The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-11-14

picking up a customer here and there
by correspondence. The seeming ad
vantage In getting foreign buyers 20
deal direct with the home Office IS en-.
tireIy lost. he says. by reason Of chang
ing prices there, due to foreign compe-
tition. and more especially by a dlSpo-
sitlon on the part OF some consumers
TO change their minds about purchase
after they have sent the order.
Orientals like to see the goods for
which they are contracting and take
them at once IL suited. They do not
want to order one day and have TO
wait two or three months for deliv-
cry. They may spend their money in
some ether way in the meantime, or
they may see elsewhere something they
like better In the latter case they are
apt TO take tho article In sight and
care nothing for the contract already
made. This is where the sole agent
comes In to the advantage Of American
firms. If the goods ordered on contract
are not accepted 1t is just as likely
they can be sold to another buyer in a
short time
Another advantage Of having an
agent on the ground is the frequent ne
cessity for arranging compromise in
order TO keep the trade from falling in
to the hands of other competitors
These brokers will arrange terms to
suit the purchaser, who comes to an
agreement because he is aware there
are no other brokers of the same firm
in his town and that to get that partic-
uiar make Of goods or machines he
must make his arrangements right
there An instance is cited by the
agent where an American firm did not
adopt the sole agency plan and found.
to its surprise, that two Americans
were fighting one another instead Of
presenting a united front to competi-
tors of other nations The fact that
both men were trying to sell the same
American goods made the example all
the more remarkable, since it showed a
willingness to sacrifice the market in
the effort to land an individual com
mission.
Business in Japan has a social side,
which Is relied upon strongly by bro.
kers of those nationalities. They inva-
riably have a tearoom, where they talk
shop with intending purchasers and
not only advance their own wares, but
casually interview their guest as tC
what other brokers are offering to dc
for him in the way Of prices and ac
commodatlng payments. Reaching the
native thus over the teacups, the agent
learns Of supposed defects in his goods
or If he finds the buyer has good ideas
for improving the line the suggestions
are promptly dispatched to the factory
and the goods changed to suit the new
demands
The point Of chief importance, how
ever, is the assurance that the field is
open to the world and that American
/ firms can gain a great part of the mar
ket Il they study the situation and dc
what their rivals are so ready to do tS
/ win Japan's trade. With the end OF
/ the war japanese look again to ths
greatest comforts of life and will sup
/ ply themselves with such foreign
/ goods as catch their fancy and seen
adaptable to their needs. When goods
are wanted quickly American firms
usually outstrip their competitors. A
Kobe the imports from the United
States in the first seven months il
1905 reached a total Of about $4,000,
OO0 The current years record II
about S5,OOOOO0 ahead Of British i'm
ports In the same period Kobe is th'
Industrial gateway of Japan, through
which are received and distributed thu
bulk of her imports.
The best comment on the opportuni
ties in Manchuria for American goods
Is that many Of these merchants mak'
a speciality of limitations Of American
goods OF high reputation offered unde
false trademarks. To overcome thi
trick the suggestion has been made t.
American firms to protect their trade
mark with additional Chinese charac
tiers. AS soon as the natives learn tn
difference between the real and tn
spurious and discover the advantage q
the American article they prefer Z
pay the higher price. American tobac
60 has been an instance Of this, evel
though the japanese government nia
nopoly supplies cheap tobacco.