Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1879 — American Competition With England. [ARTICLE]

American Competition With England.

In the third number of this year’s reports of her majesty’s secretaries o embassy and legation there is a mo s interesting report by Mr. Drummond upon the trade and industry of the United States. Everything that can possibly be thought of is,” he says, “being carried out to obtain foreign markets for United States productsand manufactures,” put thus far it is chiefly in provisions and breadstuff's that an expansion of foreign trade has taken place. In 1878, as compared with 1877, the increase in steel manufacture was only 55,916 pounds, and in cotton manufactures it amounted to no more than 255,788 pounds. In heavy machinery, his opinion is that the States cannot compete with us, but in the smaller articles they run us a close race, for this reason: “The Americans endeavor to combine strength with lightness,while we look only to strength; notice the locomotives and cars, American implements and tools, which have beautiful finish and lightness, and are more convenient than ours. Take American and English scythes, for instance. I find that the American only weigh a little over two bounds, and having a good curve ana polish under the surface, are handier and cut easier and closer than the English, which weigh nearly five poqpds, and are broad, straight, and rough, just as the hammer leaves them.” This is a matter to which Mr. Drummpnd rightly thinks our manufactures should give immediate attention, and the other point he urges upon is.the necessity for looking to the purity of our goods, as the Americans are making a great feature of this in their attempts to secure a footing in foreign markets. If these things are looked to, Mr. Drummond i'» confident of our ability to hold our own. “We have the advantagein England in our existing extensive mills an.d machinery, in the cheapness of living for our workmen, who can accept smaller wages than here, and particularly are we fortunate in the immense number of our skilled hands for manual labor, but perhaps unfortunate in haying too many unskilled. If our manufacturers can reduce the cost and expenses of production, look to superiority in the quality of their goods and wares, be satisfied with small returns, show a desire to make the welfare and happiness of the workmen their own, and they naturally work with energy, I feel sure we shall see happy times again in our manufacturingpopulation.”—[London Economist.