SIBERIAN MARKETS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1508, 17 July 1905, Page 3

SIBERIAN MARKETS.

Judging from a report furnished to

the Board of Trade by tbe Special Comtniesiocar of the Commercial Intel-

ligenca Committee, trade between England wad Siberia eboald not be one-sided. Siberia is sending England large quantities of hotter, bat there is an enormoas market for English goods in Siberia, and the Commissioner urges English manufacturers to improve their methods and capture some of the trade before it is too late. His report dispels the disagreeable associations with which Siberia has been almost exclusively connected, and points out that the rich regions of that vast land will be to Bussia’s increasing millions what her colonies are to Great Britain. The AmeriCM, the Dane,'and the German are there :wbady, and although the excellence of British''wares is recognised everywhere, they are in a great many oases not sold to anything like the extent of articles from Other countries, the reasons for this being the lack of enterprise in “ pushing ” goods, the abeence of British agents on the spot, the disinclination of British manufacturers So do business on the rooted oredit system of the country, the use of the English language (not understood by the majority) instead oi Russian or German, British dislike of doing anything Due “ big ” business, and lack of proper advertising. British money, paid for Siberian butter, goes to Denmark and Sweden to buy dairy appliances, and to the United States for agricultural machinery. A machinery dealer at Irkutsk told tbe Commissioner/ that he applied by advertisement in the British Press for machinery of various kinds, but the answers and catalogues “which he received were exclusively in the English language, and ha could make nothing of them. British goods are held in such high repute that the word “ English” is often used as a synonym of excellent. Numerous goods are advertised and Bold as British when in reality made on the Continent, Russian biscuits, Russian paints and varnishes, German cutlery, and Austrian sickles are things that are treated in this way. -Real British articles are often not to be obtained. “ In a.word,” says Mr Cooke, “British articles are neither accessible nor forthcoming, and enSiberia it is the article on the spot which is bought.” What the people of the couutry think may be gathered from their favorite expression, 11 The English are too proud.”—Press.