Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-02-03
IMBRIcAN GOODS IN FRANCE.
mr. Consul nj Rheims Gives
Advice and Points of Interest
to the Trade.

Il
The best way to sell American goods
in this part Of France is to establish
a general agency at Paris and work the
surrounding territory by means Of trav-
ling or local agents, says a report from
United States Consul William A. Prick
lit, Rheims, France.
In this manner more goods can be
exported at one time and much lower
rates of transportation secured. Have
Fthe catalogues and advertising matter
printed in French. and have capable
men, familiar with the goods, for
agents. The Paris agency of an Amer
Elcan typewriting company has estab-
lished "a local agency at Rheims dur
ing the past year. 1t has an excellent
igent, who has succeeded in selling many
machines. The breakfast foods force"
and quaker oats" have been placed
On sale at n of the finest grocery
stores in the city, The paper boxes
containing the cereals are printed on
all sides with statements describing
their merits, directions for use, ETC., In
the French language. A little pamph-
let in French is given to each Gus
TONER. These goods, owing to the way
they are being pushed, are having good
sales. American ~evaporHted fruits,
particularly apples and apricots. T
having increased sales, and inferior ma
tive apples are selling at retail in the
markets at this date at five cents a pound.
owing to the failure of the apple crop.
There is a heavy duty on apples for the
table s 40 per 220 pounds.
During my administration as consul
have explained many times why the
merchants here do not import directly
from the United States. The differ.
4 snce in the money, weights and meas
lures and the absence of a port OF en-
y try make 1t very difficult to establish
5 direct communication between would
be sellers in the United States and pur-
chasers at Rheims. l have succeeded
: in doing. this in a few instances, but
even after one or two sales were made
, 1.-THE seller lost the trade because he had
, no one on this side to look after 1t.
1.-THE commercial traveller is always in
/? evidence, and the solicitor for trade on
the spot, and his something which he
declares ''just as ,good.or better" than
. the article furnished by the absent seller,
: q almost sure of success. AS a rule,
! lcompetitioh is now so great that trade
must be continually looked after in Or
. der to keep it: :%l gs
: But. the most difieult thing to, do in
/. France is to introduce an article to
(which the people are not accustomed.
It will not do to count on selling things
lin France because they are popular in
1.-THE United States. Here is a case IN
S point:
q Almost all articles of use are well
made in France, for they are made to
! asst and to do good service, but the ar
ltfcle is often made too heavy. For ex-
!, llmple, all vehicles. last for a long time,
: but the owners do not see that they
are using up their horses much more
n 1liekIy by adding unnecessary weight
!, Ito their loads. The roads are perfect,
vet the business wagons and carriages
y are made heavy enough to carry three
times the weight that is ever put upon
oIthem. But If one tries he will lind 1t
very difficult to sell lighter vehicles for
business or pleasure. a.
ell I am fond of driving, and thought
would show the people here how much
superior an American buggy Is to theii
heavy and Uncomfortable carts. In 1901
JIimported an American phaeton weigh
ling 440 pounds, which would be consid-
sred heavy in the United States. It Is
an u~p-to-date carriage with leather top
J. rlubbertires and self-oiling axles. was
sure that L could easily sell it If con
: cluded not to keep 1t. | reckonet
- without my host. The freight and duty
from New York to Rheims was 500
; (which shows, that. carriages should no
/ be imported singly. | was ~astonished
a Tor L had not figured on over one-hal
Of that amount. But / said: "Neve
4 mind! i will give these people an OBJ
. ieet lesson T. have given the lessor
but without effect: / wish to sell
tor l have found that cannot afford t
keep a horse and. Carriage. 1t is n
il trouble to sell o horse, but the phaeton
e still In my possession. have offere
Il Ito sell it at a bargain. have adveI
q Used 1t in the newspapers. | have point
a ed out that if a bicycle weighing 2
IN pounds will carry a heavy person safel
thousands Of miles, 1t is entirely inutil
al to use a carriage weighing half a to
q to carry two persons, have explaine
I that 1t is on account Of the heavy vt
Il hicies that 50. many Of the horses. her
lsre knee sprung. All this has noeffect
the people are.not accustomed to. ligf
n carriages. fThey lb8k at my phaetol
shrug their shoulders, and say: "Pf
er solideTi +
IS Afae4isan Trade in Denmark.
Tfsaaerslations with the United,Stat'
aSak $nn4Aydf5l nnnrnark h,ivs