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Professional, Commercial And Industrial.

The general prosperity of a district and a country is bound up with its industrial progress, which is determined by the enterprise of the commercial, professional, and industrial sections of the community. Accordingly this section of the Cyclopedia has, rightly regarded, an interest of a very particular kind. By way of suggestion to all whom it may concern, it may be pointed out that a great deal of America's unparalleled commercial progress is due to the systematic manner in which information is supplied to American manufacturers from almost all parts of the world. The Philadelphia Museum is carrying on a great work in collecting and disseminating this kind of information. It is owing greatly to these methods that American manufacturers are able to send the proper goods at the proper time to the proper markets. Indeed, one of the most notable facts in connection with modern commercialism is the manner in which America is securing markets which, a short time ago, belonged exclusively to Great Britain. This tendency is specially marked in New Zealand. Storekeepers and merchants state that the American article is not, on the whole, any better than that from the United Kingdom; indeed, in many cases its quality is inferior. But it is made up and displayed in an attractive manner; it is cheaper; it is forwarded with greater dispatch; and its quality is often good enough to meet the requirements of the consumers. The total of the importations to the colony from the United Kingdom is still a long way ahead of the importations from America; but statistics show that America is making great advances in its trade with the British colonies. For example, certain tables which have been specially prepared for this article, show how the New Zealand market has been, and is being, captured from Great Britain by America. The figures represent certain imports to this colony from these two countries during the decennial period from 1891 to 1900, both years included. It will be seen that the values of important articles imported from the Old Country have considerably decreased, while there has been more than a corresponding increase in the values of the same articles sent to New Zealand from America. In other lines there has been an increase in favour of Great Britain, but it is very slight compared with the increase of the American article, and the process of capture in regard to these goods is just going on. The figures are here set forth in a table which shows how the facts stand:

Importations of certain articles to New Zealand from Great Britain, and from the United States of America, for the decennial period, 1891–1900.

Articles.	From Great Britain				From the United States
	1891.	1900.	Increase	Decrease	1891.	1900.	Increase.	Decrease
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Boots and Shoes..	130,326	126,705	..	3,621	2,490	42,658	40,168	..
Furniture and Upholstery..	14,531	14,461	..	70	5,682	16,285	10,603	..
Plain Fencing Wire ..	47,457	24,793	..	22,664	none	32,232	32,232	..
Barbed Fencing Wire..	16,673	3,396	..	13,277	2,168	27,349	25,181	..
Nails….	20,193	14,933	..	260	3,469	23,064	19,595	..
Leather….	42,289	41,290	..	999	7,721	17,615	9,894	..
Agricultural Machinery, Ploughs and Harrows..	17,209	21,074	3,865	..	17,360	41,381	24,021	..
Sewing Machines..	2,597	6,353	3,756	..	12,560	21,617	9,057	..

The totals for all imports during the decennial period show the same remarkable increase of goods sent from America. Though there has been an increase in respect to Great Britain, it is relatively insignificant in comparison with that of the United States, as the reader will see by the figures which relate to the subject. These are:

Great Britain.		United States
1891.—£4,369,633.		1891.—£361,795.
1900.—£6,504,484.		1900.—£1,061,873.

The Old Country is still over £5,000,000 ahead of its great competitor, which, however, is progressing by leaps and bounds.

There is another aspect of the subject. In 1891 New Zealand's trade with the United States was: Imports, £361,795; exports, £515,208. But in page 276 1900 the Colony's imports from the States exceeded its exports by £603,077; namely — imports, £1,061,873; exports, £458,796 (over £56,400 less than in 1891). In 1900, Canterbury's imports from Great Britain totalled £1,058,500, and from the United States, £182,882, and the increase was more favourable to the Old Country. But there is another point to note. For instance, in 1900 the United States took only £9,582 worth of exports from Canterbury, while, as here shown, Canterbury gave £182,882 for imports from them.

Cheapness is not the only factor in this increase in American commercial ascendancy. The Americans study the market, and push their goods with an enterprise which has never been shown by the British. They are acquainted with the requirements of each district. They have at their fingers' ends the latest and most reliable information regarding the conditions of each colonial market. They know what railways are being constructed, and where they will lead to, and the nature of the country which is being opened up for settlement. This knowledge is secured through the consular agents in the principle centres of population. These agents are constantly applied to for information of all kinds bearing on local markets. The Philadelphia Museum plays a prominent part in this connection. It collects information from the consular agents of the States, from the Government of New Zealand, from Official Year Books, Blue Books and Directories. In its correspondence with the consular agents, it invites suggestions from them, and gives suggestions in return. It sends out innumerable “information blanks.” “This is done,” it informs the consuls, “that we may gain a more practical knowledge of the possibilities of introducing American goods into your consular district.” In a personal note, the Museum sets forth that it is a public institution founded by the city of Philadelphia for the purpose of extending the trade of the United States of America. The institution brings to the use of the American business man any reports sent by the consuls, who fill in the “information blanks” without much difficulty from their stores of local knowledge.

Not very long ago the Museum sent the Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Information to Japan, China, the Straits Settlements, the East Indies, and Australasia. His visit to each city in the tour was preceded by a circular setting forth the scope of the Museum and the information which he desired to obtain for its use. Wherever he went he discussed matters with the consular agents, and urged them to keep the Musuem well posted in regard to everything that appertained to trade relationships between the consular country and the United States.

Besides these national efforts, as they may be termed, pushful private firms and individuals in America are always on the look-out for fresh business.

A letter recently received by a New Zealand consul from a firm that deals in canned meats makes some very pointed inquiries. The firm wants to know the kinds of canned meats that are being used, the names of the leading importers, and the names of persons with whom it might be advisable to establish trade relations. Another letter came to a consul from the United States Export Association, seeking information in regard to the trade in woodworking machinery in the consular districts. The letter is brief and to the point. An indication of the information desired is given in three simple questions. They are: “(1) From what countries is this machinery imported at present? (2) What are the importations of this line of machinery for the last year? (3.) Is the wood-working industry of sufficient importance in New Zealand to warrant increased importations of such machinery, and could a good business be done there by American wood-working machinery manufacturers?”

The National Association of Manufacturers of the United States a few years ago organised an International Freight and Transport Bureau, to furnish information to shippers, and arrange for shipments to various ports. The association sent forth circulars asking for information about shipping matters at each port in New Zealand, and gave as head lines for the guidance of consuls, “Steamship Lines,” “Bills of Lading,” “Freight Rates,” “Port Regulations,” and “Forwarding Agents.”

It is by these methods, and in this manner, that America is carrying on a successful commercial invasion in this part of the British Empire, and the conductors of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand have been at special pains to bring the facts together in the interest of the colony's inter-commercial relations with the Motherland.