2i6 [August, 1902.] 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
Vol. VIII. No. 92. 
enquiries one worthy of note has been as to the suitability of Canadian sleepers or ties for 
railways in South Africa and other semi-tropical countries. 
“ From time to time letters are received from Canadian firms for information as to the 
demand for wood skewers, and expressing the opinion that they are well equipped for 
supplying same. From enquiries made it would, however, appear that only one Canadian 
maker does any trade of any account in this market, and it is therefore probable that my 
Canadian correspondents find, after due investigation, that they are unable to compete in piice 
with the skewers produced by the special machinery of the American corporation. Another 
point is that most Canadian skewers are of maple, whereas until recently hickory skewers 
were practically the only variety used, and even now a large section of the trade maintains 
its conservative preference and will not use maple,” 
+ 
BRITISH TRADE METHODS ABROAD. 
In his recent report on the trade of Bordeaux for 1901, H.M. Consul makes the 
following observations with regar d to British trade methods in foreign countries. He notices 
that the preponderance of enquiries from commercial houses to Consular officers relates to 
sellers and not to buyers ; thus, so far as this is concerned, a Consul’s aid to the increase of 
his country’s trade is rather of a negative order. It would indeed appear that the Consul is 
generally appealed to by those firms who are engaged in cutting down British trade as much 
as possible, by encouraging importation from abroad, and foreign competition in British 
manufactures. It would be much more satisfactory if the majority of enquiries were for names 
of buyers. The enquiries from the colonies are very few, and it may be well to state that all 
enquiries on commercial subjects from all parts of the empire receive the fullest attention. 
Consular officers would be in a much better position to help British manufacturers if the 
various manufacturing towns and centres would furnish them with directories and trade lists, 
to which they could refer on being applied to by the local traders. At present, without any 
of these guides, it is usually necessary to refer the enquirer to his own Consular representative 
in the United Kingdom. On the subject of directories, he mentions that he constantly 
receives notices from lottery agents in all parts of Europe addressed in full to his private 
residence, which proves that these agents find it pays to supply themselves with directories 
of all the principal cities in Europe, so that they may be able to send their advertisements 
to every householder. Surely commercial houses might well adopt this system, and by the 
aid of directories address their circulars, price lists, catalogues, or enquiries direct to the 
firms interested in their branches of trade. The Annuaire Didot- Bottin, published at Paris, 
contains the names and addresses of all the commercial houses in France, under their various 
trades in each town, and, no doubt, similar directories are to be found for each country. 
These directories are widely known, and they are mentioned for the benefit of those who 
may not have access to them. He again states, however, that all enquiries addressed to his 
Consulate, from persons interested in various branches of trade, always receive full attention 
and a prompt reply. 
It should, however, be borne in mind, that a Consular officer is bound to exercise dis- 
cretion in the manner in which he imparts information to commercial houses. While 
believing in free trade, he should at the same time support fair trade. There are in most 
large continental cities, British merchants who have established themselves at great expense 
and trouble, for the purpose of engaging in some branch of trade, which in many instances 
they have themselves created between their port and the United Kingdom, and which, by 
their energy and foresight, has assumed great importance. In the course of time, the number 
of British houses engaged in this particular trade has very likely increased, so that there is 
considerable local competition, which is, as a rule, as much as the trade will bear. The Consul 
at that port is probably in possession of full information on all points of this particular trade, 
and he should be most discreet in his use of this information, lest it be used by competitors at 
home, who have not incurred the risks, expenses and responsibilities of the local houses, to the 
detriment and loss of those, who, by their prevision and resolution, have acquired the right 
to a primary interest in the trades they have created, and in which they have embarked their 
capital. These British houses, having established their business on a firm footing, are a sure 
stay of and channel for British trade, whereas, if the competition of irresponsible traders is 
so strong that they are obliged to close their houses and place their capital elsewhere, their 
businesses will probably be taken up by natives of the places, who, in order to succeed at all, 
and having no British interests, remove their orders to the. cheapest markets they can find. 
