Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-26
CHANCE FOR TEXTILES.


The market of ASlatlc turkey Tor
callcocs, prints and other cotton tex.
tiles has never received the attention
1t deserves from American manufac-
turerS Il exporters, says Consul
Thomas II. Norton at Smyrna. The
value of the total annual imports of
such goods into the Asiatic provinces
of Turkey now exceeds $2O,00O.OOO and
Smyrna and the adjacent territory alb
sorb nearly one-quarter of the trade.
The weight of the annual importationS
Of cotton goods into the port of SInyr-
Nh Is more than G,0OO tons. The united
kingdom of Great Britain enjoys the
bulk of this profitable trade. her eXpor-
tatiOnS to Smyrna last year amounting
in value to $2,140,0O0. Italy
next, with a record of S7G3.OOO. and the
United States third, with a record of
1851 600. The balance is shared by
Germany, France. Austria-IIungary,
Belgium, Switzerland and Holland,
only the first two of which can show
more than 100000 in the value of
their exports.
Great Britain has practically 4 mo-
nopoly in the market for muslins, nulls,
printed and Colored hAndkcrchiefs and
furnishes most of the c]alicocs and
white goods. blcached and unbleachcd.
Italy contributes many unbleached cot
ton. Drills come chiefly from Italy,
Great Britain and France. Heavy cot
ton cloth is supplied chiefly by Ger
many and Austria. Il certain amount
coming lately from Greece. Cotton
shlwlS are sent from Germany and
Austria. America contributed but lit
tie to the trade except the standard
gray ~sheetings, the cabot" So thor
oughly appreciated throughout the
orient. In certain distributing points
in the interior the cabot occupies Il
predominant place in the market.
The city of Koniah requires annually
10000 pieces of American cabot" a
good indication of a fairly prosperous
community is afforded by the trade of
the island of Mitylene. The annual mi
portation of foreign cotton goods there
is valued at $4,000. 1t includes p
600 pieces of drills, black and white:
2,O5O pieces of gray shirtings. $500
pieces of madapollam ~shirtings, bleach
ed and unbleached, and 1000 pieces of
cabot"
While the American trade in cabot
illustrates the durable success to be
attained by continued adherence to Il
high standard of production in Il single
article, American manufacturers ought
to consider whether it is not worth
=, -, ~, l..
mand in the Turkish market for very
cheap cotton textiles. OF %ginghamS
and other light cottonades local pro-
duction is steadily increasing. but this
fails to gain on the growing demand.
The trade in these articles at Smyrna
amounts to about 100000 each year.
1t consists of goods costing from 10 to
20 sents Il meter, for widths varying
from 80 to 40 centimeters. Italy mt
present is the country which, chiefly
supplies this market. Then follow in
order Switzerland, France, Germany,
Austria and Great Britain. The Uni
ted States is hardly known in his mar.
ket.
A field in which there is no local
cOltlI)clllloh L . THAT VI NtllIoCS UIlf
prints. Here also Italy leads in the
sales, absorbing So per cent of the
business. Great Britain holds % per
cent and other European countries &c
per cent additional. Germany is now
devoting special attention to the prep.
~aration Of designs which meet the pop
ular taste, and promises soon to obtain
a strong foothold in the market.
This matter of design is, indeed, all
important in an effort to capture the
| market. Oriental races are accustomed
to certain conventional styles of fig,
ure and coloring, and /. Is with great
difficulty that they are led to abandon
them in favor Of current designs of oc.
cidental printers.
If American manufacturers desire to
enter this field they must of necessity
conform to local conditions There Is
no doubt that a serious effort to obtain
n large share of the L%evantine trade
in prints would be attended with sue.
cess If made earnestly and persistently
A competent representative Of Ameri
| can cotton textile interests, once estab,
l SiV III QUILL " uio ipotAi6 NShtSi 80
| Smyrna, could master in n few months
the details Of the trade and organize ar
effective campaign.
To make sure OF success stocks
should be sufficiently large so that or
dcrs can be filled promptly. One of the
chief drawbacks to American trade In
cotton textiles is the delay and uncer.
tainty in the execution of orders sent
from Turkey. In the case of textiles
the establishment of q distributing cen,
ter in the Levant itself is a most i'm
portant factor in deciding the question
of ultimate success. It is practically
impossible to win n market in Asiatic
Turkey for articles involving close com
petition unless the three factors of per.
sonal representation, quick delivery
and facilities in payment are combined,
The success achieved in the intro
duction into Turkey of American sew
ing machines, agricultural implements
and a few other wares has been due
chiefly to the union of these factors in
the campaign