TRANSACTIONS OK SECTION F. 823 



power, of the port entries, and of the freight earnings of all the nations together, 

 and two-thirds of the shipbuilding. 



While the ocean-borne commerce of the United Kingdom is maintained at its 

 maximum, that of India, though large, is relatively low, while that of the Colonies 

 is amazingly high. 



About one-third of the world's commerce is contained within the British 

 Empire. 



The average of ocean-borne commerce per inhabitant in the United Kingdom 

 is considerably higher than in any other large State of the world, but is exceeded 

 by the average of the busy little kingdoms of Belgium and Holland. 



About one-third of the banting business of the world is done within the 

 British Empire, justifying the claim of London to be the first of all banking 

 centres. 



The average of annual earnings per inhabitant in the United Kingdom is 

 approached by that of its offspring in America, but is more than double that on the 

 Continent of Europe. 



In wealth, consisting of land and cattle, railways and public works, houses and 

 furniture, shipping, merchandise, bullion, and sundries, the British Empire is the 

 wealthiest State on earth, but its preponderance in this respect is not nearly so 

 great as might be expected from the number of its population, because the wealth 

 of India is relatively small. 



The ratio of earnings on capital in the United Kingdom equals that of the 

 United States, and exceeds that of the Continent of Europe. But it is surpassed 

 by the ratio of Canada and Australia. 



Respecting the aggregate of national industries — agriculture, commerce, banking, 

 manufactures, mining — taken in combination, the United Kingdom is beginning to 

 fall behind the United States, though the British Empire, on the whole, preserves 

 the first place ; but despite disparity of population the mother land still achieves 

 nearly as much as its gigantic offspring, and the energetic genius of the progeny 

 still survives in the parent. 



The mileage of railways, on the whole, is not remarkable, being apparently 

 small. But the work done by the railways is exceedingly great, far surpassing 

 relatively that shown by any other nation, and the speed of the trains is generally 

 greater. 



The length and size of canals for navigation and for irrigation are unsurpassed. 



The decrease of crime and of pauperism is satisfactory in the United Kingdom, 

 while pauperism hardly exists in the other dominions of the Empire, and the 

 charitable funds raised in the United Kingdom are enormous. 



The number of patients in the hospitals, though large, is not remarkable 

 relatively to the size of the Empire. 



Regarding thrift, the growth of savings banks is but moderately great, being less 

 than in some small European States, like Switzerland and Scandinavia, and much 

 less than in the United States ; but the development of Friendly and Provident 

 Societies, and of life insurance, is probably greater than in any other nation. 



The sum total of education is not great relatively to the Empire at large, 

 mainly because India has much way to make up, the proportion there being behind 

 that of Europe, and much behind that of the United States; but the results of 

 the Post Office and the electric telegraph indicate an unequalled activity. 



The efforts made in the United Kingdom for the support of religious missions 

 to non-Christian nationalities are honourably sustained. 



