The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-06
F 0RE|GN TRADE
WITHIN REAC \
Government Expert Points Way
to Members of National
Paint Convention.
SESSION BROUGHT TO CLOSE
Somers. OF New York, Elected
President-Boat Trip Down
James To-Day.

American manufacturers have only to
systematfze and make use of the in
formation freely supplied to them by
the government, In order to obtain
their rightful share of foreign trade,
according to DIR. David a. Skinner.
assistant chief OF the Bureau OF Manu-
features. Department of Commerce and
Labor. who made the principal address
at the concluding session Of the Ma
tional Paint, OIL and Varnish Assoeia
tion, which ended yesterday the most
successful and best attended convention
in it's history. His general subject
was The Activities of the Bureau of
Manufactures and Other Bureaus of tho
Federal Government With Regard to
the promotion of Trade" MIR. Skinner
came from Washington yesterday morn
Ing upon the special Invitation of the
paint men to address them at the con-
Hention.
Describes Work.
The speaker described in detail the
work of the Bureau of Manufactures in
disseminating information in regard to
foreign markets by means of the daily
consular and trade reports. special
monoGra phs. confidential bulletins and
circulars tariff pamphlets. etc. Amer
lean manufacturers, he stated, have
been handicapped by their ignorance
of trade conditions in the buying coun-
tries and the advantages of shipping
their products in such manner as
to insure their arrival In first-class.
marketable condition. Germany and
England. he asserted, have established
their -eminence in the export trade
largely because they have made a SCI
entihc study of the prejudlces and de-
raands of the buying countries and
have reduced to an art the business of
correct packing and shipping.
In order to revive our lost foreign
markets, he told the paint makers. it
is highly desira BILE that the trade bodies
effect permanent organization to CO.
operate with the government bureaus
| which serve products interested. with
out proper organization in this work it
will he compare lively easy matter
for our trade rivals to occupy the com
mercal fields of the world; with II,
however, the United States can and
viii control the commerce of the globe"
The important business OF the final
session yesterday was the election of
officers for the coming year and the
selection of the next meeting place. A.
S. Somers, of New York, who figured
prominently in the debates on trady
problems at the convention just closed,
was chosen president or the association.
The other officers elected were w. D..
Foss, Worcester, Mass. first vice-pres-
ident: Howard Citing, Chicago. second
| vice-presdent Frank p. Cheesman.
New York. secretary. and j. D. Wag-
goner. Kansas City. treasurer.
1t was decided to hold the 1919 con-
vention in New York. This action fol-
lows an unwritten law of the Paint
| Association. which always gives the
| convention to the city which Is the
home of the president The association
met last year at Denver and chose a
citizen of Denver to head the organ
ga ton, circumstance which brought
| about the shifting of the convention
to Richmond, n neutral point. Duluth.
Mimi, put in bid for the convention,
as did also number of other cities.
The Minnesota town distributed an at
tractive booklet containing Proctor
| Knots famous speech on Duluth, de-
iivered in the Hpuse of Representatives
In February. 1871. ridiculing the claims
of Duluth as future gateway of COM
merce. The pamphlet carries in reply
to Mr.. Knotts burlesque, DIR. Fosters
deliverance upon the Zenith of the
Unsalted Seas" a designation which.
Duluth boosters say. is altogether ap-
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