Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-11-10
AFTER AUSTRALIAN TRADE.
Japanese Concerns Competing With
American Manufacturers.

Japan has become rival of the
United States i'll supplying hardware
to Australia during the war, says Com
mercial Attache William C.. Downs in
report on Australian hardware
markets just published by the bureau
of foreign and domestic commerce, de-
partment Of commerce 9. The exclusion
of many makes of European goods
from the Australian markets and other
eastern countries has stimulated the
japanese to great activity in an en-
deavor to capture the trade thus
thrown open,' the report states.
"Whether it will be able to develop
its production of tools and general
hardware of the cheaper classes to a
point that will satisfy the British
tastes and requirements of Australia
remains to be seen, but it is to be ex
pected that a certain amount of trade
will go to Japan. While this new com
petition may not seriously affect
American trade in articles already we'll
introduced, it may tend to limit ex
pansion in the sale of lines of goods
not largely exported in the past from
the United States
Mr.. Downs lays particular stress up
on the size of the Australian hardware
market, considering the population, and
upon the fact that it is one of the few
markets in the world where hardware
other than English and American has
never been an important factor. A fact
that favors American manufacturers
is the almost universal demand for
higbgrade goods of perfect design, such
as American factories produce so salts
factorily. Articles known as "tools of
trade - are purchased in large quaint
ties from America despite a natural
preference for British products, and
even during normal times American
trade in this line showed a tendency
to increase. In 1909 American sales of
such tools amounted to 40 per cent of
the total, while in 1913 the proportion
was 40 per cent In most lines, how
ever, England gets the cream of the
business, being favored not only by
closer political ties but by a preferen-
tial tariff. Close attention to details of
the trade and increased activity at this
time will accomplish much, the report
states.
Americans have shown some reluc-
lance to meet the credit terms asked
for, and Mr.. Downs suggests that it
is not at all difficult for an American
manufacturer or merchant to satisfy
himself as to the financial standing
and responsibility of Australian firms.
Twenty-four banks of international
scope have branches in all the principal
cities of Australia and are in relation
as correspondents with banks in nearly
every city in the United States. No
reputable firm will hesitate to give as
reference the name of the bank with
which it has transactions. The princi-
pal American agencies have chains of
branches and agencies throughout the
country and can furnish the customary
reports to their subscribers. The extern
sion of the American banking system
and a better knowledge of how foreign
business is conducted may lead to a
changed attitude on the part of our
manufacturers.
The report for Australia is the
second of series which is to cover
the hardware markets of the whole
world. The work is done by hardware
experts in each country under the di-
rection of the American commercial
attaches and is aimed to give the
American manufacturer and exporter
az much assistance as possible in en-
tering the markets. In addition to ad-
vice as to credit terms, packing, sys-
tenn of conducting trade, etc. each line
of hardware is taken up and fully dis
cussed. The reader is told, for instance,
how much builders hardware is used,
what styles are liked best and why,
what countries supply the market and
why, what prices prevail, and occa-