Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-16
PRICES RISING,
TIMES HARD, IN
SOUTH AMERICA
Salesman Finds Scarcity Of Money
TraceabIe to the War in the
Balkans.
CHILE IS OUR BEST FIELD
Argentina a Better Market, but
the Merchants Are Difficult
to Deal With.
CHILE IS OUR BEST FIELD

NEW YORK, Nov. ID. H
Holmes, who for three years has been
travelling In South America for an
American commercial concern, says
that while Argentina is the biggest
market in South America for manu-
featured goods, Chile is the easiest
for an American to sell In. AT the
present time, however, most of the
lower countries are suffering from a
great business depression.
'1 made Buenos Ayres my head
quarters, and travelled in Brazil. Uru-
quay, Chile, Peru and OF course, In
Argentina" said Mr. Holmes. ITO a
man who is used to the splendid train
service OF this country, getting about
seems to take a great deal OF time.
Most OF II is done by boat, and, while
that is all right on the east coast.
when you travel along tho west coast.
unless you happen to catch one OF
tho big liners, It can be very uncom-
Portable and tho food very bad. Then
you always have to laid off the shore,
and II you are carrying sample caaes
they are apt to get a wetting. Out
side of the bigger cities, the hotels
are uniformly bad
Food Prices High.
In Argentina IT Is difficult to. get
sea food. In a restaurant in Buenos
Ayres paid one night $40 for lob
ster-$sS0 in our money. The cost OF
living there is three times what II Is
here.
TT is a great mistake for anybody
who goes down to South America to
do business to imagine that you can
Just pull gold of the trees" observed
Mr. Holmes with a sigh.
~People down there dislike doing
business through an interpreter. un-
less they have been doing business
with your house for a long time
Firms which send men down there 10
represent them ought to pay enough
to attract men who can converse with
the merchants In their own tongue.
Then business is bad pretty gem
srally In South America Just now
Two years ago what promised to be a
record breaking crop In Argentina
was ruined by tornadoes. and the
planters have had an uphill climb
sver since. In Brazil II lie impossible
TO give away. things In Argentina, OF
course, the Balkan wars have had a
very depressing effect because their
source OF money supply has been cut
off. For another thing. the country
10 experiencing the reaction from a
big real estate boom. The banks have
closed in on the borrowers, and the
latter are having a hard time.
Money Tight In Chile.
1.-THE Chileans haven't any money,
either. partly because OF the wars In
Europe. Stil, II Is easier TO do bust
ness in Chile than in any other coun-
try down there. People tell you the
Chileans don't like Americans. If that
is so, II is a good thing, for II seems
as IL they can not get too much OF
our manufactured goods. In Argen-
tina the market is bigger, but the
merchants are much harder to deal
with. Many of them Insist upon hav-
ing goods made in Italy or in France.
THE commercial traveller who
strikes Peru does not always have an
easy time. In Peru you pay about 50
a day for your hotel board on the
American plan. Everything that is
brought to you without your or
dering II you have to pay for extra.
Merchants in South America are
usually very easy 20 approach, but
YOU can not always tell whether a
man is going to give you an order or
is stringing you. He Is just as apt
as not TO keep you on tenterhooks for
three weeks. They will do nothing
on the spur of the moment, Manu-
facturers who send statesmen down
there In the expectation that they
will burn up the earth have another
guess You have to make lot OF al
lowance for the manana habit, Why,
doing business in Mexico used TO be
q cinch to what II is down there.
THE cost of living in Chile is not
what II is In Argentina, but even
there things have gone up 100 per
cent in the popular restaurants in the
last two years. Business in Monte
video Is In an awful state,
IT would inform any American
travelling man who Is about 10 go TO
South America that living is much
more costly there than here In Bue-
nos Ayres they ask SITS gold q month
Tor a little unfinished fiat of four
rooms. Argentina is like Mexico; It
is managed by few, and the poor
man pays for everything"