The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-06-18
AME RICANS MEET
FOREIGN BUILDERS
TRADEC0MP PETITION
PROOF OF THE ABILITY OF MAN
UFACTURER OF THE UNITED
STATES TO MEET HIS EURO
PEAN COMPETITORS.
q AssocIATED PRESS.


Washington, June 17.-Proof of the
ability of the American manufacturer
to compete with foreign manufactur-
ers has been presented in a graphic
manner to the National Retail Hard
ware Dealers Association at Boston
Friday in the course of an address
by DR.. Edward Ewing Pratt, chief
of the bureau of foreign and domes-
tic commerce, of the department of
commerce.
In order to show that the Ameri-
can manufacturer has the advantage
of his foreign competitor not only in
quality of goods, not only in finish,
but also in price, DR.. Pratt displayed
side by side samples of hardware
manufactured in Germany, France,
England, Holland and the United
States. Among the articles shown
were hammers, wrenches, curry
combs, rakes, razors, saws, axes, han
dies, shovels, locks, potato planters,
hay knives, etc.
The speaker had with him about
twenty foreign-made samples of hard
ware which had been collected by
commercial attaches in many coun-
tries. He had then obtained dupli-
Gates or as near duplicates as posi-
Bile of American manufacture, tools
which were almost identical or which
were designed to do exactly the same
kind of work. He had the wholesale
and retail prices of each article. The
American manufacturer who is reluc-
tant to go into foreign trade because
he does not think he can compete in
price with the foreign manufacturer
was told that in almost every case
the advantage in price was in favor
of the American manufacturer. DIR.
Pratt urged that this was of the very
greatest Importance to our foreign
price. One American manufacturer
turers, and particularly manufacture
ers of hardware, may look forward
to great opportunities in foreign fields
and need not fear underselling on the
part of their foreign competitors when
normal conditions are again restored.
A Typical Comparison.
A typical comparison made by the
chief of the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce was that of the
wrenches. He brought forward an
English-made wrench and compared
it with an American model designed
to do exactly the same type of work.
The wholesale price of the English
wrench was 90 cents and the Ameri-
can wrench, which was a much better
made and more conveniently designed
tool, wholesaled at 60 cents. The
English wrench if imported into Bra
I'll would have to pay So cents duty,
the American wrench only Fl cents
duty. The American wrench could,
therefore, be placed in the hands of
the Brazilian importer at 80 cents,
while the English wrench would cost
the same importer S1.91.
DIR. Pratt also exhibited a French
wrench which wholesaled at 70 cents
and compared with it a much better
made American wrench for the same
class of work which whoiesaled at
SO cents. Obviously one of the cheap
est made articles which he exhibited
was a bucksaw manufactured in Eu-
rope wholesaling at AZ cents. Many
an American manufacturer would
probably throw up his hands and de-
clare it was impossible to manufac-
ture such an article to sell at lower
price. One American manufacturer
has done it, however, and bucksaN
Of better quality, Of stronger mate