g 6 [April, 1902.] 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
Vol. VIII. No. 88. 
being fully borne out by the large percentage as shown by the returns of 
the persons from that country who have entered for free homesteads during 
that period. It is also highly satisfactory to know that the United States 
settler who crosses the boundary to permanently settle on Canadian soil 
soon becomes a fervent admirer of Canadian institutions, and fully appreciates 
the advantages the same offer. Commissions have been investigating the 
subject of Chinese and Japanese immigration into Canada, and their reports 
have now been made public. As was anticipated, it is recommended that 
the further immigration of Chinese labourers into Canada be prohibited, and 
a treaty is suggested to accomplish this end. In the meantime, it is proposed 
that the capitation tax be increased to $500. The Commission on Japanese 
immigration is of opinion that if the Japanese Government puts in force its 
Inhibition Act, preventing emigration from Japan, this will meet all objec- 
tions ; if not, further legislative action by Canada will be needed, as it is held 
that the presence of Japanese immigrants is as detrimental to the best 
interests of the country as that of Chinese. Legislation on the lines of 
the Natal Act is suggested. 
Regarding the immigration into Natal, the Premier has announced 
that the Government is preparing a scheme for the settlement of suitable 
Europeans, and stated that he hoped the Legislative Assembly would pass 
a Bill this Session for the compulsory acquisition of land suitable for such 
a settlement. The strikes of carpenters and railway workmen continue at 
Durban. The railwaymen deman'T an increase of one shilling a day, which 
would involve an increased expenditure of ^50,000 a year. The railway 
workmen agreed to return if arbitration were conceded, but the Government 
declined, refusing to be forced into this step. The native labour question on 
the Rand has taken an improved aspect, the arrangements for bringing up 
natives from the East Coast having worked uniformly well. During the past 
month they have been arriving at the rate of 1,000 a week, a good propor- 
tion coming from Northern Zoutpansberg, from which the mines drew a large 
supply in time past. The natives appear very willing, and prefer, it is stated, 
working in the mines at one shilling per diem to 'entering the service of the 
municipality at is. 8d. per day. The mining industry is now well on the way 
to its normal rate of production, but white labour is plentiful. 
Foreign Countries. — In an exhaustive report on labour conditions in 
Mexico, published by the Department of Labour at Washington, Dr. Weyl 
deals very thoroughly with the immigration question. Hitherto the total 
result of the attempt to promote immigration has been inconsiderable. No 
great movement of labour from Europe has taken place, and the agriculture, 
mining and other industries of the country have been compelled to rely 
practically upon the native labour force. The demand for labour, however, 
has rapidly increased with the activity in all branches of industry, and this 
demand for labour and the small result attained by attempting to stimulate 
the Indian to increased effort, have caused the need for immigration to 
become particularly acute and urgent. The problem of inducing immigra- 
tion from Europe is one of the greatest difficulty. The would-beAmmigrant, 
unless he belongs to the class of skilled workmen, is confronted with the 
prospect of competition with a population with a lower standard of life than 
his own, and earning wages which (expressed in gold at least) are con- 
siderably below what he can earn in the home country. The wages paid to 
agricultural labourers in Mexico are not apt to be much of an incentive to the 
prospective immigrant from Germany or Italy. Mexico has a greater proba- 
bility of obtaining immigrants from the latter country, however, than from 
any other European country. Italy, with its prolific population, is turning 
out immense numbers of emigrants, and is peopling, to a considerable 
extent, the available territory in Latin America, the bulk, at present, going to 
Argentina, which offers more attraction. Employers have turned their atten- 
tion to China as a source for obtaining unskilled labour, but opinion is 
divided as to the advisability of this course of action. At all events, Asiatic 
immigration is more likely to occur than European. While, however, no 
great immigration of unskilled labour may be anticipated, it is probable that 
a certain number of foreign workers will always be in demand for the more 
skilled occupations. In the Republic there is quite a number of Americans, 
Spaniards, Frenchmen, Germans and Italians employed in occupations which 
require a certain degree of skill, and the demand for such labour as cannot 
well be done by Mexicans, while not great, is at all events intense. Accord- 
ing to the reports of the Italian Minister in Mexico, the field for employment 
of comparatively cheap Italian labour is very good, especially if the persons 
who go there, whether agriculturists, horticulturists, miners, railway employees 
or persons engaged in trade, are good workmen and specialists. The held, 
however, is not entirely attractive, since the wages at start are not very high, 
and all reports agree that no one should be encouraged to go to Mexico 
unless he is satisfied to commence with a small salary, and endure discom- 
forts, if not privations, to which he may not have been accustomed at home. 
