Agricultural Rates Act. 



3Q5 



The spring* of 1900 opened with abnormally high prices 



for sawn timber in Russia ; but owing 

 Russian^Timber tQ the great rise in f reights which sub . 



sequently occurred, the foreign demand 

 slackened, and prices ruled low in the latter part of the year 

 The total quantity of timber exported from the port of Riga 

 in 1900 was 46,550,000 cubic feet, as against 46,700,000- cubic 

 feet in 1899, thus showing a decrease of 150,000 cubic feet. 

 The exports of deals and lathwood from St. Petersburg and 

 Cronstadt also showed a falling off; but rickers and props 

 were more actively exported from this district, especially to 

 the British Islands. The United Kingdom is the largest 

 purchaser of Russian timber, her imports constituting, in 

 1900, 40 per cent, of the entire Russian exports. The value 

 of Russian timber exported to the United Kingdom in 1900* 

 is estimated at £2,532,000, as compared with £2, 249,000* 

 in 1899. 



[Foreign Office Reports, Annual Scries, Nos. 2698 and 2708.] 



The Board have received information through the Foreign 



Office that an international exhibition of 



_ , P .? u ?!' ry . aviculture, pigeon breeding-, and other 

 Exhibition at ' r ^ & 



Madrid. rural industries will be held from the 

 1 st to 31st May next at Madrid. Tem- 

 porary shows for the more perishable kinds of produce (dead 

 poultry, etc.) will be held in connection with the exhibition. 

 Forms of entry and all particulars may be obtained from 

 M. le Commissaire general de l'Exposition d' Aviculture, rue 

 de la Diputacion, 373, Barcelona, Spain. 



The payments to the several spending authorities of the 

 annual grant in respect of the den- 

 Agricultural ciencies arising from the provisions of 

 Rates Act. , A . , , ^ . 0 , 



the Agricultural Rates Act, 1896, 



amountedfor the year 1900-01 to £1,329,557. Of this sum there 

 were paid to Boards of Guardians, £506,867 ; to Rural Dis- 

 trict Councils, ,£356,449 ; to County Councils, £331,439 5 to 

 School Boards, £107,259; to Town Councils, £18,452; to 

 other Urban District Councils, £4,701 ; and to the Receiver 

 for the Metropolitan Police District, £4,390. 



