IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[March, 1902.] 
Si 
Vol. VIII. No. 87. 
the number of large bankruptcies in late years. This improve- 
ment he traced to the greater width and breadth of the trade 
basis, its greater elasticity and capacity to adapt itself to the 
needs of new markets and passing fashions. There was also 
the fact that the means of getting large credits for merely 
speculative transactions had been considerably constricted of 
late years. The diversity and elasticity of the trade he traced 
in turn to the better education of the workers and the leaders 
of trade. 
'I he Chamber had always taken great interest in the 
growth and development of technical education, especially at 
the Bradford Technical College. Recently the Yorkshire 
College authorities had brought forward a scheme for the pro- 
motion of a higher technical or commercial education for the 
leaders or captains of trade. That movement he welcomed 
heartily, and the Chamber had supported it fairly well. The 
question was one of great importance, and would come before 
them still more frequently in the future. In Bradford they were 
capable of dealing with their own education, so far as it was 
purely technical, but they were quite willing to recognise that 
when it got beyond that mark, and became more of the college 
and University character, it was necessary to go to a college 
specially fitted for it — such as the Yorkshire College at Leeds. 
That college he should like to see placed upon a county fooling 
as the basis of a Yorkshire University. 
The minutes included those of a meeting of spinners, manu- 
facturers, wooleombers, and general millowners in the Bradford 
district, held on January 14, to consider the desirability and 
practicability of starting all mills at the same time in the morn- 
ing. A resolution was passed unanimously to the effect “ that 
in the opinion of this meeting it is neither desirable nor prac- 
ticable to start all mills at the same time, and that any future 
interference with the hours of labour by the Home Office is to 
be deplored." 
Halifax, — The monthly meeting of this Council was 
held on the 29th December, the president (County Alderman 
J. W. Smithies) being in the chair. The president was re- 
elected, and Messrs. C. Holdsworth andj. H. Murgatroyd were 
re-appointed vice-presidents, all unanimously. 
The Council cordially supported the suggestions of the 
Edinburgh Chamber in reference to the laying of main line tele- 
graph wires underground, and expressed their willingness to join 
in the proposed deputation to the Postmaster-General on the 
subject. 
It was reported that the United Committee of the Cor- 
poration, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Drapers and 
Hosiers' Association had considered the letter from the National 
Telephone Company (Limited), of December 4, 1901, and could 
not recommend the Corporation to accept the terms offered by 
the company, but fully approved of the clause in the Corpora- 
tion Bill, which is to confer powers to enable them to establish 
a municipal telephone. The action taken by the representatives 
of the Chamber in the matter was approved. 
The Council resolved to petition Parliament in favour of the 
bill to amend the law relating to the rating of hereditaments 
containing machinery, and to ask the borough and county mem- 
bers to support the second reading of the bill, 
A circular was read from the Huddersfield Chamber 
recommending that the Government be urged to increase the 
duties on German wines in the event of the German Tariff 
coming into operation. Mr. Firth moved a resolution 
approving of the principle expressed in this communication, but 
declaring that it did not go far enough. The resolution was 
carried. The Council also resolved to support the resolution 
before the House of Commons in favour of the appointment of 
a Minister of Industry and Commerce. 
Leeds. — The annual general meeting took place on 29th 
December last, when the president, Mr. G. R. Portway, in 
moving the adoption of the report, said that during the past 
year the Chamber had applied to the Inland Revenue Office for 
increased stamping facilities in Leeds. Enquiries were at once 
instituted by the department, on whose behalf a gentleman 
came specially to Leeds, and within a very short time the 
application was granted. The concession would prove a great 
convenience to the city. 
