2io [August, 1902.] 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
wool-producing sheep, its wool is extremely short in the staple, and so coarse 
that it would scarcely be classed as wool in this country. In Mr. Lyne’s 
opinion the native sheep is not worth crossing, and new breeds should be 
introduced. 
Foreign Countries. — The Times correspondent at St. Petersburg 
wrote recently on agricultural affairs in Russia to the following effect : — 
“ The well-known agricultural expert, Professor Lenz, has presented to the 
commission appointed to examine the condition of agriculture in Russia 
a report which has attracted considerable attention. After a detailed ex- 
amination of the development of agriculture during the past ten years, 
Professor Lenz arrives at the most pessimistic conclusions. The irrational 
system of farming practised by the majority of the small holders can easily, 
he says, lead to the complete exhaustion of the soil. This exhaustion is 
not redressed by the use of the necessary manures. In fact, Russia would 
need some 11,000,000 head of cattle and some 18,000,000 horses more than 
she at present possesses in order to obtain fertilizing matter sufficient to redress 
the balance. The Russian farmers are living on their capital, in other words, 
on the fertile elements of the soil, to the extent of 725,000,000 roubles a year, 
a system of agriculture which must, sooner or later, lead to the exhaustion of 
the land, especially in the black earth zone. Another expert, however, 
Professor Pokrovsky, regards the apprehensions of Professor Lenz as 
exaggerated, and, in particular, he disputes the correctness of the figures upon 
which the latter bases his arguments. He none the less recognises the urgent 
necessity of propagating a more rational system of agriculture among the 
peasants. The attempts which are being made to develop the export of 
Russian meat to England have not escaped criticism. A writer in the Russktya 
Viedomosti throws cold water on the whole movement. He points out that 
Russia has no meat to export, for the cattle raised in the country do not yield 
meat suitable for the English market. In this he is no doubt right. The 
verdict of all competent judges has always been that Russian meat will 
have to be very greatly improved if it is to have any chance of finding pur- 
chasers in England. He argues, moreover, that no development of the export 
trade is possible without the aid of protective devices of a more or 
less questionable character, and that any such development would be 
followed by an increase in the prices of meat in Russia itself. These 
prices have recently shown a marked upward tendency, and the writer in 
question thinks it would be exceedingly strange if the Government -were to 
make sacrifices to encourage the export of products of which Russia has 
not a sufficiency for her own consumption. This last question is, of course, 
one which concerns the Russians alone. It would be different if, as the 
writer seems to fear, the Government were to seek to encourage the export 
of meat by some system of direct or indirect bounties. In view of the 
exorbitant duties which are imposed by Russia on British manufactures, and 
in justice to the meat-producing colonies, Great Britain could hardly 
encourage the import of bounty-fed meat from Russia. 
Reports from Vienna state that the crop in Hungary, which is nearly 
ready, is the best for twenty years. Not only in quantity, but particularly in 
quality, the result is splendid. This applies to all cereals, especially wheat, 
rye, barley, and all sorts of fodder. The produce of wheat is estimated to 
exceed ninety million hundredweight. Austria is also expecting a good 
harvest. 

LABOUR RETROSPECT. 
United Kingdom. — On the 1st July the Welsh coal-miners gave six 
months’ notice to terminate the sliding scale agreement. The suggested new 
agreement, which has been submitted to the employers, provides that a 
minimum wage rate for all colliery workmen shall be fixed at 40 per cent, 
above the standard wage rate of 1879, below which wages shall not be 
reduced ; that a maximum rate for all colliery workmen shall be fixed at 
70 per cent, above the standard wage rate of 1S79, above which wages shall 
not be advanced, and that a Conciliation Board be formed, consisting of 
representatives of coalowners and workmen, with an independent chairman. 
Meanwhile reductions have come into operation under the various Boards 
regulating wages in other colliery districts. The appeal made by the National 
Association for the Employment of Reserve Soldiers with a view to ensuring 
occupation for the men who are returning from South Africa, is meeting with 
a good response. Nevertheless there will undoubtedly be some difficulty in 
finding work for these men, particularly in the provinces. Apart from the 
private firms, a number of county councils have promised to render what 
assistance they can. The London County Council proposes to engage 
discharged reservists as park constables at a salary of 27s. 6d. per week, with 
a uniform. London vestries will accept good conduct men as street orderlies 
at a salary of from 25s. to 30s. per week. Reservists who are of good 
physique, and who are able to swim a distance of fifty yards, are eligible for 
the police force at the various London docks, while the Birmingham police 
authorities recently offered to take men into the force up to the age of 
twenty-eight. The Commissioner of the City Police has been authorised to 
re-admit from time to time into the force the reservists who had been serving 
in South Africa. The situation in the cotton trade is worse, and an extension 
of the short time movement has been freely discussed. The Master Cotton 
Spinners’ Federation asked those engaged in the trade to extend the short 
time movement for a further two months by stopping on Saturdays and 
Mondays, or, in lieu of stoppage, to contribute one-sixteenth of a penny per 
spindle for the benefit of those who did. The federation intimated that, 
unless eighty per cent, consented to do one thing or the other, then they 
would take no further action. That stipulated percentage had not been 
received, and the Committee resolved that, in the face of the circumstance, 
they were not warranted in recommending further short time. The whole 
question, however, will be re-opened. 
