The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-11-29
RENEWED INTEREST
in CONSUL REPORTS
Especial to the Silver State.)
Pushing Foreign Trade.

/ been endeayoring to make the CO.
operation of our consuls in foreign
countries more valuable as an aid for
the extension of the foreign commerce
of the United States. There is no
question but that there is very large
and profitable field for American ex-
ports, manufactures as well as agri-
cultural, but the great prosperity and
consequent home demand has tended
to keep American manufacturers too
busy selling goods within the borders
of the United States to make them
very anxious for trade abroad They
have not entirely overlooked the for
eign part, however, and there are in
dications that they are preparing for
a great extension of their export trade.
This is shown to some extent by the
demand for the Daily Consular and
Trade Reports, issued by the govern
ment through the bureau of manufac-
lures. This little publication contains
a great deal of interesting as well as
valuable information for American
business men. An item published in
recent number will give point to this
assertion. It is from Consul p Merrill
Griffith, of Pernambuco, and in order
to show the interest that American
business men feel in foreign trade OPP
portunities the paragraph is quoted,
as follows:
The brief notice published under
Trade Opportunities, in Daily Con-
sular and Trade Reports of August 20,
1910, requesting that catalogues per-
tanning to certain goods of American
manufacture be forwarded in order to
complete the files of this. Office, was
effective.
'.The first mail from New York, ar
irving September 16, brought $50
pieces Of mail. including letters and
catalogues, and this number, if this is
a fair indication, will treble and per-
haps quadruple. The immediate re
sponse to this brief, but particular no
tice, together with the constantly in
creasing commercial correspondence al
this and many other consulates, dem
lonstrates. conclusively the present ac.
tive interest of American manufac.
turers in foreign markets and trade ex.
tension -
Confirmed His Own Estimate
Il Merely because a man is genera
passenger or freight agent of a rail
road is not necessarily a guarantee
that he is deeply versed in railroad
lore. One of these officials recently
wrote to the interstate commerce com
mission to complain about a ruling by
that body on joint tariffs. He prem
ised his kick by saying in self fde-
Iprecatorv way that he was merely a
small railroad man on a small railroad
but that he believed because of his
25 or 30 years. experience on various
railroads that he could tell the com
mission something which might make
lit better and nobler and less inclined
to wreak on the poor railroad its re-
venge because they cluttered up the
face of the earth. At any rate, that
was just about the essence of his
lplaint Now, all communications are
received with respect by the commits
sion Anyone may write and make
complaint, and his letter will be an
swered and his complaint looked into
The forms required to get action are
the simplest possible but in this case
the self-deprecatory railroad mans let
ter was handed over to an official who
read it and remarked that "this man
has merely a rudimentary knowledge
! of railroading,' and instructed clerk
to write and explain to the genera
freight and passenger agent as gently
; as possible that there was nothing tc
his complaint; nothing as ALL Anc
that closed one incident.
Swiping Wilson'S Scientists.
Secretary Wilson is fond of saying
that he has the biggest training schoo
for scientists in the world. He ha:
1000 Independent investigators under
, his direction, and their achievement:
have done more, perhaps, than al
other agencies to give the work Of
American scientific men good standing
and high repute in Europe.
The sessions of several very i'm
portant agricultural societies of the
distinctly high-brow class-societie'
composed of men who rank as scien
, tifc Investigators while yet retaining
firm grip on the practical side OF
farming-have just ended in Wash
lington. To these men, who came from
all parts of the country, Secretary
Wilson made some remarks of wei
come and in the course of them HI
let slip the information that some Of
his most highly valued men had beer
, taken from him by big commercial
, interests. One of these, he said
would soon leave the department t.
accept a big salary and importan
duties, but, he said, he was glad t
have his mems talents recognized, a
it was an encouragement to the ranl
and file and assured them that the
world was watching their achieve
ments.
! The man referred to by the secre
tarv was G. Harold Powell who con
: dueted the investigations of the de
partment in California, Georgia, Flor
ida. New York and practically all the
fruit raising sections of the country
into the causes of decay in fruit il
storage and transit, probed the eolS
storage problems and deducted praeti
cal reforms which have saved TIN
growers, shippers and handlers Of
fruit millions of dollars year. Th'
! results of Mr.. Powell's work have
been found profitable in Australia ans
in almost every other country wher'
fruit is a considerable item of produc
tion. Mr.. Powell-he disclaims thu
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