HOW TO INTRODUCE AMERICAN MANUFACTURES.

From a knowledge of the efforts heretofore made and the unsatisfactory success attending them, I am induced to recommend the following conditions as necessary to any successful introduction of the manufactures of the United States on the Antwerp market.

1st. A demand must be created for our productions and styles of manufactured articles. This can be done only by placing the articles on the market at an actual loss, if necessary, and get them introduced into the leading establishments and houses of the country. To do this prejudices have to be broken down and tastes formed. The element of economy is the most powerful appeal that can possibly be made to upturn the former and implant the latter; when the demand is secured it will be time enough to expect compensation.

2d. The articles must be placed upon the market by capable and honest parties. Confidence has been lost. Bad faith and serious losses on both sides have attended nearly every attempt hitherto made to develop the sale of American articles. To consign goods to unreliable and incapable parties is to court failure.

3d. To avoid the difficulty, branch houses should be located in the principal cities of Belgium under the immediate direction of an interested and responsible member of the home firm, and from these traveling commercial agents could, by means of samples, sell directly to retail-houses, avoiding as far as possible the expenses attending the system of selling through middle-men. To appreciate fully this last remark, we need only refer to the frequent appeals that are made to the law to adjust diffi culties arising from deception and misrepresentation. These expenses have become so great that consumers prefer to pay a big price for an article known to be good, rather than have the risk of importing what may prove an inferior one. By putting the articles on the market through a responsible party these difficulties would be to a large extent removed and confidence restored.

EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES.

The total general exports from Belgium to the United States for 1876, as per inclosure C, amounted to 23,397,234 francs, or $4,515,666, being a decrease of 27 per cent. when compared with 1875, and 31 per cent. when compared with 1874, which year shows the largest exports to the United States of any one on record. For 1867 the amount was 18,960,000 francs, but for 1872 it had increased to 29,430,000 francs.

The special exports for 1876 amounted to 11,433,000 francs, being a decrease of 31 per cent. The principal differences between the general and special exports are as follows: of the manufactures of wood 20 per cent. was in transit; all the iron but 30,000 francs; 75 per cent. of the clothing; all the wool; over 90 per cent. of the mercery; 75 per cent. of the paper; all the textile fabrics but 183,000 francs woolen, and 9,000 francs cotton; and 30 per cent. of the glass. The above statistics dem onstrate more clearly the falling off of the manufacturing interest of Belgium, since her special exports decreased 31 per cent., whereas her general exports decreased only 27 per cent. for 1876.

Statement showing the value of principal general exports from Belgium to the United States for the years 1876, 1875, 1874, and 1873.

The foregoing table contains eighteen articles, which comprise 98 per cent. of the total exportations to the United States. Glass, lead, and textile fabrics show great falling off for 1876, while sugar and hides, on the contrary, show great gains. The leading manufactures of glass, wood, and skins show in each instance a serious decrease, at once discouraging to the Belgian manufacturers, and promising to those of the United States.

COMMERCE OF BELGIUM FOR NINE MONTHS OF 1877.

The importations for the first nine months of 1877 amount to about the same totals as those for the like period of 1876. The augmentations are as follows: cattle and sheep, 12,000,000 francs; wool, 23,000,000; flax, 13,000,000; rye and flour, 12,000,000; meat, 8,000,000; petroleum, 3,000,000; oils, 3,000,000. The following articles show a like decrease, viz: wheat, 27,000,000 francs; coffee, 9,000,000; raw silk, 8,000,000; woolen and silk fabrics, 6,000,000; oil-seeds, 7,000,000; building-timber, 4,000,000, and rice, 4,000,000.

The exportations for the first nine months of 1877 show an increase of one per centum, when compared with a like period of 1876. The principal augmentations are as follows, viz: flax, 30,000,000 francs; machinery, 13,000,000; thread and yarn, 16,000,000; rye, oats, and barley, 7,000,000; stone, 6,000,000; zinc, 4,000,000; leather, 2,000,000; meats, 3,000,000, and candles, 3,000,000. The following show the principal diminutions, viz: wheat, 17,000,000; wool, 10,000,000; hides, 8,000,000; sugar, 10,000,000; coal, 7,000,000; sheep, 6,000,000; raw silk, 5,000,000, and window glass, 2,000,000.