Considerable interest had been shown in the work of 
commercial education. Alderman Wurtzburg undertook to 
prepare a report on the present system so far as this district 
was concerned, and the report, for which they felt greatly 
indebted to Mr. Wurtzburg, was of great value. The authori- 
ties of the Yorkshire College had initiated a scheme for giving a 
course of higher commercial education. They asked for the 
assistance of the Chamber, and it was willingly given. The 
Chamber had obtained from a commercial community promises 
of about 7(200 for a term of three years, and their example had 
been an incentive to other bodies in the county. Bradford, he 
was glad to say, had obtained promises of a similar amount, 
and there was every prospect of the new course starting under 
very favourable circumstances. Another matter in which the 
influence of the Chamber had been felt, had reference to a trade 
dispute. The Leeds Cloth Pressers* Society brought under the 
notice of the Council a complaint with reference to the excessive 
length of worsted coatings which had to be manipulated by two 
men, and, as a result of the conference with the officials of the 
Society, they recommended the acceptance by the trade of a 
limit of 70 yards warp as the length of worsted coatings, the 
recommendation having been agreed to. There had been three 
discussions on the German tariff, but the subject had not yet 
been exhausted. Canal navigation, which was of great import- 
ance to the commerce of the country, had also occupied their 
attention, and a bill was being promoted for the formation of 
canal trusts and for the development of the waterways of the 
country. 
Speaking of Parliamentary procedure, the President re- 
marked upon the increasing influence and power of Chambers of 
Commerce with Government departments. The action of Cham- 
bers of Commerce had been distinctly felt in regard to under- 
ground telegraph wires. By the storm of a few weeks ago there 
was great interruption to telegraphic work. Several bodies 
addressed the Postmaster-General, and it looked from Lord 
Londonderry’s letter as if the question was likely to be shelved. 
The Chambers again took the matter up. If the Press did not 
initiate the movement, at any rate it backed it up well. The 
result was a second letter from the Postmaster-General, the tone 
of it being very different from the first communication. They 
were told that the underground wire had been laid as far as 
Birmingham, and that the Post Office were going to push with 
all possible speed the work of connecting Liverpool, Manchester, 
and Leeds. In 1901 trade was not so easy to do as in the 
previous year, and prices were lower, yet there was only a falling 
off in our imports of 7(836,000 and in our exports of 7(6,028,000, 
the decline being accounted for by the difference in values. 
Mr. J. Peate observed that they were all aware of the 
inability of the House of Commons, on account of present 
arrangements as to procedure, to satisfactorily deal with the 
subjects brought before its notice by Chambers of Commerce. 
There was no doubt that if the suggestion considered by the 
Chamber, on the initiative of the president, was put into 
operation, there would be a reform which would enable the 
House of Commons to carry out the wishes of Chambers of 
Commerce more effectively than they had been able to do in 
the past. With regard to the German tariff and the statement 
in the report that the Council “have not seen fit, having regard 
especially to the export trade of this country, to recommend 
that retaliation should be resorted to,” remarked that the subject 
of retaliation, directly or indirectly, had been considered by 
the Council and the committee appointed to consider the German 
tariff, and the action of the Germans would undoubtedly compel 
a greater amount of attention on the pint of the commercial 
community to the question. The report indicated that we 
should have to look more to our colonies than we had hitherto 
done to make up for what had been taken from us through the 
operation of hostile tariffs. The time was coming when hostile 
tariffs would not be viewed in the light in which they had been 
regarded in the past. 
Liverpool. — At a special meeting of the Liverpool Chamber 
on the 17th ult. , Mr. C. H. Cox presided, in the absence of 
Sir A. L. Jones, when the subject of consideration was Eng- 
land's fiscal policy. Mr. Cox said that a very useful purpose 
might be served by a full and free discussion of the question, 
and even an attempt made to reach a closer understanding as 
to tariffs with their colonies. What he had seen and heard 
fully justified him in saying that protection was in the air, and 
it was most desirable that the subject should be ventilated. 
Bounties and subsidies were inimical to free trade and free 
exchange. They were justified in taking any necessary steps 
to restore freedom of exchange and to ensure, as Mr. Cobclen 
said, that every source of supply was freely open to them. 