Vol. VIII. No. 92. 
Colonies. — Wonderful progress is already being made in the settlement 
of our new South African Colonies, and every day it becomes more 
apparent what a poor chance of proper development these countries have had 
in the past, and what splendid results may be attained under a wise and 
progressive administration in the future. This applies particularly to the 
Orange River Colony, which is almost entirely an agricultural country. 
Some idea of the expansion that may be expected can be gathered from the 
fact that seven millions are to be expended as follows : ,£2,200,000 for 
railway extension, ^1,800,000 for the payment of the railway debt to Cape 
Colony, ^£i, 500,000 for the repatriation of Boer families, and ;£i, 500,000 for 
land settlement. The first work has been in connection with the return of the 
burghers to their farms, every effort being made to facilitate their settling down 
again comfortably. The Government provided transport, temporary shelter, 
bedding, rations, and implements, tools and seeds necessary for starting farm 
operations. The no less important task of introducing and dealing with new 
settlers is, also being promptly and efficiently dealt with. Ex-irregulars are 
already being established in good numbers, the first group to take up land in 
the Ermelo district of the Orange River Colony, in which neighbourhood the 
Government has secured about 100,000 acres, being a party of New 
Zealanders. 
In the Transvaal, a scheme has been elaborated by the Land Board 
outlining the principles guiding the Government in the selection of settlers 
and allotment of holdings. The class of settlers specially desired are men of 
same farming experience with upwards of ^300 capital. Married men with 
families are particularly wished for, and every facility will be given for the 
passage of their wives and families out to South Africa. Men without capital 
are not, however, excluded, particularly if they have colonial experience ; such 
men, in fact, are being established on Government farms.. The leading idea 
is that intending farmers should be settled in small colonies, numbering some 
twenty or thirty men each. The type of settlement will vary with the 
character of the district in which it is placed, the individual holdings 
consisting of irrigated land for tillage, mixed tillage and grazing ground, or 
larger allotments for grazing. An important feature is the establishment of 
model farms in the larger colonies, managed directly under the Government 
by salaried agents. From the foregoing it will be seen that it is the 
agriculturist with capital who is wanted in the new colonies, and too much 
stress cannot be laid upon the fact that the number of clerks and others of 
similar vocation is already sufficient to meet all present requirements. For 
competent mechanics, particularly those in the building trades, there is still a 
demand throughout our South African Colonies. Now that the mining 
industry is rapidly re-opening, the problem of obtaining a sufficiency of 
unskilled labour, such as has been sought in time past more or less successfully 
from native sources, is again causing anxiety. The difficulty is increased 
owing to this being the season when the natives return to their homes. It 
is stated that while the mines are anxiously waiting for 70,000 or 80,000 
natives, the Native Labour Association is unable to secure more than 
4,000 or 5,000 a month. It is clear that under present circumstances the 
chances of a permanent, reliable and adequate supply of unskilled labour at 
the mines are small, and the adoption of some system under which the 
services of white men could be utilized without arousing the prejudices which 
exist against giving whites and natives similar employment is being strongly 
advocated. There is nothing in the climatic conditions of the country to 
prevent a white man from performing unskilled manual labour, and the 
Chamber of Mines has lent a favourable ear to an appeal made by Lord 
Kitchener, and is offering work at the surface of the mines to ex-irregulars at 
5s. a day and all found. An unlimited supply of white labour, enabling more 
work to be done and more stamps to be dropped, would be an enormous 
gain to the mines, and indirectly to the whole of South Africa. The Times 
makes some pertinent suggestions as to obtaining such a supply. It will 
readily be admitted that the British Isles are over-populated and that the 
withdrawal of 100,000 or more unskilled labourers would hardly be noticed, 
while the addition of this number to the new colonies would go a very long 
way to solve the South African problems. How can a stream of emigration 
on this scale be attracted to the country ? In the first place, the mining 
companies must give the scheme full support, and allow the managers a free 
hand in carrying it out. The certainty of earning 5s. a day with board and 
lodging immediately on arrival in the country should in itself prove sufficient 
attraction. Already three-roomed cottages have been built for the men, six 
to be housed in each. The companies might undertake to apportion a 
cottage to each married man and family. Some big houses interested in land 
settlement schemes, as a further incentive to immigrants, might hold out the 
prospect of the acquisition of small plots of land on easy terms after a certain 
period, in which the labourer will be able to save a fair sum of money. The 
Government, on its part, being equally interested in promoting any scheme to 
attract British settlers to South Africa, might provide free transport. For 
many months to come transports will be plying between South Africa and 
England bringing home troops, and free passages could be given on the 
outward voyages to labourers and their families. Many mines are prepared 
to take any number of white men. If encouragement could be given to the 
experiment its success seems absolutely assured. Events prove that only a 
limited number of natives are available for labour in the country. Many 
thousands that might be liberated from the mines by an influx of white men 
would be available for employment elsewhere in railway construction and for 
agricultural purposes. Development in these directions will tend to the 
