The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 2, 1905. SIBERIA AS A MARKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7888, 2 August 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 2, 1905. SIBERIA AS A MARKET.

A great deal has been written about the possibilities of Siberia as a producing area of vast extent, and especially as a quarter from whicl keen competition may affect tin dairy industry of the British Colonics. Another aspect of the question of trade with Siberia has been presented to the British public by Mr H. Cooke, the Special Commissioner of the Board of Trade, who has made an interesting and useful report of his tour in that region. It is not very surprising to fiml that German and American manufacturer;, ' have already out-distanced their British confreres in opening up trade in this new field of enterprise, although, as Mr Cooke points out, the excellence of British goods is recognised everywhere, but he adds that in a great many cases they are not saleable to anything like the extent of the articles from Germany and America. Several reasons are assigned, 'tie chief being " British goods too expensive ; ' best, but too (tear, 1 is the general verdict ; Uritisi: commercial men are not enterprising enough ; goods not sufficiently pushed ; the absence of British agents on the spot ; disinclination ol British manufacturers to do business on tire rooied credit system of the country ; the use o( the English language (nut understood by tlre majority) in Hie place of Russian or German ; British dislike oi anything hut big business ; lack oi British advertising in the numerous Siberian papers." This reads very much like the old, old story—keeping to the old groove, and losing tlw trade. Commenting upon the report, the London Daily News says : "First oi all Mr CooKe speaks about the country itself. He says that some of /lis purposes will have been fulfilled if his report dispels the associations with which Siberia Iras been almost exclusively connected and of disregarding its penal and climatic legends. Englishmen in search of new markets should personally examine tlte country's possibilities. Siberia is in some respects a primitive and outlying region of vast dimensions, of hitherto ' primeval communications and customs, but now in a state of commercial transition. Its centres, thanks 10 the railway, are now easily accessible. The American, the Dane, and t!ir German arc there already, and huvc captured some oi the most fruitful fields it affords for enterprise. II what remains does nui' at present afford any vast opening for special branches of British energy, it is at least not a market lo be passed by. These rich regions will be to Russia's Increasing millions what our Colonies are to the British Isles." That there should he a market) for British goods I is shown by the statement that the word English on articles is often used as a synonym of excellence. Numerous goods arc advertised ami sold as British when in reality made on the Continent. Russian Mscuits, Russian paints and varnishes, German cutlery and Austrian sickles are things which are treated in this way. It is only natural that the

goods winch arc purchased are those which arc on the spot, and both the Germans and Americans arc quite alive 10 this advantage, which they I turn to good account. Meanwhile, Great Britain, by purchasing Siber-i iaii produce, is providing a good islidi e of money wherewith to enable I net manufacturing competitors to Ithr.vc. Surely this Is an object lcs on not only to the Mother Counu;, but to the colonies. It conclusively demonstrates the need that <".r is (or the exercise oi every ctfoi l to capture trade in every available direction. To do this, however, uj!-i o-date methods must be employed, and it is to those who recognise this principle and act upon it that the reward of their enterprise comes. This applies with equal force to-every !;ranch of trade, manufacture and commerce. Wherever there is a market for every article that market has to be captured, and this can only Ibe effected in one way. The soon, r L'ritish manufacturers adopt themselves to modern requirements the better it will be for the vast army of industrial toilers whose existence depends on the volume of trade.