Vol. VIII. No. 88. 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[April, 1902.] 95 
he is unable to estimate a higher out-turn than 75 per cent, of a normal crop, 
and even this will not be obtained unless there is rain to swell the grain. 
Foreign Countries. — The complete returns of the foreign trade of the 
Argentine Republic for 1901 are now available, and from them the 
following figures relating to the exports of the principal articles of agricultural 
production are taken. The corresponding totals for the two preceding years 
are added for comparison. The majority of the totals for 1901 will be found 
to exceed the corresponding ones for 1900, whereas the reverse is the case 
when the comparison is between 1900 and 1899. 
Agricultural Exports from Argentina. 
1899. 
1900. 
1901. 
Head. 
Head. 
* Head. 
Live cattle 
3 T2 5 T 5 ° 
150,550 
1 19,189 
Live sheep 
543,458 
198,102 
2 5,746 
Tons. 
Tons. 
Tons. 
Frozen mutton . 
56,827 
56,412 
63,013 
Frozen beef 
9,079 
24,590 
44 , 9°4 
jerked beef 
19,164 
16,449 
24,296 
Wool 
237,111 
100,913 
228,358 
Lb. 
Lb. 
Lb. 
Butter 
. 2,594,891 
2,322,663 
3,322,391 
Cheese 
18,161 
r,88 3 
2,968 
Tons. 
Tons. 
Tons. 
Wheat . 
■ L 7 I 3,429 
1,929,676 
904,289 
Maize 
. 1,116,276 
713,248 
1, 1 12,290 
Linseed . 
2I 7 , 7 I 3 
223,257 
338,828 
Hay 
105,598 
102,836 
95,120 
A great shrinkage is seen in the exports of cattle and sheep. The closing 
of our ports against Argentine cattle and sheep during the whole of last year, 
and part of 1900, as a safeguard against foot-and-mouth disease has ruinously 
affected the trade in cattle, and brought the export of sheep from the River 
Plate almost to the verge of extinction, inasmuch as for every 20 sheep 
shipped alive in 1899 only one was so shipped in 1901. The enforced 
restriction in the shipment of live animals has, it will be seen from the figures, 
given an impetus to the frozen meat industry of the Argentine, the expansion 
of the frozen beef trade being greater than that of the frozen mutton trade. 
The export trade in butter is making steady progress. The shipment of 
3,322,391 lb. in 1901, or 43 per cent, more than in 1900, is the largest yet 
recorded, and seems to indicate serious efforts on the part of the dairy farmers 
of the Plate Valley to compete with Australasia in supplying us with butter. 
The erratic nature of Argentina’s supplies of wheat to the world’s markets is 
illustrated in the circumstance that the exports of wheat in 1901, returned at 
904,289 tons, were less than half of those in the preceding year. On the other 
hand, maize nearly recovered the level attained in 1899, and the exports of 
linseed, 338,828 tons in 1901, were 50 per cent, larger than in the previous 
year. The exports of hay (lucerne or alfalfa ) have been slowly declining for 
several years. 
An Insular Bureau of Agriculture has been established in the Philippine 
Islands by the United States Government in order to remedy the deplorable 
condition of agriculture there, and Professor F. Lamson-Scribner, an accom- 
plished botanist, who for nearly eight years has been agrostologist of the 
American Department of Agriculture, is appointed chief with headquarters 
at Manila. The current annual report of the American Secretary of War 
states, with reference to the Philippines, that “ the methods of cultivation are 
primitive and ineffective ; the ordinary vegetables, notwithstanding the 
fertility of the land, are small and poor, and the stock is evidently run out 
and should be renewed. Many grains which are unknown to the people 
can undoubtedly be raised. They live chiefly on rice, and raise less than 
they consume.” The main object of the new bureau is £t to promote the 
development of the agricultural resources of the archipelago,” and it will 
take charge of and conduct the model farms and experiment stations which 
were established in a number of provinces under the Spanish regime. In 
view of the agricultural importance of the islands, and the great opportunities 
for development along many different lines, the field for research and 
economic work is considered to be exceedingly attractive, and it is anticipated 
that in course of time the bureau will develop into one of the strongest 
and most useful branches of the Insular Government. 

The Railways of New South Wales. — The New South Wales Railway Commissioners 
recently submitted their report to the Minister for Railways for the quarter ended December 31. 
This quarter of the year is the su uncr season at the antipodes, and the principal portion of the 
wool is moving within that qua' ter from the inland districts to the seaboard, while grain is also 
carried to a considerable extent. The revenue for the three months was ,£1,071,789 and the 
expenditure ,£599,014, the former giving an increase of ^19,390 and the latter of ,£65,207, so 
that the net revenue fell to the extent of ,£45,817. Various causes are put down as accounting 
for the reduction, principally the increased cost of material, higher wages to the staff, greater 
proportion of relaying and renewal work carried out, while the goods business suffered by reason 
of the reduction of rates which was made prior to the quarter, and which did not lead to a 
corresponding increase in business, and also by reason of the fact that there was a great 
proportion of low-freighted goods carried. The railway business is also said to have been 
affected by the fiscal question. New South Wales has to share the new tariff which came into 
operation on October 5, and no doubt in its incidence it has had a prejudicial effect upon tire 
returns. In regard to the trams, the electric system continues to give the utmost satisfaction, 
and it is being extended. 