There is demand, however, for mechanical operatives — blacksmiths, masons, 
stonecutters, electricians, and other persons engaged in skilled work of any 
sort. In concluding his report, Dr. Weyl states that, upon the whole, the 
most encouraging view of Mexican labour is to be obtained by considering 
not the actual conditions, but the probable effect of tendencies now at work. 
These tendencies appear to be almost entirely in the direction of an improve- 
ment in the conditions of the labouring population, and while the progress 
which has been made has been exaggerated by many writers, and while the 
real wages of the population have not increased as rapidly as many persons 
have stated, there can be no doubt that all the tendencies at work are 
favouring the growth of an independent and intelligent working class. 
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT 
OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 
+ 
REPORT ON SPECIMENS OF FIVE KINDS OF WOOD 
FROM LAGOS. 
(By Mr. Herbert Stone, F.L.S., F.R.C.I.) 
The following report on specimens of Lagos woods has been received from Mr. 
Herbert Stone, one of the Imperial Institute expert referees on timbers : — 
Through the kindness of the Governor of Lagos I have received specimens of five 
different kinds of wood from that neighbourhood, a few notes upon which may be of interest. 
The specimens were sent in response to a memorandum of mine which was transmitted to 
the Governor of Lagos by the Secretary of State for the Colonies whose support I was 
fortunate enough to secure. As the specimens were intended for a scientific purpose, i.e, the 
placing on record of the anatomical characters in order that the species may be identified 
when required, they are not of sufficient dimensions to permit of a thorough examination 
from a technical point of view, yet, as all but one are new to the English market, even the 
meagre information I am able to afford may be of service. 
Ekki. — T his is the well-known “African oak,” a wood of great hardness and density, 
and of a deep red colour. The pores on a vertical section are filled with a white deposit 
which contrast sharply with the deep colour of the ground and on transverse section appear 
as scattered whitish dots ; amongst these are great numbers of concentric rings of light- 
coloured tissue which make their appearance on the vertical section as fine loops and zigzag 
lines. It is a first -class heavy fancy wood and, as there is a market for it already, it may be 
sent here without risk. 
Iroko. — This is possibly a species of Psychotria, to which genus the structure points. 
It is a brown wood, uniform in colour, being only relieved by the pores which appiear hoary 
from their borders of lighter coloured soft tissue. It weighs 39A lb. per cubic foot, is 
straight, coarse and open grained, and has a little lustre. It is easy to work, a trifle hard to 
saw and plane. The grain during planing picks up one way of the grain, but a smooth 
surface can readily be obtained the other. It will not take a good finish, owing to the unusual 
circumstance that ridges arise along the pores which become more prominent the longer the 
polishing is continued. Apart from merits which it may possess for structural purposes (of 
which the specimen is insufficient to permit one to judge), it may be said that this wood will 
meet with considerable difficulty in getting a footing on the English market, as there is 
little in its appearance to recommend it as a furniture wood. 
Oganwo, and another unnamed species of mahogany closely allied to the Genus 
Cedrela . Both these are practically indistinguishable from Ass i nee or Axim mahogany and 
would readily be accepted here as “African mahogany.” In both working and appearance 
they resemble that wood. The weight per cubic foot of Oganwo is 34^ lb., and that of 
the other 35 lb.; both are very deep in colour, their surface is lustrous and their pores are free 
from white deposit. They are two very excellent woods which should prove remunerative 
to import. 
Opepe is a curious wood, unlike any other, both as regards structure and appearance. 
