The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-11-19
SECTION THREE.


u men of the United States are just
beginning to realize the great pcs
sibilities of trade in the Orient, the
volume Of our business here is already
reaching vast proportions. During the
twelve months prior to the beginning
of the boycott against American goods
our sales in China in one line alone
cotton piece goods-ayeraged more
Than $2OOO.000 per month. During the
same time the sales of kerosene aver
aged about three quarters of a million
every month, while flour receipts held
pretty close 10 half a million dollars
every thirty days.
But these three items. averaging close
10 100000 annually. do not con-
stitute the whole of American CON-
mercial interests in China. The list Of
American articles on sale here includes
hardware, drugs, medicines and thous-
auds OF manufactured articles of every
variety. Our business here was liz
creasing with gratifying rapidity, in
fact the last report shows that it had
more than doubled ove4 the previous
period. However. this boycott win take
the wind out of our sails for some time
10 come. Even if il is called of at once
II will require lively, earnest work TO
recover the ground we have lost
The Great Cotton Trade.
The committee that called upon
President Roosevelt lsUt June 10 pro-
test against the Objectionable admin
lsIratiOn Of the Chinese exclusion laws
pointed out To him that the cotton
textile industry of the United States
represents $500. 600 900 of invested, capl-
tal and employs $50. 900 wage carriers.
The security of this capital and the
prosperity of this large branch of
American labor depend largely upon
the retention of the great market that
has been developed in China. The
Americans practically control the piece
goods trade of the northern part of the
country, and are gradually making
their way into the southern part of the
empire. Few people appreciate what
tremendous market this is. The Chi
nese people constitute One-fifth of the
population of the world and occupy
one-tenth of the territory of the globe.
Although they are miserably Door they
are alike in their habits, and their great
numbers give volume TO their purchases
even though individual consumption is
small
American piece goods are shipped to
China plain and then dyed to meet the
requirements of the trade. The cloth for
the scant clothing of the lower classes,
FOR both men and women, comes OFF
the same bolt. In China the prevail
ing color is blue. This is called the
land Of the blue gown, the coolies be-
ing distinguished by dark blue, and
the upper classes by a lighter shade
The cotton manufacturers have dem
instrated the wisdom of supplying the
foreign trade with an article that suits
the taste of the people and is within
their power TO purchase. Most of the
manufactured articles that come from
America are too high-priced for this
market. The same thing that suits an
American does not appeal to a Chi
nese, because the latter is not used 20
such good. things and cannot afford 20
pay for them.
Want Quantity, Not Quality.
The other day an American hard
ware drummer showed me some speci-
mems of German goods i'm his line.
They We're very roughly and cheaply
made and would find no sale at all in
America on account of their common
quality and appearance. But they out
sell the high-grade American product
in China because of their price. The
Germans are getting up lines intended
for this trade only, and when the Amer
lean enters the field seriously he viii
have 10 do the same.
There are some parts of the world
where it is good policy for the Yankee
manufacturer to stand pat on the SUI
feriOrity of his product, but China Is
not one Of them. The people here are
- poor that they can never become
extensive consumers of most articles
made by our high class labor. An
American manufactured who was IN
the Philippines while 1 was there told