— 16 — 



value of imports from this quarter had fallen to £ 991, consisting mainly ^ 

 of Florida water, hair-restorers and a few extracts. The table below shows - 

 the proportionate shares of the various countries interested in the import 

 trade for the years 1903 to 1909, the figures being given in £ sterling. 

 The report suggests that the best way to secure a foothold in the Egyp- 

 tian perfumery-market is to make a thorough canvass of the customers 

 by commercial travellers, who should call on the buyer again and again. 

 In order to reduce the expense of this method of procedure it is desirable 

 to appoint travellers who represent several firms. The principal customers 

 are druggists, pharmacists, jewellers, hairdressers and bazaars. As ad- 

 vertising is not expensive, this method of propaganda is also to be re- 

 commended, especially because the advertisements in the daily papers 

 are read. The best seasons for travelling are September-October and 

 March-April. 



Our New York friends report on the business in the United States 

 as follows: — 



"The general prospects for business in 1912 cannot be pronounced 

 as very promising. Labor troubles, trust prosecutions, presidential elec- 

 tion and the apprehension of quite radical changes in the Tariff, all 

 constitute a menace to the quiet and normal development of trade. 

 True enough, we have the labor troubles in common with Europe, but 

 they assume a more passionate and uncurbed character here on account 

 of the almost fanatic attitude of the labor unions against the capitalistic 

 interest. In Europe the disturbing factors may lie more in the compli- 

 cations resulting from frictions in the foreign policy, here the unstability 

 of our interior conditions causes unrest and anxiety. 



The Overman Bill, to which we referred in our last Report, and which 

 in fact is equivalent to a radical revision of Schedule A (chemicals and 

 drugs) has passed the House of Representatives by a Democratic vote 

 of 179 against 127 dissenting Republicans and is now before the Senate. 

 Here the Bill will be referred, in the routine way, to a committee which 

 will hold the customary public hearings. These will serve the purpose 

 of delaying any decision beyond the term of the presidential election, 

 as it is absolutely unlikely that any political body would be willing to 

 assume the responsibility for such a decisive measure and compromise 

 itself during a presidential campaign. 



The final fate of the Bill, which if adopted would seriously affect 

 our line of merchandise, will then depend upon the composition of th^ 

 new Legislature, but there is little probability that the principle under- 

 lying the present Bill, to levy duties upon raw materials, while reducing 

 the rates upon manufactured articles at the same time, will ever be 

 adopted by a majority of both Houses. 



Though serious complaints are coming forth from several branches 

 of industry, evidently due to the tinkering with the Tariff and the above 