It is of a beautiful gold colour, most agreeable to the eye ; rather coarse and open grained, but 
extremely compact, dense and rather hard. Its surface has no lustre and feels smooth and 
rather cold as does boxwood. This compactness and smoothness makes it easy to polish to a 
fine finish ; spirit polish does not spoil the colour. Weight 47 j lb. per cubic foot. I think 
it would meet with a welcome here, but there is not the same certainty as in the case of the 
foregoing species of mahogany ; it depends so much upon taste. I think that it would 
eventually find a place after undergoing the same probation as other furniture woods having 
no striking merit, that is, to be imported for a time at a loss. Opepe is an excellent wood 
to work and leaves the tools quite smooth ; even the saw leaves a clean surface, while it 
scarcely requires touching after the plane. It cuts and saws much more easily than its hard- 
ness would lead one to expect. I imagine that its breaking point would be low, as it appears 
to be short-grained and brittle. 
THE ELECTRO-CHEMICAL AND ELECTRO-METALLURGICAL 
INDUSTRIES. 
The extent to which electrical methods are at present being utilized in manufacturing 
operations has already been indicated in this Journal (Vol. vu, p. 96), where a review of 
the most important electro-chemical and electro -metallurgical industries was given. The 
information contained therein may be supplemented by a few details concerning the progress 
made during 1901, the necessary data for which are furnished by Mr. J. B. C, Kershaw, in 
The Electrician (Vol. xlviii, pp. 421, 462). Before dealing with the individual industries, 
it may he stated that last year's operations resulted in varying success in the different 
branches, for while the works producing aluminium, alkalies and bleach, sodium and sodium 
peroxide, and nickel all show slight increases in number and capacity, yet, on the other hand, 
the chlorate, copper, hypochlorite and zinc industries are all stationary, and for the moment 
their development appears to be checked. As anticipated in the previous article, the pro- 
duction of calcium carbide showed a market! decline owing to the heavy fall in price, which 
occurred through the supplies exceeding the demand, and many of the works formerly engaged 
in the industry have either been closed or are being devoted to the production of other high 
temperature products, such as ferro-chromc, ferro-silicon and similar alloys. 
Aluminium . — The number of works producing this metal has been increased from eight 
to nine by the completion of the works at Shawinigan Falls, Canada. The latter, which 
has been erected by the Pittsburg Reduction Company of Niagara, possesses generating plant 
equal to 6,000 h.p. and is employing the Hall process, utilizing the Canadian deposits of 
corundum for raw material. The total production of aluminium (.hiring the year is a 
little uncertain, as the European manufacturers still refuse to furnish figures of their output, 
but it probably amounts to 7,500 tons. The selling price has remained practically unaltered 
in America during the year at about Z 1 5 ° P er ton, Hut the British Aluminium Company have 
greatly reduced their price, and in November last quoted ingot metal of 98 to 99 per cent, 
aluminium at Z^ 0 per ton. No very striking development occurred in the utilization of 
aluminium, but the employment of the metal and its alloys is steadily growing. The recent 
fall in the price of copper, if permanent, will, however, probably check the use of aluminium 
for electrical transmission, since, if the cost of the two metals is about the same, copper will 
be generally preferred. The use of aluminium in foundry work still remains one of the most 
important of its applications, while plates of the metal are being largely employed in place of 
stone for lithographic purposes in Germany and America, and there is an increasing demand 
for the alloys for motor-car construction. It may be noted that the Goldschmidt method of 
producing high temperatures for welding, by means of a mixture of aluminium and ferric 
oxide, (Imp. Inst. Journ., Vol. VI., p. 293), has undergone further improvement and is 
now available for repairing broken propeller shafts in mid-ocean, an application which will 
probably prove of considerable importance. The most important of the new patents relating 
to the manufacture of aluminium are (1) a new method, introduced by Hall, of preparing 
the raw bauxite for the electrolytic bath, and (2) an electrolytic method of purifying the crude 
metal. The application of the British Aluminium Company for an extension of the life of the 
British Heroult patent has been refused, and their monopoly of production will therefore 
cease during the present year. 
