The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-01-06
OurGouerumeut
1t Operates
By William Brxckart
HUNTING THE MARKETS

4 -
| TT is untrue to say that commerce
knows no barriers, yet it must be-
explained that 1t knows no barrier In
sofar as the age-old law of supply and
| demand Is concerned. Where the de-
mand Is sufficient, there commerce will
flow just as surely as water seeks its
own level
Hence, a great commercial and in
dustrial people, If they are to remain
80, must be kept acquainted with
where that demand is. Unless they
are apprised, and apprised quickly OF
the existence of a market, there is
very real danger that some enterpris-
ing group elsewhere will become the
early bird that catches the worm.
Without fear of contradiction, I
think 1t can be said, the fact that
American export trade has captured
SO much Of the world trade has been
attributable to the ever watchful eye
of the bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce. In this unit of the great
Department of Commerce has centered
the work Of keeping finger on the
worlds business pulse. 1t has known
the intimate heartbeat Of many lit
tle-known trade corner; it has been
informed by letter. by cable, by radio,
of what those needs are, or are ex-
pected to be- The information it has
gained has been quickly spread to ALI
interested parties in this country.
For instance, regularly the bureau
makes public reports from the rubber
estates Of Ceylon. With equal regu-
larity, 1t receives and disseminates the
latest details of the Bradford wool
prices. Again, 1t receives and passes
| to the trade here the facts about the
newest tariff DEGREES Of every country
that occupies position of Importance
in our export market, and that just
about covers the entire world.
Taking things chronologically, let US
examine first into the methods en-
ployed by the government in getting
this information, leaving to other arti-
cles later an exposition Of what is
done with the facts by the bureau and
by the citizens of the nation for whom
they are gathered.
There is what is called in a general
| term, the foreign service Of the United
| States. That corps comprises repre-
sentatives Of the Department of State
as well as the Department of Com
merce. The Department of Commerce
men, obviously, are trade men. Those
of the State department may not be
SO classified, for some of them-many
| of them, in fact-have other duties
that are more important to the execu-
tive department which they serve.
In every important capital, there is
an official attached to the embassy or
legation who is called a commercial
attache. In addition, there is sta
toned at same post trade commits
sioner. The former is State depart
ment man, while the latter is strictly
what his title implies. Trade commits
sioners are assigned as well to many
commercial and industrial centers.
In addition to all Of those mentioned,
there are consuls and vice consuls
galore, literally scores of them.
Each of these individuals has been
trained to examine the economic and
financial conditions of the territory
under his supervision; each has over
looked no opportunity to study the
trade needs, the market potentialities,
and appraise the problems related to
the selling Of American products an0
buying for American consumption.
They will know, for example, wheth-
er the railways Of Brazil are going to
need additional rubber hose for pas
senger car cleansing, whether the land
tax In Spain is going to work hard
ship on holdings there Of American
corporations, whether the teak pro-
duction of Siam is rising or declining,
or whether some nation is promoting
an industry Of moment in the produc-
ton of carbon black or other chemi-
cal
To show another phase Of theil
work, let me call to attention q
specific instance. The Spanish throne
was lettering. American investments
in Spain, while not as large as they
are In some other countries, APP
preached s2OO,OOO,OOO. The question
in the mind Of every person interested
either through his own holdings or the
holdings Of a corporation in which he
was stakeholder was what effect that
political condition would have on his
money. The trade commissioner and
the consuls were sending daily dis
patches to washington, relating every
development on which they could gain
information. When the monarchy fell
and a de facto government was set up,
those dispatches did not cease. In
deed, they came faster than ever. The
result was that officials of the Depart
ment of Commerce knew almost In
stantly what difficulties faced the
American investor, the American ex-
porter or the American importer. and
let 1t be said here that they had q
veritable deluge Of inquiries concern
ing them.
Not all Of the facts thus gathered
are handled with that celebrity. More
often, the information is assembled
slowly, methodically, carefully, from
all Of the sources, public and private,
to which an official representative has
access. Statistics are quoted fully,
and a picture drawn from them to
make the information as accurate and
as simple as it is possible to obtain.
that the American In touch with the
Department of Commerce may have
available for his guidance all of the
details. Amy one of them may be vital
g. 1882. Western Newspaper Union.