130 [May, 1902.] 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
Vol. VIII. No. 89. 
ments of their own country, but overflow, in the first instance, into the Gold Coast and the 
neighbouring regions, and afterwards into our possessions south of the Zambesi. Pending the 
establishment of a real emigration scheme from Hausaland, he thought that, in order to meet 
any shortage of labour in the Gold Coast, temporary recourse would have to be had to the 
Chinese. There were many objections to such a policy, and no doubt it would be desirable 
to make arrangements for sending the Chinese back to their own country when native labour 
became available. He felt confident that, in the not distant future, West Africa would be 
one of the most flourishing possessions of the British Crown. 
Lord Duncannon referred to the failure of those interested in the mining industry to 
found a West African Chamber of Mines, and said that it was now proposed to start a 
mining section of the West African department of the London Chamber of Commerce. 
Sir Ilarry [ohnston remarked that in West Africa, as in East Africa and South Africa, 
he should like to see our policy tending towards something like unification of administration. 
Let there be but one Budget for the whole of West Africa, instead of one colony being 
anxious to swell its little revenue without any concern for neighbouring colonies or protec- 
torates. He thought that we were much behind Germany and France in respect of the 
scientific examination of the territories under our control. This was an important matter, 
but the attitude of the Foreign Office was utterly unsympathetic with regard to it. He 
believed that, if a few thousand pounds had been spent on the scientific examination of 
Uganda, the railway would have been constructed for ,£750,000 less than it cost. There 
were many parts of tropical Africa under our sway winch were not likely at any time to be 
suitable for residence by white people, but they might contribute indirectly to the prosperity 
of this country if well and wisely governed. At any rate, our object should be to prevent 
these possessions from remaining a financial burden to the taxpayers of Great Britain. He 
was in favour of the natives paying a small hut-tax. The native should have full rights, and 
endeavour to justify his claim to them by bearing his proper share of the cost of governing 
the country. If the people were afforded the opportunity of earning wages he believed no 
objection would be made to any such small tax. 
THE ROYAL UNITED SERVICE INSTITUTION. 
At a meeting of the Institution, held on the 10th ult., Sir John Colomb, M.P., 
submitted for discussion two papers on the subject of “ The Garrisoning of our Coaling 
Stations.” Lord Hampden presided. 
Sir John Colomb stated his reasons for thinking that we had exaggerated risk and had 
overdone the fortifications of coaling stations, and consequently garrisons, and said that he 
did not accept the War Office standard of the numerical strength of the garrison establishments 
as a guide for the Admiralty in the event of their taking over any of these bases. He 
submitted that on any distant naval station the outbreak of war should not find our admiral 
without force at his disposal and available for general service afloat or ashore, exclusive of the 
complement of his ship. As to what was to be done with the supernumerary force in peace, 
he said it should obviously be at the base, and if there, he asked why should not the nucleus 
of the reserve force for war form the peace garrison. Whatever might be the peace arrange- 
ment it was certain that in war a force of some sort would be required in the future, as in the 
past, for minor operations at ports and on coasts. The release of the peace garrisons for 
general service was a question of reserves trained and adapted to take their place promptly 
on the outbreak of war. His view was that we could look to the colonies for producing such 
a force in war, which should be kept in reserve in peace. He advocated the garrisoning of 
two naval bases in the other hemisphere as a step in the development of a policy of embracing 
colonial auxiliary reserves for general service in war under the admirals ; and he urged that 
within certain limits the garrisoning of distant bases with marine forces would not be detri- 
mental to the efficiency of the fleet and would not deteriorate the marines. He pointed 
out that, as compared with the executive branch, the marine branch had declined by 14-1 
per cent, between 1858 and 1900, so that in a year of mastless armoured vessels there were, 
roughly speaking, 5,000 fewer marines than, according to the 1858 standard, was considered 
the proper proportion in days of rigged ships. He was in favour of restoring the old ratio, 
and said that an addition of 5,000 marines to the present force for garrisoning work could be 
justly and fairly held to be a moderate and reasonable preposition. By combining the ques- 
tion of naval garrisons with that of colonial naval reserves, a beginning might be made with 
the definite object of providing for the immediate and pressing requirements of the China 
station in the event of war. Probably the view taken by the colonial Governments concerned 
would be more influenced by the precise nature of the proposition than by the abstract 
principle of its justice. The proposition might take the form of a compromise over the 
colonial naval reserve question. 
