[D8839ACY], Letter from Samuel Insull to Alfred Ord Tate, December 27th, 1888
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Title
[D8839ACY], Letter from Samuel Insull to Alfred Ord Tate, December 27th, 1888
Editor's Notes
"Referring to the enclosed letter received by Mr. Everett Frazer from his Yokohama correspondent. I think it is important that Mr. Edison should write to the Berlin Company with relation to this matter, stating that his interests in Japan are very much prejudiced by their having given any prices to the man Niwa. I think if you can get a copy of the Berlin Company's estimate at the same time it might be useful to Frazer & Co." Yours truly, Saml Insull [Enclosure from Frazar & Co. to Yokohama, Nov 14, 1888: "We are very glad to received your telegram of the 11th inst advisign us that Mr. Edison prohibits the Berlin and Paris Co's. from interfering with Japan and hope this will settle the question as to Japanese making purchases direct from Europe. ### You will be pleased to learn that the T.E.L. Co. have now closed a contract for a 300 light mill plant in Nagoya, and we expect to have details of the orders in a few days. We also learn from Mr. Fujoika tha thte Central Station plant for Nagoya is not yet ordered, and that Nawa is to be in Tohyo a short time to consult with him about this plant. ### Mr. Fujioka gives us a few additional particulars of Niwa's Berlin trip, as follows:-- Niwa met in Berlin the "Deutsche Edison Gesellschaft" of No. 85 Freiderich-Strasse, to whom he explained that he was the Agent of the Nagoya Elec. Light Co. and if they gave him their lowest prices etc., he could probably do a large business for them not only in Nagoya but throughout the country etc. The Berlin Co. accordingly gave him an estimate for a Central Station, prices for Dynamos, lamps etc. all of which he claims cut under New York prices and are, in fact, considerably below the prices he received from the other American Companies, besides the Edison. ### Mr. Fujioka is inclined to believe that the Berlin Co. have the power to make sales in japan and China if they wish to do so that there are no legal reasons to restrain them from this, but that from friendship for the American Edison Co. they may decline to make contracts for Japan and China, when they know that both Japan and China are special territor reserved by the American Edison Co.. It might be wel for Mr. Edison to write to Berlin and explain to them how Niwa has been about New York for soometime peddling the Nagoya plant to the lowest bidder and that he now comes out to Japan with remarkable stories of the very low prices quoted him in Berlin etc. etc. and he can also mention that his (Edison) agents here are attending to this Nagoya business and ask the Berlin Co. to give him € a copy of the estimate and price they have furnished Niwa., which please send us as soon as possible. ### Perhaps you can arrange to cable us on receipt of this the amount of the Berlin Co's estimate for the Nagoya Cen. Sta. say "Berlin 1,500 lamps $---- c.f.i." which we will understand to be their net price quoted to Niwa for a Cen. Sta. plant of 1500 16 C.P. lamps. When this letter reaches, you, and probably before Niwa is likely to be in Tohyo in treaty with Fujioha to break down prices, it would therefore, be of assistance to us to know direct from Berlin exactly the bottom prices and terms they gave him."
Author
Recipient
Date
1888-12-27
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8839-F
Microfilm ID
123:778
Document ID
D8839ACY
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University