IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[August, 1902.] 
Vol. VIII. No. 92. 
MONTHLY COMMERCIAL AND 
INDUSTRIAL SUMMARIES. 
GENERAL COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. 
UNITED KINGDOM. 
Fishery Statistics. —According' to the monthly fishery 
return issued by the Board of Trade, the total quantity and 
value of all the fish, except shell fish, landed from the fishing 
grounds on the coasts of England and Wales during the month 
of June amounted to 652,454 cwt. , value £451,582. As com- 
pared with the return for June 1901, this shows an increase of 
5,188 cwt. in quantity, but a decrease of £45, 592 in estimated 
value. Of this total, 16,482 cwt. of the value of £62,065 were 
classed as prime fish, being 897 cwt. and £11,701 less than the 
corresponding figures of June, 1901. 
For the six expired months of the present year, the total 
quantity and value of all kinds of fish, except shell fish, is given 
at 3,709,250 cwt. and £2,996,740, being an increase of 
252,916 cwt. in quantity, but a decrease of £28,904 as compared 
with last year's corresponding return. If to this be added 
£143,312 on account of shell fish, the total value of all the fish 
taken so far this year amounts to £3,140,052, and shows a 
decrease of £51,892 as against last year’s corresponding total, 
COLONIES. 
Bermuda. — Opening for Capital. — The Colonial Office 
report points out that there is no organized fishing industry in 
the colony though the waters abound with fish, and discusses 
the prospects of an organization with sufficient capital if such 
embarked upon the business. Attention might also be given to 
the cultivation of lobsters, oysters, scallops, etc. An important 
industry in Bermuda is the cultivation of lily bulbs for export. 
At present the large extension works at the dockyard is leading 
to the immigration of a considerable number of labourers. 
Jamaica. — Tax on Travellers Abolished. — An Act 
abolishing the tax of £22. 10s. on commercial travellers dealing 
in spirits, and of £12. 10s. on those not dealing in spirits, was 
passed in the last session of the Jamaica Legislature, and received 
the assent of the Governor. During the existence of this law it 
is said that many salesmen arrived in the island intending to 
transact business, but, owing to what they considered an exces- 
sive tax for a stay of a week or a fortnight, they left without 
selling any of their wares. 
South Africa.— Code and Cipher Available. — The 
Postmaster-General announces that the restrictions on telegrams 
in code and cipher to and from Rhodesia, British Central Africa, 
Orange River Colony, Transvaal, Cape Colony, Natal, and 
St. Helena have now been withdrawn. 
Trinidad. — Petroleum. — A petroleum oilfield has been 
discovered in Trinidad. The quantity is apparently large, and, 
according to Reuter’s correspondent in Port of Spain, important 
developments are anticipated. 
Western Australia.— Industrial Progress. — The 
Governor, in a recent speech, called attention to the steady 
advance that had taken place in West Australian industries. 
Immigration had increased, while mining and agriculture had 
steadily progressed, and the Government was determined to 
offer every encouragement for the development of both 
industries. It was gratifying that the pastoral industry of 
Western Australia had not suffered from the disastrous 
drought experienced in the sister State. The Coolgardie 
water scheme had been successfully tested as far as Cunderdin, 
and water was now being supplied to Northam, Meckering, 
and Cunderdin, and to the railway department. Over 208 
miles of pipes had been laid down, and the water was expected 
to reach Coolgardie in December next. The revenue — the 
most satisfactory for years — amounted to .£3,688,049 and the 
expenditure to £3,490,025, leaving a siuplus of £123,185 after 
deducting a deficit of £74,839 with which the year started. 
The loan money in hand, together with the balance of the 
authorizations, was estimated to be sufficient to carry on the 
works until January next. Parliament would be asked to grant 
further authorizations for extending the water supply and for 
the construction of a dock at Fremantle. 
Coal-mining. — The preliminary report of the Department 
of Mines forecasts the removal of certain drawbacks which last 
year hindered the development of the Collie coalfield, and states 
that with the advent of coal-cutting machinery and the conse- 
quent cheapening of production, a prosperous future is assured. 
The output of the coalfield in 1901 was 117,836 tons, being 574 
tons less than in 1900. Several causes have contributed to this 
result, one being a fire at one of the main producing collieries, 
the Wallsend, which materially reduced its output, white 
another was the non-production of coal from the West Collie 
mine for the latter part of the year, the seam that was being 
mined proving unprofitable. Another reason for the want of 
progress during the year is to be found in the inadequate supply 
of trucks for coal-carrying purposes, which has resulted in the 
companies being unable to supply small consumers in Perth and 
Fremantle. The value of the output shows a substantial 
increase on the previous year, notwithstanding the diminished 
weight. For 1901 the total value was £68,561, as against only 
£54,835 for the previous year. 
West Indies. — Sugar Industry. — It is announced in the 
Government Gazette that the Imperial Government has placed 
£10,000 at the disposal of the Colonial Government to enable it 
to make advances to the sugar estates in order to ensure the 
continuance of cultivation and the payment of an adequate rate 
of wages to the labourers pending the coming into operation of 
the Brussels Convention in September, 1903. The advances are 
to be made at 6 per cent. 