In short, Australia and Canada should jointly undertake to provide a naval auxiliary 
reserve force for general service in war, the numerical strength of which should be determined 
by reference to the immediate requirements of the China station on the outbreak of war. 
The cost to the colonies would be insignificant ; the object would be definite. He was appre- 
hensive of an outbreak of maritime war overtaking us and finding our admirals on distant 
stations without any force but the complements of their ships to carry out coast operations 
incidental to, and inevitable in, maritime war. It was a policy which he was convinced was 
fraught with peril. On the other hand, there was an evident, if somewhat theoretical, desire 
on the part of the colonies to create naval reserves, but a disinclination to accept conditions 
as to pay, training, service afloat, etc., which unless imposed and accepted would not produce 
really effective and efficient results. This course, suggested as a definite policy, would fill the 
gap in our arrangements which any comprehensive view of the situation on the outbreak of 
war disclosed ; and it offered a practical mode for embracing colonial aid for the prosecution 
of operations incidental to maritime war. The lecturer discussed the questions raised in his 
memorandum at considerable length, and dealt with various objections to the proposal to sub- 
stitute marine for army garrisons and to transfer their control and custody from the War Office 
to the Admiralty. In conclusion, he said that these were some of the purely naval aspects 
of the question. It appeared to him that our commercial and economic position — wholly 
dependent as it was upon sea security-— was now such that it coukl not endure prolonged 
abnormal strain. The prompt and decisive assertion of naval power, on the outbreak of war, 
seemed to him to be the essential paramount condition of our economic survival. He felt 
more concerned, therefore, in arrangements to enable our admirals to deal quickly and effect- 
ively in their several stations with the ships of the enemy, wherever found, than in army 
corps to sit down and wait behind hedges in Sussex or in hop-gardens in Kent, on the 
“ off chance” of being some use when the British economic position was in ruins because our 
naval means had been found insufficient and the organization of our naval stations had been 
proved by war to be incomplete. 
In the discussion which took place, Colonel R. H. Veitch said that he had had the ques- 
tion of the land defence of our naval bases under his notice for some years in positions of 
responsibility. The manner in which Wei-hai-wei had been dealt with, he admitted, was 
somewhat perplexing, but it was a matter of detail and not of principle. The question 
raised by the lecturer was, on the other hand, one of principle. The Navy was our first line 
of defence, and it was the duty of the second line — the Army— to enable the Navy to carry 
on its operations efficiently and to protect the naval bases. The Navy was none too strong 
for them to trifle with it in the way urged by Sir John Colomb. If the control of the naval 
ports were handed over to the Admiralty, there was danger that the Admiralty would think 
of the ships first, and the ports last. 
Rear-Admiral W. H. Henderson considered that the memorandum and the letter were of 
an extremely high order, and he was in general agreement with the principle which they con- 
tained. With regard to the marines, the reason why many of them left was because when 
they had finished a period of service there was no further outlook for them. This was a 
matter which they should keep in view. The question raised by Sir John Colomb was one of 
Imperial policy. Our Imperial policy of defence was in a state of chaos ; we were unorganized, 
and until we got a Council of Imperial Defence that would lead the way and give us light he 
thought that we stood a chance of failing if we were pitted against other nations. It was 
necessary for us now to follow the natural law of central control. At the present time there 
was no control over the Admiralty and the War Office in this matter of Imperial policy ; they 
did their very best with the highest motives, but naturally and instinctively they must fight 
and work for their own hands. Until some central control was established no scheme such 
as Sir John Colomb had brought forward had the slightest chance of standing. Our main 
defect was want of organization. He hoped that at the conference of colonial Premiers 
when they came over for the Coronation some steps would be taken to put our Imperial policy 
of defence upon a higher plane with higher organization. 
THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY. 
A meeting of the Society was held on the 15th ult., when a paper on “ Factory legis- 
lation considered with reference to the wages, etc., of the operatives protected thereby,” was 
read by Mr. George H. Wood. Lord Avebury, the president, was in the chair. After 
reviewing the factory legislation of the past century, Mr. Wood dealt with the effects of 
legislation on women’s wages. He said that until the Act of 1S47 the legal reduction of 
hours of labour did not reduce women’s wages, but was generally followed by an increase. 
The Act of 1847, which reduced the hours in the textile trades, was passed during a very 
severe trade depression, the influence of which vitiated comparisons, but the evidence showed 
that the reduction in hours reduced earnings for a time but not proportionately, and, further, 
that the loss was recovered in a few years. This was due to the beneficial effects of the Act 
on the workers. In the case of the extension to bleaching a similar feature presented itself. 
