SALE OF UNITED STATES GOODS IN BOHEMIA.

While this consulate is doing all it can to promote the sale of American articles in Bohemia, it is a mistake of our exporters to believe that they can succeed in introducing their goods in this market. by flooding the various business houses and the consulate with illustrated catalogues and price lists.

In the first place, the receiver of such papers is usually called upon to pay additional postage, which naturally prejudices his mind.

In the second place, all advertisements, catalogues, etc., intended for Bohemia ought to be printed in the German and Bohemian languages, so that every citizen here could read and understand them.

In the third place, I am convinced that while Bohemia is a very good field for certain American manufactures, it will take hard work to introduce them. The easiest and surest way to accomplish this, it seems to me, is to establish a regular American agency here, which would show samples of all goods intended to be sold, and give the price of same. From personal examinations and comparison of prices charged for American and home goods, I am certain that such an agency would be successful and of lasting benefit to our exporters. I would suggest that one man be sent, whom all those desiring to compete in this market should entrust with samples. Such an agent would not need a concession to do business from the authorities here.

Fourth. In conversations with different business people here, I find that a cause for complaint against American exporters is the system of giving prices free on board at New York. The Bohemian buyer is not able to ascertain the freight to be paid, and can not afford to take the chance. Our exporters should tell the business house in Prague for just how much they will deliver goods here, or free on board at Hamburg. They are in a position to contract freights from New York via Hamburg and the River Elbe all the way to Prague; at any rate, they can give the price free on board at Hamburg.

FARMING MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS.

Bohemia, I feel warranted in saying, presents a very good field for mowers, binders, seeders, thrashing machines, hay stackers, etc. While at the first glance a person unacquainted with the ways of the people would believe it to be cheaper to employ laborers here to do all such work, I have it from very good authority that it is becoming absolutely necessary for those engaged in farming on a large. scale (of whom there are a great many) to employ all kinds of machinery, because of the scarcity of labor in country districts, the men receiving better pay in the cities.

ELECTRIC ROADS.

Bohemia, being the most productive state of the Austrian Empire, will gradually but surely advance in internal improvements. So far but little has been done, and the field is open; especially is this the case with electric roads, elevators, and electric lights. There are in my district a number of electric street-car lines projected, and I believe that with proper effort, United States contractors could successfully compete in this line; at least our firms could furnish the necessary machinery. The horse-car line now in Prague is to be changed into an electric line and to be extended. The city of Pilsen will also construct electric lines. I would suggest that our manufacturers take steps to investigate the possibility of getting their share of this business. I think that someone thoroughly conversant with this line should visit the various places, in order to be able to give figures and offer bids.

NEW CONSULATES.

There have been established here, within the last ninety days, four new consulates, viz: German, English, French, and Swiss. HUGO DONZELMANN,

PRAGUE, April 12, 1898.

Consul.

INCREASE OF AMERICAN TRADE IN CHINA.

In view of the claims now being sent out by the German Government as to the importance of their trade in this part of China, I deem it proper to show that our trade here is not only of more importance than that of Germany, but of any other country, not even excepting England. In the quarterly returns there is not a single article specified as of German origin. I inclose a short summary of our trade up to December 31, 1897.

In my report of December 14* I mentioned the growing importance of our trade in this district, and inclosed a table compiled from the returns of customs for the quarter ended September 30, 1897. On the 8th of this month I received the report of the Chinese customs for the quarter ended December 31, 1897, and have compiled a table on the same lines as the one sent in my report above referred to, which I now submit. Although the annual report has not yet been issued, I have taken the four quarterly reports and added them together. While the result is not as valuable as the detailed reports to be found in the annual returns, it will show that the increase in

*See CONSULAR REPORTS No. 210 (March, 1898), p. 344.

our trade is on a sound basis; that all English goods show a decided decline; and that, while Russian oil gained 322,800 gallons over the importation of 1894, our oil gained 3,406, 270 gallons.

It may be of interest to know that one missionary in the interior, at the request of his Chinese friends, has just imported 10 bicycles from the United States. One firm informs me that it has sold 10,000 50-pound bags of flour and has orders for 4,500 more bags, all on account of the activity in naval circles here during the past three months. This house has only just started handling flour, and during its first three months has sold 14,500 bags. In my report on flour (CONSULAR REPORTS No. 207, December, 1897, p. 520) I reported the average annual sale as 17,000 bags.

Table showing the imports of all merchandise which expressly names the country of origin into the port of Chefoo for the quarter ended December 31, 1897, and for the same period of 1894.

