smallest amount of business you
were leading them in the amount of
trade by several thousand dollars. you
would hang on to the business methods
that had brought you in such large re-
turns. There wouldn't be any ifs nor
lands" about it, would there? You'd
just simply stand pat and continue
doing business at the same old stand.
and according to the improved meth
DDS That the general proposition evil
denced in this individual case will APP
ply with the same fitness to the bust
IL, CduuOC
be successfully gainsaid. By this
measurement, therefore, let us exam
inc into the business transactions of
the United States.
For more than century and quar-
ter Uncle Sam has been boing business
He has tried numerous and varied
schemes for promoting his foreign
trade with varying success. Free
trade, tariff for revenue only, and pro-
tective policies have formed the basis
of his operations For the first hun
dred years, however, his progress was
slow. In 1860, as the result of his pre-
vious brief experience, Uncle Sam de-
.cided that he would give the protec-
tive policy a thorough trial, believing
that under it would come to him the
greatest possibilities for the develop
ment of his foreign trade. He at once
inaugurated this policy. After fifteen
years of work along this line he found
himself fourth in the list of the worlds
great exporters, of domestic products,
as follows:
United Kingdom. =. $1,OS7. $4,000
France. :. ...a ...... TAI 100000
Germany ). ........ 593,052,00
United States. i. ). 1858, 1877
I Quite we'll content with this showing
t1le vet determined to do better, and
continued to perfect his policy of pro-
lection with the result that ten years
later he had risen to third place, the
exports Of the four leading merchant
countries being:
United Kingdom. :, -. ISL, 037 $4,000
Germany. 1885,. -. 6Su,o5l,OOO
United States. ...... 1888, 500
France. 49,. $50. 96,000,O0O
A continuation Of business along
these lines during the next decade
changed the standing of the merchant
nations Uncle Sam at this time taking
second place:
United Kingdom ...... $1,10O4 ASP, 900
United States -. .... >. S07,742,415
Germany -. -. 81. S9,660,O00
France =. 49,. 651 100000
So great had Uncle Sans business
(: become that some Of his boys, with
greater zeal than knowledge, thought
to extend his interests more rapidly
by conducting his business along free
trade lines, and Uncle Sam, kind to a
fault at times gave them charge, for
four short years. At the end of this
time, however, they were turned off
and Uncle Sam again engaged manag-
ers, who believed that the foreign
business could be more satisfactorily
extended upon the substantial basis
of sound and growing domestic in
dustry and commerce. Less than
ten years have passed since this last
adjustment and the wisdom of it is
evidenced in the report of the stand
ing of the four leading commercial
nations, for 1903:
United States 80, -. 81, 457, 565, 1888
United Kingdom j. $3.50. 1,415,617, $50
Germany ;. !. -. $3.50. i 100000, 900
France S12,000,000I
The business methods in use by|
Uncle Sam have in the past quarter
of century increased his export trade
from S497,263,737 to $1,457, 565,7S3 or
$3.50, 3O2,036. The result has been that
instead of being the smallest export
err of domestic products of the four
leading commercial nations, Uncle
Sam today holds lead of more than
$40,000,000. His export trade for
1903 reached nearly billion and a
half dollars where in 1875 it amounted
to less than half billion That Uncle
Sans present business methods are
the best ever used is plain to one and
all who will carefully consider the rec
ord of transactions for the past twenty
five year, 1t would be utter folly to
change.
AN INSPIRING MEMORY.
Cherished in the hearts of loving
people the memory of the late Presi- |