Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-06-12 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

BUSINESS ABROAD.  OPENINGS IN SERV! A.  Aocording to Vies-Conmul Macdonald the develop meet of Southern Santis will be a work of bma. and patience. The present conditions are ine favourable for the encouragement of any such schen, SAS that suggested for the formation of a Brit, company to trade with the new provinces. The fir.: steps to be taken will have to be in the nature e: missionary enterprise, where the turning of people from old habits and their conversion to new ideaft insist be attempted at the expense of much labour and self-denial. When the ground been cleared, and the knowledge and taste for British inanufactursis is established, a great increase both in the numbers and wealth of the population must take place before trade can assume proportions of any magnitude. In the pertions of Servia which are beyond the new province' signs of increasing commercial energy are visible to those in a position to study the Servians, who are becoming generally desirous of extending their trade to the British and French markets. Many Servians have come forward,and are personally exerting them. selves to establish direct commercial relations with some of the largest firms in England and Scotland, I and declare their conviction that their countrymen have only to be made acquainted with the superior quality of British goods in order to become habitual customers. It is of the first importance that the attention of British manufacturers should be called to the nature of the opportunity they are throwing away, and to the suicidal effect of what appears to to an ill-timed and unnecessary display of caution. Certain articles may be generally suggested as affording opportunities for competition to British manufacturers, it being advisable to reniater, at the conic time, that Servia is not yet ready to purchase the highest priced and best finished goods of any sort. The greatest cheapness, with the maximum durability, arej the chief desiderata. Waterproofs, umbrellas, knitted caps, glass, leather, leather polish, harness fittings, saddler's thread (the use of the British article is already very popular), jute sacks with extra strong stitching for grain, cutlery, Turkey-red kerchiefs (for peasant women's wear) willow-pattern and rough crockery, hats, brushes (much may be done in this article), gutta-percha combs, Kidderminster rugs, handbags and Gladstone, bedsteads, steel pen. (Leonhardt of Birmingham already competes successfully with Austria). Birmingham beads, imitation , corals, wire nails, tin plates, tacks, paints, cheap lace curtains (to compete against German), bulls. eye and stable lanterns, quinine and iodine, japanned tin goods, Scotch cured herrings, and tinmsl meats and fruits. British manufacturers might perhaps, with advantage also direct their attention to bedsteads, cutlery, locks,aud building and mining tools. Attempts should be made ist, introduce English metal bedsteads similar to those described by Could. General Blunt as coming into such favour in the Salonica trade. The prices of these bedsteads, varying from 9s. to 405., are well suited to Servia, purchasers, and it should be remembered that most articles of British make commence by enjoying a high reputation for excellence and durability. Moreover, steps should be taken for the establishment of a general British Import Agency, where samples and means of advertising could be organised, a process by which it is considered that more good would be obtained than by the occasional visits of commercial travellers, who are accused of having done more harm than good to our commerce. This agency would have for it, first object the convincing Servians of the superior durability, practical utility,  and real cheapness of British good;; it would lis;e many difficulties to encounter, but would, my informant is convinced, ultimately get the better of  German manufactures, which are turned out at the same price as ours, but which pay a higher transport freight to Servia than the British articles coming by sea. The cheapness of the sea route would especially benefit British trade in big orders.