The daily Alaskan., 1916-11-07
JAP5 GO AFTER
 HARDWARE BIZ

become a rival of the United states
 in supplying hardware to Australia during the war, says Commercial A4tacne William c. Downs in a re
 DOT on Australian hardware mar kets just published by the Bureau
 cf Foreign and Domestic Com
 merce, Department of Commerce.
 The exclusion of many makes of
 European goods from the Austra- lian markets and other eastern countries has. stimulated the Jap anese to great activity in an en- deaycr to capture the trade thus thrown open," the report states. Whether it will be able to deyel- one it's production of tools and gen. eral hardware of the cheaper classes to- a point that will satisfy the British tastes and requirements of Australia remains to be seen, but 1t Is to be expected that certain amount of trade will go to Japan. While this new competition may not seriously affect American trade in articles already well intro duced, it may tend to limit eXpan- sion iu the sale of lines of goods not largely exported in the past from inc United States"
 Mir. Downs lays particular stress upon the size of the Australian hardware market considering the
 population and upon the fact that i+ Is one of the few markets in the world where hardware other than English and American has neY CT been an important factor. A fact that faYors American manufac- turers is the almost universal demand for high-grade goods of pep IecteG design, such as American factories produce so satisfastotily. Articles known as tools of trade dre purcnased in large quantities from America despite a naturl pre- ference for British products, and even during normal times American trade in this line showed a tenden- cy to increase. In 1909 American sales of such tools amounted to 40 per cent Of the total, while in 1913 the proportion was 45 per cent. In most lines, however, England gets the cream of the business, being favored not only by closer political ties but by 9 preferential tariff Close attention to details of the tra"e and increased activity at this time will accomplish much, the re port states.
 Americans have shown some re- luctance to meet the credit terms sked for, and MT. Downs suggests that t is not at all difficult for an American manufacturer or merchant to satisfy himself as to the finan- cial standing and responsibility of Australian firms. Twenty-fOur bank of international scope have branchea 1n au the principal cities of Aus, trllia and are in relation as Corres- pondents with banks in nearly every city in the United States. No re putaHle firm will hesitate to give as reference the name of the bank with which it has transacticus. The principal American mercantile agen- cies have chains of branches and agencies throughout the country and can furnish the customary re ports to their subscribers. The eX- tension of the American banking system and better knowledge of how foreign business is conducted may lead to q changed attitude on the part Of our manufacturers.
 The report for Australia is the secOn1 Of a series which IS to GOV CT the hardware markets of the whole world. The work is done by hardware experts in each country under the direction of the American commercial attaches and is aimed co give the Americani manufacturer an exporter as much assistance as possible in entering the markets. Tn addition to advice as to credit terms, packing, systems of conduct ing trade, etc., each line of hard ware is taken up and fully dis cUssed. The reader is told, for instance, how much builders hard ware, is used, what styles are lik- ed hest and why, what countri 4 supply the market and why, what prices prevail, and occasionally there is a hint as to new designs that might be introduced.
 Hear the election returns to- night at the White Pass Club.