A Motor Eishing Boat. — The first completely equipped motor fishing boat has just made 
her trial trip most satisfactorily at Lowestoft. There have previously been boats fitted with 
motors for propulsion merely, but this is the first fishing craft which will rely upon petrol to 
generate the force required for all purposes — hauling her nets, hoisting sails, working the capstan, 
and driving her pumps. The motor is of 24-h.p. , and is fitted in a case 4 ft. by ft. It is only 
3 ft, high, and the top cover serves for a table. The motor is of the three-cylinder, two-cycle 
type, and self-starting and reversing. 
LABOUR RETROSPECT. 
United Kingdom. — The Labour Gazette for March reported a slight 
improvement in the general state of employment. Compared with a year ago, 
a better tone prevails in the coal, iron and steel, and cotton industries, but 
the engineering, shipbuilding, building, and certain other groups of trades 
have not shared the betterment. On the Tyne and Wear, trade prospects 
are good, but at Liverpool and Birkenhead fresh orders are awaited with 
some anxiety. The Boiler Makers’ and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders’ Society, 
in their report, give some sensible and straightforward advice to their members. 
“ During the extreme busy time of the past three years, some have grown 
careless, conducting themselves as if such a thing as bad trade was only 
an unpleasant dream and not a reality. The inclination to cease work 
without justifiable reason on the part of a few of our members has also had 
its ill-effect, and brings discredit upon us all when the Society’s undertaking 
with the employers is that, pending the settlement of disputed jobs, work 
should be proceeded with. A pledge given should at all times be kept. A 
manly course should be adopted by a chance being given to your officials to 
settle.” 
The development which has recently taken place in the tin-plate trade is 
worthy of special mention. The Labour Gazette for March states that 
employment is good and much better than a year ago. At the end of 
February 386 mills were at work (including those engaged in the manufacture 
of black plates) compared with 278 a year ago. It is now reported from 
South Wales that there are but two works idle on the list, and that one of 
these, which possesses 8 or 10 mills, will be shortly restarted. All are fully 
booked for some months ahead. 
In the recent discussions respecting trade unionism and its effect on the 
industries of this country, the question of the conditions prevailing in the 
building trade entered largely, it being stated that 400 bricks per day was as 
much as London builders could get out of their bricklayers. In this 
connection, Mr. J. C. Stewart, building manager of the British Westinghouse 
Electric and Manufacturing Company, has written a letter in the Times upon 
the work of bricklayers in the construction of the new building in Trafford 
Park, Manchester. In building the pattern shop the average performance 
per man per day was 1,800 bricks, and the average includes the facing 
work. On common work an average was reached of 2,250 bricks per man, 
per day. These, and similar results, were got out of English bricklayers, 
members of the union, directed by members of the union, and paid n|d. 
per hour, or i-|d. more than the union rate. But these results are not attained 
without intelligence and liberality on the part of the employers. Facilities 
are provided for the rapid supply of bricks, and a soft mortar is used which 
spreads easily and allows the bricks to be imbedded with much greater ease 
than the stiff mortar used here. Mr. Stewart’s experience is that if British 
workmen are to be successfully handled they must know that they are to 
get good wages, and the man who has charge of the work must know his 
business, and must have the work done in his own way, in his own time, 
and by his own methods. This does not only apply to bricklayers. 
Mr. Stewart gets his work done by British carpenters just as quickly and 
as cheaply as he has ever accomplished similar work in America. As he 
gets on with the workmen so he gets on with the unions. They do not 
seem to interfere with him or to want to take the management out of his 
hands. On the contrary, he acknowledges that his progress has been 
“greatly due to the interest that has been taken by the representatives of the 
unions in securing for him the best men that could be obtained.” £< What 
is Mr. Stewart’s secret?” asks the Times. “Is it anything beyond the power 
of British masters to find out? We should say not.” 
Colonies. — In the report of the Department of the Interior of Canada, 
Mr. Smart says with regard to the important question of immigration, that 
the general result of the work for the past year has been satisfactory. 
There has been a substantial increase in the number of arrivals, and, 
according to the reports of the agents of the Department at the ports of 
landing and in the west, the class of settlers who have come to Canada 
with a view to settling on the vacant lands is a very desirable one. 
Although only a comparatively small proportion of the large influx of 
European emigration to America is directed towards Canada each year, 
there is no doubt that as a result of the careful selection exercised by the 
officers of the Department, Canada receives more than a fair proportion 
of the European agriculturists who arrive in America with sufficient means 
and experience at their disposal to locate on vacant Dominion or Crown 
lands and become self-supporting. As to the settlement of Manitoba and 
the North-West Territories only by the sons of Canadian farmers or by 
British settlers, Mr. Smart disapproves of the scheme. When the extent 
of the territory is taken into account, and also the proportion of the 
country which is being settled year by year, there need be little fear but 
that there will be plenty of land left for a number of generations of 
Canadians and British immigrants. The fact is that in a few years to come 
the various nationalities — Mennonites, Icelanders, Galicians, Doukhobors, 
Scandinavians, and Germans — will undoubtedly be lost in the great Canadian 
nationality. Over 55,000 United States settlers, with their families, settled 
in the North-West during the last five years, the accuracy of these figures 