Mr. Alfred Bigland then read a paper on the subject indicated 
by the chairman. They should always be thinking of the 
future, he said, and not merely of to-day. He had drawn up 
a proposed contract with the colonies, in which he suggested 
there should be absolute freedom of interchange of all com- 
modities, products, etc., as if the whole Empire were actually 
one great country. As this could not be done suddenly, it 
should be mutually agreed that the Government of every colony 
should for a term of years continue its present tariff, or a 
modification of it, but should in every item stipulate that goods 
grown or manufactured or obtained from any other part of the 
Empire should be admitted at half the fixed tariff. He further 
suggested the formation of a permanent council in London, 
with full colonial representation, to carry out the scheme. 
Councillor Austin Taylor concurred in what was said against 
bounties, but saw some difficulties. He elicited from Mr. Big- 
land the explanation that cotton and grain were not touched in 
his policy. Mr. A. Armour thought that Mr. Bigland’s scheme 
would raise prices here, and would not be accepted in the 
colonies. Colonel Goffey said that he had been a free-trader 
all his life, but could not help seeing that in recent develop- 
ments questions had arisen to necessitate reconsideration of the 
arguments held 50 years ago. No Englishman feared competi- 
tion on fair and straight lines. How could any one meet the 
competition shipowners now had to meet? He referred to the 
bounties, for instance, the French Government gave to ships. 
British shipping could not fight against such competition. If 
the American Bill passed next year, all the energy and skill of 
British shipowners would not enable them to meet the Americans, 
backed up by an immense bounty and subsidy. 
Manchester. — Mr. John Thomson, presiding at the annual 
meeting of the Chamber on the 5th ult., said that the future of 
the cotton trade looked more hopeful than it was a year ago, 
A discussion arose upon the following paragraph in the annual 
report of the directors, which referred to the new German 
tariff: — “Isolated suggestions have been put forward in this 
country favouring some sort of retaliatory tariff action on the 
part of the British Parliament in the event of the tariff being 
enacted. To such a course the board of directors is entirely 
opposed. No such action could be effectively taken by this 
country without the introduction of Customs duties which would 
confer in greater or less degree the privilege of protection upon 
British industries. It is the conviction of the board that any 
step of this nature would be fraught with the most momentous 
consequences, and that it should be resisted by the Chamber 
with the utmost earnestness and energy.” Mr. H. E. Wollmer 
moved that this paragraph be struck out. Mr. Burges, who 
declared himself a protectionist, seconded the motion, which 
was in the form of an amendment to the resolution to adopt the 
report. Mr. Fogg opposed the amendment, and in the course 
of his speech claimed that the German imports were of benefit 
to our trade, a large proportion of them helping us in cheap 
manufacture, while our own production was not displaced by 
them, nor the employment of our people injured. The amend- 
ment received four votes and was rejected by a large majority. 
The report was then adopted. Mr. Marshall Stevens, one of 
the original promoters and the first manager of the Manchester 
Ship Canal, laid before the Chamber a series of tables dealing 
with the position of the port of Manchester in comparison with 
other ports. 
• 
Sheffield. — •The annual meeting of this Chamber was held 
on 30th January last, at Sheffield, Mr. W. F. Reardshaw (the 
president) in the chair. After some remarks by Sir Howard 
Vincent on the proposed German tariff, and other matters, Mr. 
Batty Langley, M.P., said that, with reference to the suggested 
increase and revival of trade in South Africa, he was not so 
hopeful about it. South Africa, for three or four years, would 
be in a very quiet state so far as trade was concerned. There 
was a falling-off in the demand for labour in this country. 
There might be a boom in trade for a few months, but he 
believed there would be a reaction, and that there would be a 
very great disappointment after the war was closed. Mr. J. F. 
Hope, m.p., strongly supported the importance of commercial 
knowledge of foreign languages, and urged the Associated 
Chambers not to put forward long programmes, but to push 
strongly some one matter of the first importance, such as the 
adoption of the metric system. Mr. F. W. Beardshaw was re- 
elected president and Mr. Herbert Hughes was re-appointed 
secretary. 
