The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-20
CANADA SEEKING
TRADE IN TRINIDAD
Dominion Shows Activity in Bat
tie for West Indies Export
Business.
BY w. w. Jermane.

|
Washington, Sept. 2o.--The CONNER
cial agent of Canada in Trinidad has
made report to his government COW
ering the imports of that colony and |
the part played in those imports by |
the United States and Canada, respec-
lively. For some time Canada has been
planning to break into American ex-
| and South America, and it's agents have
been in the field making preliminary
observations. This work is to be fol
| lowed by an active canvass of this new
| field by Canadian business men. s
/ In the year ending March 81, 1905,
Trinidad imported goods to the value of
$2,600,000, of which the United States
900.
What the Islands Buy.
Commenting on the trade conditions
in the British West Indies, the depart
ment Of commerce and labor has this I
to say: h1
The total value Of nine articles Of i'm
port into Trinidad-boots and shoes, fur
| niture, hardware, leather not manufac-
tured, manufactures not specified, ma
chinery, soap, textiles, timber-amounted
to about $2,477, 800, to which the United
States and Canada contributed only
about $843, 907. It is fair to assume that
ii
| we're British goods. There Is not a single
| article in those selected wherein our man
| ufacturers do not excel cottons perhaps
| excepted. We compete in the British
market against British goods of the same
I classes. Nothing but our inattention to
J the Trinidad markets can, therefore, &C
count for this trade condition, and what
is true Of Trinidad is just as true of our
trade relations in many other places.
In provisions and breadstuffs, as mat
ter of course the field has been ours, for
the mother country" has no interest in
this portion of the trade of Trinidad, and
\ Canada thus far has had very little effect
thereon. OF the total imports of flour
into Trinidad during the year under con-
sideration (s772, Oo0) American flour fig
ures for $755,O00 and Canadian flour fol-
the balance. E~~
The Canadian agent tells his govern.
- ment that American exports Of cordage
- ,. and Irvine to Trinidad are giving place
- to Canadian exports Of those articles
e and then gives q list Of articles which
- he thinks Canadians should supply, and
altogether makes a report which Will be
y Of good deal of value to his people.
y America s Inattention.
n American inattention to Trinidad
"a markets, referred to by the department
Of commerce and labor, is bound in thu
+ long run to curtail our trade there, anC
,e this curtailment will be- the more rapie
h if Canada pursues an opposite policy
IS This "inattention'' is peculiar of Amer
- lean exporters as a class. The govern
ment has on many occasions criticized
It, but apparently without accomplish
ing any permanent reform. We persis
in packing goods for export in a certain
= way, regardless of the fact that Ger
T tain countries demand certain shaped
. packages. We send certain classes o
goods abroad in the face Of the govern
NJ ment reports that these classes Of good
+ are not suitable for the intended. pun
W chasers. We rely upon printed circu
In lars instead Of commercial agents. An
" last, but not least, we do not accom-
r. modate ourselves to the foreign de
nd mands for lines of credits. r..
ed Notwithstanding this "inattention
ed of American exporters, however,, on
of foreign sales continue to increase; bu
he it is evident that whenever competin
10 country concludes to supply our def
H. ciencies in given field, it will tax
u- away our trade. And it is ~verey Gel
tain that Canada is arranging to
to this in the British West indies, an
Of that later on she will do it in Sout
America. - -: II -
ms Broadly speaking, there is cause fc
tie congratulation that Canada is begi1
of ming to feel strong enough to begin a
he active movement for. the developme1
ar of her export trade. If she makes gai1
ON at the direct expense of the Unite
lty States, our own people will be to blam
Of and in the meantime anything that wi
FL tend to the development of Canada wi
he be of indirect benefit to the enti1
enI North American continent.
III British Emigration.
Consul Stephens Of Plymouth, repor