El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-10-18

M Americans. manufacturers ana
AVA 1obbers alike, have Iallel 70
grasp the opportunity lli4- - - 80.
them fin Mexico. largely because Jney
have not tried TO study conulllohs
hero and. too. because they are going
after business without mahlu4 any
snecial effort 20 please their patrons,
whereas the French. German ana
r---iieb ri-r1s ztteunt to meet the
wants and demands OF their custom
ere. the Americans lose sight or the
necessity, it seems, 20 please tleill-
The EI Pase business men hear
complaints from merchants n A-eAlco
on every hand about the ullLlcutllea
they have in dealing with American
firms. The complaint Isl not directed
AGAINST the FL Pasoaus SO much as
AGAINST American 1obbers and manu-
facturers iu the interior. Fl Faso
dealers are generally better &C
uuainted with Mexican wants ana
conditions and they meet these more
satisfactorily
No Attempt to Please.
But take the manufactures or
toilet goods and drug sundries IN the
United States You pass a Mexican
drug store window and you 1lnQ the
same advertising OF American prepa-
ratious that you find In an III Faso
drug store window. The wrappers on
the packages, bottles or Jars are an
in English and the placards adver-
Aalll
the Preparations are or German
French or English manufacture You
viii find the labels In Spanish and tne
p1acards in Spanish or French As an
Latins can read or understand Erencn'
the French manufacture Is at an
advantage and 1t is not necessary Tor
him 70 furnish Latin labels and pla-
cards but he often does &c anyhow.
The American mauufacturer- so tar
as can see, makes no effort TO FUR
uish his labels or plac7rds IN the
spanish language. 7 have seen one
toilet cream OF a well known Amerl-
can make that bore Spanish labels
and that is all
American substlfution.
This is not the only complaint OF
the Mexico merchant, however. Ihey
say the american iobber IS prone 10
substitute without geltlns Petl-lsa In
something the European dealer VIII
not do. ore Torreon dealer in dry
goods and hats told Louis Chernis
and me that a ST. Louis salesman re-
Gently sold him a bill OF sateens and
promised 90 send colors in green,
blue, yellow and red. al popular
colors and about the only saleable
colors in Mexico.
When the stuff arrived. some Of
the bolts contained the colors he had
promised, but there was an assort-
meut OF all kinds OF colors- A letter
accompanied the shipment stating
that il was impossible TO III the en-
tire order I'm the cclors desired and
substitution was being made. me
dealer says he can never sell some
OF the colors sent him without sacrl-
ficiuE the stuff and losing money.
Dealers in Europe never substitute
without writing as for permission TO
do so" this merchant SAID 4 am not
going TO buy any more rom mat 81
Louis house and j probably win not
HnH
my stuff as cneaply IN EUROPE
cheaper IN a little while when their
factories get 20 going agair.-and
an sure they VIII send what I order D
Packing CareIeasIy Done
There Is also complaint in Mexico
that American iobers dc not pack
their goods as well as the European
countries. The Americans are ac-
customed 70 comparatively careful
handling by railroads fin the United
States and they are also accustomed
to getting paid by the railroads for
damage 20 shipments en- route The
] Mexican roads give no SUCH care 10
shipments and &c ig seldom that a
I Mexican road pays damages on goods
I Injured in transport. The result S.
I that packing should be heavier 1or
I Mexico. Many shipments arriving IN
[ Mexico from the United States are so
I badly damaged fin transit that there
| Is heavy loss 10 the dealers
! The Americans also fail 20 study
l the Mexican customs regulations and
often a big delay is experienced at
I the frontier in getting shipments from
! the United States into Mexico The
I manifests. customs invoices, ETC. are
J not properly executed and endless de-
| lay Is eutailed at the border, often
] extra expense 70 secure the service
I Of an experienced customs broker 20
I get the goods through.
French and European merchants
l have men who are versed in the Gus
| toms laws OF all countries and Mex
I leo merchants say thar when snip
I ment Of goods arrives from europe
] it comes through without trouble, be-
J cause the manifests are all properly
I prepared and everything IS done By
] the shipper that will expedite the en-
I try OF the goods into Mexico.
] FL Pasoans have an advantage over
I other American firms in supplying
2 Mexico in that they are posted on ali
I these things and more nearly meet
I the Mexican requirements than any
Z other shippers outside Of Europe.
Had No Choice.
I Louis Chernis wants 90 distinctly
I understood that If he and his CO.
I reIigionists are committing any sor;
OF a sin I'm eating, It IS the fault OF
/ the dining car steward and not. OF
himself The other evening. the din.
ing car offered a choice OF boiled
] ham or roast pork for dinner. Therl
was no other meat on the menu
The cargadores at the various de-
| pots interest the FL Pasoals very
much. They carry all the baggage
I 70 and from the stations on theu
/ backs. They are licensed by the
I municipalities and wear big brass
I numbers. One OF them viii slip @
I rope under the end Of a big trunk
I hoist ft onto his hack and trot of
/ to a hotel with 40 as II &c were q
] dozen eggs. and he never puts &c dowr
( for a rest until he gets TO his des-
I tiaatiOn. regardless Of how heav-
It IS.
Torreou So the most modern city
we have visited. II has been built
I since the railroad was built about
Is years ago. and looks more like
I an American town than anything We
] have seen. The streets are wide and
] the buildings are mostly all brick OF
( stone. The majority OF the business
IS said 70 be fin the hands OF Ger
. mans and Swiss
Scores o. Mexican boys floci
] around our diner at every stop anc
I beE for pennies or food.
The Fl Pasoans have learned nov
/ 70 Quit asking Mexican or AmerI
/ can" when prices are quoted ant
/ always pay now IN Mexican money
The store windows everywhere arr
I full Of American made goods, al
| though south OF Torreon and at Tor
reon, all the cotton piece goods arr
trict about Torreon produces ire
mendous crops Of cotton and there arr
many cotton goods factories located
at Torre0n and south