The sun., 1908-09-07
THEIRADEONCONSULS' WORK
MANUFACTURERS SAY SERVICE
COULD BE BETTER.
Letters Sent Out Asking an Opinion OF
Eniciency and usefulness bring $50
Replies, Many Urging That Business
Men he Appointed as Consuls.

Emciency ana Neetuihees dftnB ooO
Replies, Many Urging That Business
Men he Appointed as Consuls.
In order to find out what the manufao-
turers Of the country think Of the Consular
service the American Exporter Of this
city sent circular letter TO great number
OF manufacturing concerns throughout
the country asking them questions bear
ing on the general subject Of the efficiency
and usefulness Of the service. Some $50
replies came from concerns manufao-
turing and exporting machinery. rail-
way supplies. clothing, bicycles and
typewriters, athletic and sporting goods,
lumber, carriages. furniture, agricultural
implements. hardware, cotton goods, auto
mobiles, electrical apparatus, groceries DC
The letter asked these questions:
Do you receive and read the Daily Con-
suiar ard Trade Reports sent out by the
Department Of Commerce and Labor
/ Have you found the suggestions made
by Consuls regarding your line Of value or
otherwise?
Have you follow ed up any Of the Foreign
Trade Opportunities" In your line. and II 90
have the inquiries there mentioned generally
proven serious or otherwise. and has any
actual business resulted?
As far as your line 10 concerned do you
consider that the Daily Consuior and Trods
Rrp1rfs are OF value 10 American COM
merce, and do you find that the subject
matter in general bears evidence Of being
written and edited BY men who are con-
versant with industrial aud commercial
subjec or otherw ise?
Have you found that there 10 any marked
difference In the value of reports In the
Daily Consular and Trode Rtporfs written
by special agents Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor as compared with
those Of the ConsulsG
FROM what class OF men do you think the
Consular corps should be recruited. and
what special training do you consider thst
they should have to be Of value to the coun-
try's export interests? it..,
The American Exporter thinks from the
replies received that there ID a general
belief among business men interested that
an improvement In the Consular servIce
is possible and that II IL needed for the
benefit Of the business and commerce OF
the country. Tho paper says:
The receipt Of fully one-hsf OF the total
number Of replies urging the appointment
OF business men or of men who have had
business training and experience 10 spon-
taneous and corrcspondinsly noteworthy.
A total OF i7s manufacturers out OF $50 re-
plying on this subject who urge To ut Consuls
be selected from men OF manufacturing or
commercial experience seems to be an en-
phatic indication Of the desires Of this class
Of the community, which. after all, Is the
one above all others which II 10 expected
that the increasingly commercial character
OF the Consular service will benefit. IL is
altogether probable that were the specific
question as to the selection OF men with
business training or men with merely
scholastic or professional training put be-
fore the manufacturers Of the United States.
the reply would be to all intents and pur-
poses unanimous In favor OF the require
ment OF business training.
Only two manufacturers declared thorn
selves satisfied with arrangements az
they stand, and only one man said that
he favored the selection Of Consuls on
roliticel and partisan lines. As this
man told the J,arty from which he boliev cd
the men should be selected, tho American
Ezporter surinises that he may have
been joking.
lne TtDlN1S SiEoWVt thtos Nooes '" s''sae
OF the manufacturers do net receive the
Consular Reports. Out Of 1I replies to
the question whether valuable sugges-
tions had been found in the reports
ks were In the Affirmative. Thirty-seven
complained that their particular business
had never beon treated In the reports.
The American Exporter thinks that
some Of these figures seem to call Tor
the attention Of the Washington authort-
ties. Seventy manufacturers, or 10 per
cent. Of those answering 10 this regard.
replied that they found nothing OF value
to them In the suggestions Of the Consular
Reports. More than hundred manu-
fscturers were emphatio in replying that
they considered the reports Of value to
American commerce. =,
About half Of those replying to the
question relating TO fitness OF the writer's
for dealing with their subjects answered
In the affirmative and small number
said that the articles were not written
by competent men.
One hundred and three manufacturers
replied that they had followed up foreign
trade opportunities, but only twenty. OF
4 k,snix.oRa fhArnffv