March 1895.] EXTRACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR 347 



REPORTS. 



On the canals of the centre of France, the boats are generally 

 towed by the bargee and his family, with the assistance some- 

 times of a donkey kept on board. This is the most economical 

 form of traction, but is applicable only to small boats, and has 

 the disadvantage of being a very slow and tedious mode of 

 progression. 



In the north and east of France, the towing is generally per- 

 formed by horses, in relays of two horses under the charge of a 

 carter. Two horses are generally sufficient to tow a boat 

 heavily laden, or two empty boats coupled together. With this 

 system barges are able to cover 10 to 20 miles per diem, the 

 distance, of course, depending a great deal upon the time lost by 

 them in passing through the locks. 



On a few canals where the circulation is very great, the 

 organisation of the means of traction has been undertaken 

 by the State with the greatest possible success^ and it has 

 contributed enormously to the development of traffic in those 

 regions. 



The report does not otherwise deal with the effect which 

 the development of the canal system has had on the agricultural 

 districts of France owing to the impossibility of obtaining any 

 information on this subject. 



[Foreign Office Report, Miscellaneous Series, No. 342. 

 Price 9id] 



Spanish Ck)RN Duties. 



The Board of Agriculture have received information through 

 the Foreign Office, from Her Majesty's Minister at Madrid, 

 relative to an increase in the duties on wheat and wheat flour 

 imported into Spain. 



By a Decree which came into force on February 11, 1895, the 

 import duty on foreign wheat was increased by 2 pesetas 

 50centimos per 100 kilogrammes (equal to 4s. 4Jd per quarter), 

 bringing the duty on wheat grain up to 18s. 4cZ. per quarter. 



The duty on wheat flour was also increased by 4 pesetas 

 12 centimos per 100 kilogrammes (equal to Is. 8d per cwt.), 

 so that the import duty on foreign flour is now 7s. 0\d. per cwt. 



The new duties are to continue in force until the end of the 

 present year, and they apply to all wheat and flour imported 

 into Spain and the Balearic Isles. The Government propose 

 as soon as possible to lay a project before the Cortes for reducing 

 the freights on agricultural .products between the district of 

 production and the ports and frontier towns, and also the freights 

 on cattle from producing to consuming districts. 



