OCR Text |
Show "IMPORTED STUFF" Testimony of a witness in a recent trade hearing that he had been employed in stamping the legends "Made in Germany" and "Made in France" and so on upon articles manufactured in the United States is psychologically interesting as evidencing a bit of snobbery of which Americans ought, long ago, to have been cured. There was a time when certain foreign-made products were apt to be superior to those made over here, but that was before the advent of efficiency methods, in which America has taken the leadership since before the beginning of the 20th century. There are a few instances, as in restricted fields of artcraft and handiwork, in which imported items may still be superiorly desirable, and there are some others in which commercial considerations do control.. But the average buyer who insists upon seeing an alien hall-mark is not interested in-terested in these, but rather entertains a notion that there is some peculiar distinction attaching to whatever comes from abroad. The fact is, of course, that for the most part, place of origin neither adds to nor detracts from merit. Quality, character and suitability are the chief tests. We do not for a moment contend that there should be no trade, with other nations. The issue here is not one of economics eco-nomics so much as) of sound, intelligent patriotism, and of the effect of the assumption on any large scale that the user of domestic articles arti-cles is inferior to one who imports them. Nor has it anything to do "' "'with the other, the chauvinistic, extreme which denies the value of everything not made at home. Here is the point: It is only fair to our own manufacturers that they should be judged by what they really produce, not compelled to resort to any subterfuge in order to sell high-grade merchandise. Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel. |