Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-16
ERCE OF CHILE
REPORT OF AGENT HUTCHINSON
ON HER TRADE CONDITIONS.

Special Agent Hutchinson wEo was sent
to South America especially to look into
trade conditions. has reported to the State
Department on the commerce Of Chile. The
report is comprehensive and shows that the
foreign trade of the country is growing and
may naturally be expected to Increase. The
trade Of the United States with Chile is
important, and Is growing satisfactorily In
some departments. but In others 1t is falling
on. The facts contained In the report are
such as to be of very general interest to
manufacturers and exporters Mr.. Hutchin-
son says. In part:
1t Is well known that the foreign pur-
chases of Chile have increased most mark
edly In the past few years, the total in 1904,
according to Chilean official figures, rising
to $o7 $4,000 United States gold, exceed
ing those of 1903 by about 10 per cent The
full returns for 1903 are not yet in. but
every indication points toward an equal or
even greater Increase for that year. The
total population of the country is esti-
mated at something over 3.0o0.09o. and the
per capita importation is therefore low
(S1O compared with that of the other tenn
perate climate countries of South America.
IN poth Argentina and Uruguay the per
capita imports amount to about So. There
is every reason to suppose that the present
wave OF prosperity in Chile will raise her
purchase at least to the point reached by
ner eastern neighbors. bringing the grand
totdi WiliiiH the next Few years uD to SID,-
Oo0OOo or $S0.000.G00.
United States Trade Small.
The share of the United States in the total
trade is comparatively small but it is In
creaslng far more rapidly than that of any
other country with the single exception of
Italy. From fourth place we have risen in
the past ten years to third place, having
passed France by considerable margin
All local 1nfOrmatipp in
present indicates that since 1884 our trade
mas grown even more rapidly and we may
expect the figures for 1895 and 1906 to place
us more nearly on an equality with Ger
many. Italys large increase has been due
mainly TO cheap cotton goods and wines,
her snare In other trade being relatively
small.
AS In other South American countries. the
United States shows a decline in sales of
cotton goods as a whole England Ger
MANY ana Italy are gaining more complete
,ilohopois' the most marked development
pelng that OF the aforementioned country
But there is one class of these goods In
which the United States is meeting with
considerable success-colored cotton cloths.
our share in the total trade in this article
Is sun small, but it is growing with a
rapidity which demonstrates, our ability TO
compete with Europe. A considerable mart
VI these coiored goods seems to be prints
ne conditions of population and the de-
Veiopment of industries in Chile are such
as TO demand increasing purchases of iron
ana steel and their manufactures, rather
man OF other classes of goods. The popu-
.d'loH IS not growing rapidly, in Argen-
Una ior instance, and We cannot there
Tore, expect to see any very great increase
IN the imports of those classes of goods
With which the people are fed and clothed.
me demand of the future will re for goods
which are to be used in the deyelopment
OF the national industries
Need of Machinery.
The industries of the country e such as
to require increasing quantities of iron and
steel goods, especially machinery Chile is
essentially mining country; nearly sS per
cent of her exports today are of mineral
products: nearly every important mineral
of commerce is to be found somewhere
within her borders, and there are signs
of increasing activity in the extraction of
every one of them. Mining operations until
recently have In the main been of the SIM
plest kind. requiring relatively little mod
ern machinery and appliances; but very
noticeable change is going on; the richer
and more accessible deposits have been
partly worked out. and owners are learning
the necessity of effecting economies by in
Producing processes. These new pro-
cesses must demand foreign purchases of
machinery or the materials from which ma
chinery is made.
Though the present condition of Chile is
such as to make it certain that iron and
steel and manufactures thereof are to be-
come more and more prominent among the
imports, and thus improve the trade pros
poets of the United States there are numer-
Gus other lines along which American trade
Is prospecting and may be expected to con-
tinue to improve. Cars and carriages, med
icines and drugs, colored cotton goods.
canned salmon, glassware Cheaper grades).
scientific instruments and appara tus, naval
stores, mineral oils, newspaper, lumber and
various other articles. all show encourage
Ing increase. In some of these we hold
virtual monopoly of the trade; in the others
we have made sufficient advan to ndi-
cate that we beginning to be able to
meet European competition.