140 COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



raw cotton, which are indications that cotton manufactures are here 

 assuming important and significant proportions. 



The Chinese will not change the styles or materials of garments, 

 which have been the same for centuries, and they greatly prefer " home 

 manufactures " to foreign goods for use. 



It is merely a question as to time when Chinese prejudice against the 

 improved machinery of Europe and America shall be cast aside for the 

 application of cheap labor to manufactures of cotton and other goods 

 that formerly came from the western nations. 



In the meantime British goods take the lead, because there are so 

 many and strong British interests working for the supremacy of British 

 commerce in the East and throughout the world. 



DUTIES CHARGED THEREON. 



The imperial maritime customs tariff of duties is based partly on the 

 ad valorem and partly on the specific plan. 



On gray shirtings, sheetings, and better qualities of T-cloths, and 

 also on white shirtings, the duty is 8 Haikwan candarines per piece 

 (about 10 cents). Narrow and light or thin T-cloths pay a duty of 4 

 candarines (about 5 cents). Drills call for a duty of 1 mace, or about 15 

 cents per piece. Jeans duty is about 9 cents per piece. Printed twills 

 pay about 9 cents per piece. Chintz pays the same. On spotted shirt- 

 ings (white) the duty is 15 cents per piece, and on dyed spotted shirt- 

 ings the duty is 22 J cents per piece. 



The treaty provides for exemption of foreign goods, for interior 

 markets, from all likin and other taxes, upon payment of one- half ad- 

 ditional duty, but the exactions of likin-tax officials effectually defeat 

 this treaty stipulation. 



COUNTERFEITING AMERICAN BRANDS. 



I once took the liberty, in my dispatch No. 75, dated June 15, 1885, 

 to the Department of State, to endeavor to indicate " the best means of 

 extending American commerce in the East," in competition with the 

 formidable organizations of British and German merchants, manufact- 

 urers, and capitalists, in strong and close alliance with enterprising 

 business friends from Europe, in all of the cities and trade-centers of 

 the eastern countries, and am now more than ever persuaded and con- 

 vinced that nothing short of systematic effort and pressure by Ameri- 

 can manufacturers and merchants upon native dealers in foreign mer- 

 chandise, through trained and judicious American salesmen, will secure 

 for American productions a merited share in the benefits of Chinese 

 and other Asiatic markets. 



British cotton goods are branded to suit the favorable regard of 

 Asiatic buyers with dragons in various forms, elephants, tea-caddies, 

 and Chinese characters giving assurances as to quality, weight, etc., 



