514 



French Agricultural Banks. 



Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Sofia h^s in- 



_ formed the Foreisfn Office that a circular 



liandmg: of Cattle ^ 



in Bulg:aria. ^^^^ been issued by the Bulgarian ]\Iinistry 



of Foreign Aifairs, prohibiting the load- 

 ing and unloading at a Bulgarian port of cattle which have not 

 been previously examined by a veterinary surgeon and are 

 provided with a certificate accordingly. The local administra- 

 tion concerned has also received instructions to proceed imme- 

 diately after each unloading to disinfect the vessels, and the 

 appurtenances which have been used either for loading or 

 unloading. 



Information has been received at the Foreign Office from 

 Her Majesty's ambassador at Rome that 

 Duty on Italian Government have decided to 



Grain in Italy, temporarily lower the duty on wheat and 

 other grain imported into that country. A Royal Decree was 

 issued in the official Gazette of the 23rd January to the effect 

 that until the 30th of April next the customs duty on grain 

 •and wheat will be reduced to 5 lire per 100 kilogrammes, or 

 about 2s. per cwt. 



The Board have received information through the Foreign 

 Office that a Bill for the subvention of 



Fronch .ilL^^iriciil" 



tural Banks Bill, agricultural banks was laid before the 

 French Chamber of Deputies in December 

 last. Upon the renewal of the privileges of the Bank of 

 France, approved by the law of 17th November, 1897, this 

 "bank was required to lend the Government a sum of 

 1,600,000, repayable, without interest, in 191 3, and also to 

 make an annual payment of £80,000 into the Treasury. The 

 present Bill proposes to place the 1,600,000 at the disposal 

 of regional agricultural banks, without interest, until it has to 

 be repaid to the Bank of France, while the annual £80,000 is 

 to be lent to local associations. The regional banks must be 

 based on the system of mutual credit, and must be consti- 

 tuted in accordance with the law of 5th November, 1894. 

 Their principal function will be to operate as a centre for the 

 local banks of the arrondissement " in wliich they are 