4 c Consular officers are, to all intents and purposes, the scouts of the commercial 
forces of their nations at the world’s immense commercial seat of war, and the information 
they obtain should be used for the general good of their country and not to allow one 
division to steal a march on another. They are the intelligence agents of their country 
in the peaceful rivalry of nations, and not the spies of individual contingents. These 
latter are to be found in the commercial travellers of individual firms, who push forward 
their wares in advance of friends and foes alike, and highly necessary are they in the 
war of commerce. It is no use to suppose that Consular and commercial agents do 
away with the necessity for private travellers. On the contrary, the more commercial 
intelligence is gathered and imparted by the former, the greater necessity there is for 
the latter to grasp the situation and endeavour to take possession of it. Commerce 
does not allow of laying siege or being besieged; some countries throw up all manner of 
ramparts and entrenchments in the form of protective duties to keep out competition, but the 
cry of commerce is always “ Onward ! forward ! ” and in the long run those countries will be 
left to face starvation by themselves unless they open their gates and act on the offensive. 
To act only on the defensive, brings no increase to .trade or commercial prosperity, as already 
remarked in a former report, and it is necessary for the growth and success of commerce to 
carry the war vigorously into the enemy’s country. This can only be done by systematic 
pushing, and proving that the manufactures offered, no matter of what kind, are, so to speak, 
the stronger and better, and it is to those who make the strongest attack and fight with the 
greatest energy, that the victory will remain. For the manufacturers of the United Kingdom 
to remain within their frontier shores, resting on their laurels, easily won in bygone days, 
while competing armies of foreign manufacturers are pushing forward and endeavouring to 
gain ground in all directions, means nothing but defeat and loss of what has been gained. 
“ It is true that there is room in the world for all commerce, as it is true that at the 
present there is room for all nations, but the United Kingdom would not be the great nation 
she has become if her sons had been content to remain shut up in their island home, and had 
not pushed forward in advance of all others, and laid the solid foundations of the Empire in 
all quarters of the globe. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary that commercial men should 
be educated and trained to perfection in their art, that they should be fitted, by learning the 
languages, habits, and requirements of foreign nations, to become units of the invading 
friendly armies which are carrying British commerce to the fore in all countries, and it is 
equally necessary for them to keep watch, to be on the alert, and ready to advance whenever 
there is an opening, in order that they be not overmatched, obliged to retreat, or surrounded 
by the ever-increasing hoards of competitors under foreign flags that are incessantly pushing 
forward with the object of outmatching and outflanking them. With the world being 
opened up at the present rate there is no time for loitering or resting ; British trade must 
march on rapidly, and be foremost in the work of civilisation.” 
JAPAN’S FOREIGN TRADE. 
A Japanese view of the commerce of that country is presented in a publication recently 
issued by the Washington Treasury Bureau of Statistics, entitled, “The Foreign Trade of 
Japan,” forwarded by a distinguished Japanese official. “The foreign trade of Japan,” it 
says, “ is progressing year after year, owing to the rapid development of her agriculture, 
commerce, industry, and navigation. In 1901 the total value of imports and exports 
amounted to 247,300,000 dols. in the aggregate. This amount is twelve times larger than 
that of thirty years ago, eight times larger than that of 1881, and 3J times larger than that of 
1901. This is all the more remarkable, since it owes but little to the increase in population, 
which is little over 10 per cent, in every decade. It scarcely need be said that the continent 
of Asia holds the most intimate relations with the foreign trade of Japan. The total value of 
articles exported to that continent amounts to over two-fifths of the total imports of Japan, 
and the value of articles imported from Asia into Japan amounts likewise to over two-fifths 
of her total imports. The amount of exports to America scarcely reaches one-third, and that 
to Europe is only one-fifth of the total exports, while the import from America into Japan is 
little short of one-fifth, and that from Europe is nearly two-fifths of the total imports. 