Table showing the imports of all merchandise which expressly names the country of its origin into the port of Chefoo for the year ended December 31, 1897, and for the same period of 1894.

COTTON IN CHINA.*

No one can tell the annual production of cotton in China with any degree of accuracy. There are no statistics, either national or provincial, on such subjects. It is estimated that the annual crop in this vicinity and tributary to this point for the use of mills and for export is 1,200,000 piculs (160,000,000 pounds). Probably other parts of China produce three times this amount, making a grand total of, say, 5,000,000 piculs (666,000,000 pounds). This is only guesswork, however.

Very little cotton is imported. The Shanghai mills at one time. tried a few bales of Indian cotton as an experiment. It was not satisfactory, being both dirty and of a poor quality of fiber. During the last two years, a few bales of American cotton have been imported and experimented with in the Shanghai mills. While it is not so white, its fiber is longer, and hence it will make a finer yarn than the Chinese cotton. The home demand, however, is for coarse yarn-No. 20 and coarser.

About 420,000 spindles are working in Shanghai and vicinity. Of these, 35,000 have been working eight to ten years; the remainder have been put in since the Japanese war. I understand that 50,000 new spindles will be put in one of the Shanghai mills shortly. No new mills are building. Eighty thousand spindles are working at Wuchang; of these 30,000 have been in operation for about eight years, the remainder one year.

The prospect of a market for American cotton depends entirely on the price at which it can be laid down here. At the present moment the price for native cotton is high. Growers and dealers are holding back the crop, on the theory that the mills must use the Chinese cotton. Practically, the crop is "cornered." Sixteen taels. ($10.65 gold) per picul (1333 pounds) have been paid for cotton delivered at the Shanghai mills. It has been sold as low as 101⁄2 taels per picul. The average price for the last three years has been 12 taels per picul ($8 gold per 1333 pounds). American cotton may, after its superiority is fully demonstrated, bring 1 to 2 taels (62 cents to $1.24) per picul more than the Chinese product; but, until the natural prejudice in favor of the home product is overcome, it is not safe to ask more than the price of Chinese cotton.

In the mills here the average wage is 25 to 30 Mexican cents (10.6 to 13.3 cents United States) per day, and two-thirds of the employees

*This report was made in answer to a request for information from a member of Congress. A copy of report was sent to inquirer April 30, 1898.

are women. It is not to be assumed, however, that production is cheap in proportion to the low wages. One American will attend to as much machinery as three Chinese. Nor will the native workmen push machinery as we do. They are careless as well, and much time and money are lost in repairs. While the hours of work are long, the Chinese do not work consecutively and steadily. I might say without much exaggeration that a working day in China is divided equally between work, singing, gossiping, and eating. The small-footed women, when employed in factories, must sit down often to rest their maimed feet. The larger footed women working with them demand equal rest. Altogether, the lot of an energetic foreigner who has charge of a Chinese factory is not a happy one, and the cost of production is not cheap in proportion to the day's wages.

SHANGHAI, March 24, 1898.

JOHN GOODNOW,

Consul-General.

DEMAND FOR STEEL RAILS IN CHINA.

Consul Ragsdale, of Tientsin, under date of March 26, 1898, incloses a dispatch inviting tenders for the supply of 7,000 tons of steel rails; also blanks for proposals. It will be impossible, says the consul, for United States firms to enter proposals in time, but he has reason to believe that bids by cable will be considered and is anxious for United States manufacturers to secure the contract. inclosures are as follows:

IMPERIAL RAILWAYS OF NORTH CHINA.

RAIL CONTRACT.—INDENT NO. 246.

The.

The directorate invite tenders for the supply of 7,000 tons of steel "Sandberg"type rails of 60 pounds per English yard, and fastenings in addition.

Specifications and forms for tendering can be procured at railway head office. Sealed tenders, marked outside "Tender for rails," and addressed to director's office, Tientsin, must be sent in not later than 10 a. m. on May 20, 1898 [extended to May 31 by order of March 28].

Tenders can only be accepted on special forms provided by this office.

A penalty of 15 tael cents shall be paid by contractors for every day any rails remain undelivered after end of November, 1898.

Quotations must be in Hong-ping taels,* and should include freight, insurance, and all other charges (except import duties) laid down on the Tongku wharf.

*The Hong-ping tael is not mentioned in the United States Treasury list of valuations of foreign currencies. The estimates of value of the tael in the various ports of China, on April 1, 1898, ranged from 60.4 cents (Shanghai) to 66.6 cents (Takao). The Tientsin tael was valued at 64.1 cents; the haikwan (customs) tael at 67.3 cents.