The foregoing figures indicate a favorable condition for the transit trade of the kingdom, but a further decrease of several important articles of Belgian production and manufacture, viz, sugar, coal, and window-glass. In view of the tremendous decrease of wrought iron during 1876, it will be worthy of note that 1877 for the first nine months shows a further decrease to the amount of 2,000,000 francs for the exportations of sheet-iron and rails.

Statement showing the importations and exportations for the Kingdom of Belgium from 1867 to 1876 (stated in millions of francs).

The above table presents certainly a very satisfactory condition of the commerce of the kingdom, notwithstanding the constant complaint heard everywhere of stagnation of business and decrease of trade. The table gives an increase of over 64 per cent. for the last ten years in the total imports and exports; and the total of 1876 has been exceeded only once during the decade, viz, in 1873, which result was brought about by an unusual activity in the grain trade, which experienced for that year the enormous increase of 316,000 tons. Consequently the present commercial condition of Belgium would seem to be excellent, but to be fully appreciated it must be brought into comparison with the commerce of the leading nations of Europe.

COMMERCE OF EUROPE FOR FIVE YEARS.

The following comparative statement shows the total general commerce of the principal countries of Europe for the last five years (stated in millions of francs):

The statistics of the foregoing table have been taken from what I be lieve to be a reliable source, and the contrast of Belgium's constant increase and development with a uniform decrease of all other leading commercial nations of Europe is certainly striking and worthy of note.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS.

The financial crisis has not seriously affected this country, but Belgium has suffered in common with all surrounding nations in her manufacturing interests. Her special export trade has decreased, and hav. ing lost to a great extent the foreign markets for her surplus manufact. ures, she suffers from overproduction, and the sharp competition of surrounding nations in general; recently by that of the United States

in particular, which, aided by a combination of circumstances, has been able to pour out her surplus productions and manufactures upon every market of the globe. While the interior manufacturing cities and villages have suffered greatly from the consequent depression of business, Antwerp, from the nature of her employment, has not felt the crisis so keenly; yet her merchants, forwarding-agents, and ship-owners have suffered from the shrinkage of values, for in the presence of the actual state of business, and trade in general, the competition becomes so sharp that carrying rates and port expenses have to be reduced to the lowest possible figure. Consequently, a general complaint, perhaps somewhat chronic, is heard on all sides, and the large dividends and expenditures of 1871 have dwindled into small returns and a consequent necessary economy. In the early part of the present year, there were hopeful signs of a recuperation of confidence, but the war between Russia and Turkey, and more recently the unfortunate political crisis in France, plunged us again into feverish uncertainty; for while a few branches of trade may be profited by the war, the general effect is a further depression of the manufacturing interests of this country.

BELGIAN MERCANTILE MARINE.

The following table exhibits the class, number, and tonnage of the Belgian merchant-marine at the close of 1876:

The foregoing table shows a net decrease of 8 vessels and 8,214 tons; 3 being lost and 10 sold. No new vessels have been constructed during the year, but 5 were bought and nationalized. Of the 48 composing the Belgian marine, 8 were built in the kingdom.

In addition to the 48 registered vessels, there were 259 vessels, aggregating 8,261 tons' burden, and manned by 1,590 men, engaged in the fishing trade, of which 146 were engaged in the cod fisheries. The catch for these last, during 1876, was 1,754 tons. The fishing vessels belong chiefly to Ostend, Blankenberghe, Antwerp, and Huyst.

7 CR

JAMES RILEY WEAVER.

Statement showing the quantities and values of the general importations from the United States into Belgium for the years 1876 and 1875.

NOTE.-In his report showing the trade and commerce of Antwerp, the consul says: In the absence of any published statistics of the importations from the United States into Antwerp, I have been compelled to report the amounts for the whole kingdom. But as the amounts above given, with slight exceptions, are imported by way of Antwerp, they consequently give a very correct idea of the import trade between this port (Antwerp) and the United States.