The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

for American goods In Chile, otato
Giggers for Scotland and the KIND q
motor cars wanted for Russia
Among other confidential circulars
fsre those which describe the demand
=; for artesian wells in Tripoli. bids for
irrigation dams at Bagdad. shoes for
the Greek army. dyeing materials Tor
| Algeria, lubricating Oil for Bulgaria.
sewerage material for Cairo, plows Tor
Siam. steel rails for Ireland, sugar Tor
| Tripoli, training vessels for the
chinese electric lighting
plants for Barbados, Holsters for
| Russia, peanuts for Germany, zinc
machinery for Tasmania, bridges for
Guatemala and cotton seed for n
Netherlands. These are only a lew
of several pages of titles. They show
the range Of the work.
Uncle Sans DrImmers.
In talking with the chief Of the
bureau of manufactures. L gathered
some information as TO Uncle Sans
crummers, as his travelling CONNER
ciaI agents might be called. In ad-
dition to our consuls at the chief
cities and ports the world over, the
bureau has it's own commercial agent
who are sen abroad to investigate
the markets for special manufactures
and to repor upon trade conditions.
These men are specialists along the
line which they investigate. They
know all about the industries at home,
and what is required for pushing them
abroad. They are paid fixed salaries
and their travelling and they
devote their entire time to going over
the world looking up openings for
American trade. BY the time this let
ter is published there will be about
a dozen of them On the road. There
are nine Or ten at work now, some
in Europe, some in Asia, and some
in South America and Australia
Among them are Maj. J.. Nj. Carson,
former chief of the bureau, and a
trade exper from Seattle who is de-
voting himself especially TO trade be-
tween our Pacific coast and the
orient.
Chances Fer American Cotton.
The work done by these special
agents is valuable. They send back
full information as TO how goods
should be made for the various mar
kets, and how packed and shipped.
W. A. Graham Clark, for instance,
has recently returned from South
America, where he has been ~investi-
eating cotton goods, and shows the
market which the United
states might have there If it's manu-
lectures were properly pushed. He
reports that the European trade in
these goods Is increasing, and that
it is much greater than that of the
United States. In 1910 we shipped to
Latin America less than So. O00, 600
worth OF cotton piece goods, while the
United kingdo msold something like
$4,000, 90 worth that year. The trade
OF Germany in such goods is more
than twice as much IS ours, and Italy
is selling more to South America than
We sell to Central America, the West
Indies and South America combined.
Great Britain sells more than twice as
much cotton goods to Argentina as
We sell to the whole OF Latin Amer
lea, and to Argentina and Brazil
more cotton than we sell to all the
world outside the United States.
Another special agent has lust sent
IN a report on the shoe and leather
trade in which he shows that our
exports Of these goods have increased
about 100000 during the past
year. Of the shoes 81, 200, 600 or S.
and more than 5000. 900 to Mexico.
Trade Lecturers.
Congress has made an appropriation
of $4,000 for these commercial tray-
elers this year, and the time will
come when the scope of their work
Will be much wider than it is now.
They are doing SO much that their
number Will be increased. and it is
the intention Of the department to
have each of them spend a part of
his time in the United States, com
ing in actual contact with our ex-
pOrters and manufacturers, and Civ
ing them suggestions as to our for
-eign trade and how to develop it.
The experts on cotton will visit the
cotton centers. and those on steel
Will go to the steel mills and steel
shippers. 1t Will be the same with
every branch Of business. Each in
dustry will be told where and how it
can ship it's goods to the best ad-
vantage and the faults which now pre-
vail as to our dealings with foreigners
will be pointed out and corrected.
Late Information as to Packing.
Among the important things which
the bureau OF manufactures has been
recently doing is the gathering of fresh
as to how goods Sbou,d