66 COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



south of the department of Panama, and in those ports duties are col- 

 lected and are charged on the weight. It follows as a matter of 

 course that the Panama merchant orders the goods for his trade with 

 Cauca to be made of light weight, and a light starching gives the 

 requisite finish without the weight given by other processes of load- 

 ing. 



I have examined prints weighing 2 ounces per yard and others of 

 similar cloth weighing 1J ounces to the yard, so that stating the weight 

 gives no indication of the quality. The buyers here, as in the greater 

 part of Spanish America, are not judges of quality, and their past ex- 

 perience with poor goods does not teach them the greater cheapness of 

 a good article even at a higher nominal price. 



HOW PURCHASED. 



Cotton goods are generally purchased on a credit of six months, for 

 which a commission is paid to the Manchester agent of 3 per cent., ami 

 interest of 5 per cent, per annum on account current not paid at matu- 

 rity. 



WHERE MANUFACTURED. 



The greater part of the cotton goods sold in Panama are imported 

 from England, being manufactured at Manchester. 



A fair trade was growing up in American cotton fabrics, but advanc- 

 ing prices there, higher rate of exchange here, and other causes here- 

 inbefore mentioned have nearly closed this market against American 

 goods. 



DUTIES. 



There are no import duties levied at the ports of this isthmus, and as 

 to the duties in other ports of the Republic, the consuls at the duty 

 ports will report. 



HOW TO INCREASE AMERICAN TRADE. 



The buyers are also very conservative about changing styles of goods 

 and ignorant of the laws of trade, consequently they adhere fpr a long 

 time to accustomed articles or styles and resist advance in price. When, 

 therefore, cotton rises in price or the currency depreciates in exchange 

 value, the dealer can not put up his prices, but in sending a fresh order 

 he directs his Manchester commission merchant to send the same pat- 

 tern put up in the old way but with one or two threads less in the square 

 inch or a trifle less in width, and consequently at a rate that enables 

 him to appear to sell the same goods at the old price. 



Importers here say that American manufacturers will not do these 

 things ; that they will not cut the prices to the lengths they may de- 

 mand, and that they will not pack as the trade of various sections may 

 require, 