Wages fell in 1861, the year after the passing of the Act, but two years later the}'' had risen 
to a higher level than before. There was a general rise of women's wages after i860 until 
1874-77. The Act of 1874 again reduced the hours in the textile trades, and ultimately 
wages rose to a higher point than at the period before the passing of the Act. He illustrated 
by means of index numbers the changes in the levels of women’s wages. When the changes 
in the general average of women’s wages in 16 industries were compared with changes in the 
average of a large group of industries employing both sexes, it was found that women’s 
wages had risen faster and more regularly than the average of all. A table setting forth the 
changes in the proportionate numbers of men, women, young persons, and children employed, 
at various periods in the chief textile industries showed a great reduction in the employ- 
ment of children, a displacement of women by men in the worsted trades, and, except in the 
cotton and wool trades, a tendency to increase in the proportionate numbers of men employed. 
Factory legislation had not, on the whole, resulted in the displacement of “ protected” by 
“ unprotected ” workers. Neither had the extension of the Factory Acts adversely affected 
the foreign trade ; while, on the other hand, it was submitted that the whole community had 
benefited either directly or indirectly. In view of those facts, the author argued that 
further extension to include the “sweated” industries was desirable. In the discussion 
which followed the chairman remarked that it was curious that the attention of Parliament 
and the Government should be so much attracted to the factory class of the community, while 
the class of shop assistants was rather neglected. 
^ 
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT. 
CORRESPONDENCE AND ENQUIRIES. 
I ~S“The following are given as specimens of some of the enquiries which have been addressed to, 
and satisfactorily answered by, the Institute during the past month (April). 
*** All communications must, be authenticated by the name and address of the writer. Enquiries 
which would involve special applications or expense will be a matter of arrangement with 
the correspondent. 
C. S. C. & Co., London. — Production and use of margosa oil, 
O. H. & Co., Leeds . — Silk dyeing. 
E. A. Q., Oxon. — Makers of fish hooks. 
G. E. C. & Co., London . — Ferro compounds. 
S. P. & Co., London. — Shippers of timber from North Borneo. 
Verbal. — Climate, etc. of Northern Nigeria. 
,, Dika-fat from West Africa. 
,, Climate and cost of living in Hong Kong. 
„ General prospects in New Zealand. 

REQUIREMENTS REGISTRY. 
In order to provide correspondents with an opportunity of making known special “ wants" 
or “needs" in the British Colonies, India, and Foreign Countries, space will be regularly 
devoted to the publication of approved notices in the Imperial Institute Journal. Notices, 
as a rule, should not exceed 25 words in length, for which a charge of 2s. 6d. will be made for 
each insertion. Special arrangements can be made for longer notices. 
Specimens of Foreign and Colonial Woods desired. Purchase or 
exchange. Names and localities must be well authenticated. Address — - 
Herbert Stone, Bracebridge-street, Birmingham. 
The Curator of the Canadian Section of the Imperial Institute is prepared to 
furnish information about Canadian Trade and to supply names of importers, manufacturers, 
shippers, etc. 
The following trade enquiries have been received at the Canadian Section of the Imperial 
Institute, from the Curator of which Section further particulars tnay be obtained ; — 
Home Enquiries. — A manufacture!- of various kinds of deed and cash boxes is prepared to 
appoint a responsible Canadian resident agent to introduce these goods. 
A firm claiming a good connection with the trade in all parts 01 the United Kingdom, wish 
to secure a first-class Canadian agency in white mouldings for pictures, hardwood 
mouldings, mouldings for mantels, etc. 
A manufacturer of vulcanite pens and other goods seeks a capable Canadian resident 
agent. 
A Lancashire firm ask to be furnished with the addresses of the leading Canadian manu- 
facturers of bedroom suites, tables, chairs, desks, and other furniture. 
A manufacturer of writing inks seeks responsible Canadian resident agent. 
An Irish firm desire names of principal Canadian manufacturers of bacon, etc. 
A company manufacturing chemists’ specialities and flavouring essences, etc., seek respon- 
sible Canadian agents. 
A Liverpool firm ask to be placed in correspondence with Canadian makers of wood clog 
soles. 
A London firm dealing in macaroni, vermicelli, peels, and essential oils, would like to hear 
from Canadian importers of these articles. 
Canadian Enquiries. — A Canadian company about to undertake the production on a large 
scale of dowels, skewers, window shade rollers, and other descriptions of wood-working 