Walsall.— At the twentieth annual meeting of the Chamber 
held on the 24th ult., Mr. H. D. Clark presiding, the report of 
the Council stated that the membership of the Chamber had 
increased from 135 to 195. A large amount of the work under- 
taken had been of much interest and advantage to local 
industries and to the trade of the country generally. The 
saddlery, harness, and other leather industries had again during 
the past year benefited in a considerable degree by the demands 
of the War Office, but not to such an extent as in the previous 
year. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, 
expressed regret that the president (Mr. F. Rathbone) was 
unable through absence abroad to fulfil this duty, particularly as 
the success of the year's work was in a great measure the result 
of Mr. Rathbone’s initiative. He believed they would all agree 
that the trade of the town, although not equal to the previous 
year’s trade, was of a satisfactory nature. The War Office 
favoured the town with a large number of contracts, the effect 
of which had no doubt been to enhance the prosperity and 
wealth of the community. A reference to the Board of Trade’s 
returns showed that the exports of saddlery and harness reached 
the largest total since the year 1890. The turnover for the 
twelve , months was 7(585,225, as against ^477,000 in the 
previous year. This, he believed, was the best trading record 
they had" been able to point to, except in one instance, for 
twenty years, and it showed that not only had local manu- 
facturers and merchants been busy upon War Office contracts, 
but that they had also been alive to giving attention to the 
other orders which had been received. This was particularly 
gratifying, inasmuch as in every case the colonies had 
taken an increased amount of these commodities. Canada, 
Australia, British East Indies, and South Africa, all had 
augmented their demands, and the only falling off had been 
in regard to the Continent and South America, in each of which 
cases a satisfactory explanation for the decrease could be giveu. 
The trade of the country, as a whole, had also maintained a 
high standard. Twelve months ago they had to report 
that the United Kingdom did the largest volume of trade ever 
recorded, the total amounting to 877 millions. During last 
year there was a decrease of 6 millions, but compared with 
three years ago there had been an increase of over 100 millions 
in the general volume of trade ; this was a most satisfactory 
state of tilings. The chairman afterwards reviewed the work of 
the Chamber during the past twelve months. Mr. T. A. Smith 
said the war had opened the eyes of the world to the fact that 
the horse was not likely to become such an extinct animal, 
with such disastrous results to Walsall trades, as some people 
thought would be the ease when the motor-car was introduced. 
He thought the trade returns proved that the country had to 
look to the colonies for an expansion of trade rather than to 
foreign nations. Mr. A. W, Hutton said that as a result of 
the action of the Chamber piogress was being made with the 
standardisation of tests of iron and steel. The resolution was 
carried unanimously. 
4 - 
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE OF THE PAST 
MONTH. 
February , 1902. 
UNITED KINGDOM. 
Feb. 1st : The London Water Bill was issued. The 
Sanitary Inspectors’ Association held their annual meeting. 
Small-pox increased in London. New transatlantic freight 
rates were announced. 
2nd : Death of the Earl of Munster. 
3rd : Alderman S. Roberts (C. ) was elected M. P. for the 
Eccleshall Division of Sheffield. In the House of Commons a 
supplementary vote of 7(5,000,000 was passed for war charges, 
including cost of remounts. Lord Hamilton made a speech on 
the condition of India. The Queen and Princess Victoria left 
London for Sandringham. Death of Sir J, B. Monckton. 
4th: In the House of Commons a motion for the dises- 
tablishment of the Church of England in Wales was rejected. 
The Queen Victoria Memorial Fund amounted to ^'187,600. 
Sir W. Harcourt addressed a meeting of the National Poultry 
Organisation Society. 
5th : The Chamber of Shipping held their annual meeting. 
Lord Salisbury was entertained at dinner by the Junior Consti- 
tutional Club. Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, distributed 
prizes at the Battersea Polytechnic. In the House of Commons, 
the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill passed the second reading. 
6th : The Prince of Wales was formally admitted as a 
Fellow of the Royal Society. Mr. J. Wood (Land Purchase 
Candidate) was elected M. P. for East Down. Death of Col, 
W. A. J. Wallace, C.I.E. 
7th : Sir C. P. Ilbert was appointed Clerk of the House of 
Commons in the room of Sir A. Milman, resigned. The 
Ven. Archdeacon Pryce was appointed Dean of Bangor. 