Imports and exports in the case of Asia, however, include those from and to Hong Kong, 
which have naturally a character of ‘ transit,’ and, consequently, if proper allowance be made 
for Flong Kong trade, we may safely say that the products of Japan are equally distributed in 
Asia, Europe, and America, and imports from Europe to Japan are nearly equal to those 
from Asia. Of the exports to Great Britain, though the return of the trade does not indicate 
any remarkable increase, it must be remembered that the exports to Hong Kong are in many 
instances re-exported to Great Britain. The articles of which Japan demands the supply from 
foreign countries are mainly machineries of various sorts, iron, petroleum, sugar, cotton, tissues, 
woollen fabrics, and some others. The largest items of import in the matter of machineries 
are spinning machineries, mining machineries, locomotive engine and metal working 
machineries. Iron and steel are chiefly imported from Great Britain, the United States, 
Germany, and Belgium. The demand for most of the articles enumerated above is due to 
the recent rapid progress of our industries, and to sudden advancement of the standard of 
living among the people at large. However, it is now expected that most of these articles, 
with the exception of wool, will be manufactured or produced in Japan. On the whole the 
trend of Japan’s foreign trade is promising ; the imports will in future increase in raw 
materials, and decrease in manufactured articles.” 
— 4 »- 
CITY BRANCH OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, AT 
49, EASTCHEAP, LONDON, E.C. 
The City Branch of the Imperial Institute embraces : — • 
A Sample Room for the display of raw and manufactured products 
from the Colonies and India, for which it is desired to find openings in 
markets at home and abroad. 
An Information Office where enquiries relating to industrial, com- 
mercial and other matters connected with the Colonies, India and Foreign 
Countries are received and promptly dealt with. 
A News Room supplied with : — 
(a) Hand-books and directories of the British Empire, including 
many pamphlets (for free distribution) dealing with Canada, 
the Australian States, New Zealand and South Africa. 
(b) The chief trade papers of Great Britain, the Colonies and India. 
(c) Many commercial periodicals of the United States, Germany, 
France, Austria, etc. 
(d) Market reports, prices-current, official reports and statistics. 
The City Branch is in constant communication , by telephone and 
messengers , with the Imperial Institute , South Kensington. Curators and 
other members of the Imperial Institute staff will attend at the office at stated 
tunes and by special appointment , to deal with enquiries and to assist in 
establishing or facilitating business relations with mercantile houses, etc., in the 
Colojiies and in India. 
1. The Sample Room is open free to the public, by introduction. 
2. The News Room is free to Fellows of the Institute, as is also the 
Enquiry Office for the supply of such information as does not involve special 
research or correspondence. 
3. A subscription of the sum of one pound per annum, payable in 
advance, secures the free use of the News Room, and the supply, free of 
charge, of information not involving special research or correspondence. 
4. Subscribers of one pound per annum are also entitled, on presenta- 
tion of their members’ tickets, to inspect, free of charge, any maps or charts, 
included in the Map Room collection at the Imperial Institute, South 
Kensington, or to consult any works, or official papers, included in the 
Institute Library. 
5. Non-Subscribers to the City Branch can be supplied with information 
upon the following terms ; — 
(a) First enquiry, not involving special research or correspondence, 
free. 
(b) For each subsequent enquiry, not involving special research or 
correspondence, one shilling. 
(c) For each enquiry, involving special correspondence, or reference 
to home-experts, etc., five shillings. 
id) For each enquiry involving Colonial or Foreign correspondence, 
ten shillings , or by special arrangement, if likely to be 
voluminous. 
6. Subscribers will have to pay the charges specified under (<r) and id) in 
the foregoing clause, and Fellows will have to reimburse the Institute any 
out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with enquiries coming under 
those heads. 
7. The Information Office will undertake to obtain analytical or other 
examinations of samples by competent Experts, upon payment, by persons 
submitting them, of the usual professional fees, to be previously specified, 
and agreed to by the applicant. 
8. The Institute will undertake the supply, at cost price, of translations, 
into any language, of trade circulars, prices-current, etc., the conversion of 
weights, measures, coinages, etc. 