Death of Mr. T. Sidney Cooper, R.A. , in his 99th year. 
8th : A medallion of John Ruskin was unveiled in West- 
minster Abbey. Death of the Rev. G. Blunt, rector of 
St. Luke’s, Chelsea. 
9th : Death of the Rev. Sir George W. Cox. Death of Col. 
the Rt, Hon. W. Brownlow-Forde. 
10th : The annual meeting of Governors of the Clergy 
Orphan Corporation was held. Small-pox increased in London. 
In the House of Lords it was announced that Wei-hai-wei was 
not to be fortified as a military and naval station. 
nth: The King held the first levde of his reign at 
St. James’s Palace. The London County Council adopted the 
report of the Water Committee on the London Water Bill. 
The National Education Association held their annual con- 
ference. Mr. J. Daly (N) M.P. for Monaghan, resigned his 
seat. Death of Sir Herbert Croft. 
12th : Death of Lord Dufferin. The new entrance lock of 
the South-west India Dock was opened. A conference on 
Anglo-Russian trade was held at the London Chamber of 
Commerce Offices. 
13th : Mr. Chamberlain was presented with an address 
from the Corporation of the City of London. 
14th : Lord Rosebery addressed a great Liberal meeting 
at Liverpool. Death of Sir Archibald Milman. In the House 
of Commons, Mr. Jeffrey was elected Deputy Chairman to act 
as Speaker when required. 
15th : The Army Estimates for 1902-3 were issued, 
amounting to ^69,000,000. Death of General J. G. Touch. 
16th : Death of Capt. W. T. Mainprise. R.N. , C B. 
17th : In the House of Lords the Vaccination Act (1898) 
Amendment Bill was thrown out, and the Remounts question 
was discussed. Lieut. -Col. J. H. Eden was appointed an 
Inspector of Constabulary. Death of Sir Robert Micks. Death 
of Field Marshal Sir Neville Chamberlain. 
1 8th : Death of the Rev. Dr. Newman Hall. A deputation 
waited on Mr. Chamberlain asking for transport for 500 Welsh 
settlers from Patagonia to Canada. In the House of Lords the 
Shops (Early Closing) Bill was negatived on the second reading. 
Death of Colonel E. C. Knox. 
19th: The National Liberal Federation held its annual 
meeting at Leicester. A monument to the late Lord Leighton 
was unveiled in St. Paul's Cathedral, In the House of Com- 
mons the Urban Site Value Rating Bill was rejected. Death of 
Mr. P. W. Clayden. 
20th : Death of Sir W. C. Leng. The Queen left Marl- 
borough-house for Sandringham. Death of Earl Fitzwilliam. 
The National Labour Committee opened their annual con- 
ference in Birmingham. 
21st : The King left London for Rurton-on-Trent on a visit 
to Lord Burton. The Civil Service Estimates were issued. 
22nd: The King visited Messrs. Bass & Co. 's brewery at 
Burton. The Consecration of Canon Gore as Bishop of Wor- 
cester took place in Lambeth Palace. 
23rd : Death of Dr. S. R. Gardiner. Death of Lady 
Ilerschell. 
24th : The King returned to London ffrom Rangemore, 
Lord Burton’s seat. Lord Tweedmouth addressed a Liberal 
meeting at Camberwell. It was resolved in Belfast to erect a 
memorial to the late Lord Dufferin. In the House of Lords the 
Cremation Bill was passed. Death of General Sir P. Penrose. 
Death of the Dowager Countess of Dundonald. 
25th : The Bishop of Worcester was enthroned in Worcester 
Cathedral. Mr. Hebert Hart resigned the Chairmanship of 
the Liberal Imperialist League. The Shire Horse Show was 
opened at the Agricultural Hall. In the House of Commons 
the Navy Estimates were passed. Death of Lord John Hervey. 