A direct service of fruit steamers between the West Indies 
and Manchester, belonging to Messrs. Elder and Fyffes (Limited), 
was inaugurated on the 28th ult. , so far as concerns Manchester. 
The Chiekahoming, the first steamer of the service, reached the 
Ship Canal docks on Sunday night, bringing 30,000 bunches 
of bananas from Jamaica. 
INDIA, 
The Marking of Yarns in India. — A decision of con- 
siderable importance commercially has just been issued by the 
Government of India. In February last the India Office was 
asked to ascertain the views of English spinners on the marking 
of woollen yarns imported from the Continent into India. As 
the result of a reference to the Association of Chambers of 
Commerce of the United Kingdom, the Indian Government 
approves the application of the metric system of marking to 
both silk and woollen yarns in India, provided that the manu- 
facturers follow the metric system in full, qualifying the marks 
with the words "Continental count'' or ‘‘metric system of 
count," and give the country of origin of the yams, and pro- 
vided also that yarns marked in accordance with the British 
system are admitted freely as hitherto. 
FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
German Trade. — The Imperial Statistical Department has 
recently published reports upon the trade of the German Empire 
with Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Ron mania, and Servia during 
1901. Imports from Italy amounted in 1901 to 182,000,000 
marks (£9,100,000) with precious metals, and 177,000,000 marks 
(£8,850,000) without precious metals, and exports to Italy with 
and without precious metals were 127,000,000 marks (£6,350,000) 
and 123,000,000 marks (£6,150,000) respectively. The imports 
decreased by 2 and 17 per cent, with and without precious 
metals respectively ; the exports, with precious metals, decreased 
o'i per cent, and without precious metals increased o'2 percent. 
The principal imports from Italy were silk, eggs, fruit, sulphur, 
marble, and asphalte; the principal exports, machines and 
ironware, — Imports from Switzerland attained in 1901 a 
value of 150,000,000 marks (£7,500,000) with and 148,000,000 
marks (£7,400,000) without precious metals. The imports 
decreased by 9 '6 and 8'g per cent., and the exports by 97 and 
9'4 per cent. The chief articles of import were raw silk, 
watches, cotton goods, and cheese ; and of export, combustibles, 
ironware, clothes, and woollen cloth. — The value of imports 
from Belgium was 186,000,000 marks (£9,300,000) and the 
value of exports 236,000,000 marks (£11,800,000). The decrease 
of 15-4 per cent, in imports and 6‘8 per cent, in exports is 
partly accounted for by an improvement in the statistical tables, 
which formerly included figures relating to goods not actually 
forming part of the trade between Belgium and Germany. The 
imports included wool, horses, coal, and zinc, and the exports, 
machines and ironware. — Trade with Roumania increased in 
consequence of a better harvest, the imports and exports by 
33'x per cent, and 33-9 per cent, respectively (without precious 
metals by 38 t per cent, and 36 ‘2 per cent. ). " The chief import 
was grain and the chief exports were cotton and woollen goods 
and gold coin. The imports amounted to 47,000,000 marks 
(£2,350,000) and the exports to 34,000,000 marks (£1,700,000). 
■ — The imports from Servia, 7,500,000 marks (£375,000), 
decreased by 20 per cent,, the exports, 7,200,000 marks 
(j£ 36°, 000 ), by 18 per cent. Dried plums formed the principal 
import, though the amount imported was much less than in 
1900, and firearms the principal export. 
"Wastes and. By-Products. — The following extracts are 
taken from a report by Henry T. Kettridge to the Director of 
the Census of the United States upon the utilization of wastes 
and by-products in manufactures : — 
" The refuse of cities throughout the civilised world is now 
generally collected and disposed of for sanitary reasons, though 
in man)' instances it is utilized to good advantage for industrial 
purposes. The collection of this refuse has been made only 
within a comparatively few years, but is now carried on syste- 
matically, being more or less self-supporting and advantageous 
from an industrial point of view. Formerly this refuse was 
simply accumulated and disposed of by burning or casting into 
streams or on to waste land. Now bones, glass, rags, iron, 
paper and other articles are separately collected and sold. Old 
tin cans are used (1) for the recovery of solder, (2) for the 
recovery of the tin, and (3) for rernelting in the manufacture of 
steel or iron. The waste heat from furnaces, into which the 
inflammable refuse is thrown, may be utilized for steam pur- 
poses in operating engines for electric lighting and power. The 
city' 1 of Glasgow, Scotland, obtains waste heat from such furnaces 
equivalent to nearly 9,000 horse-power per day of ten hours for 
power for manufacturing purposes. 
" Food Wastes. 
"The food wastes of New York city are disposed of by 
what is known as the Arnold utilization process, which is, 
briefly, steam digestion and a separation of the cooked product 
into greases and fertilizer fillers. The greases are all, or 
nearly all, shipped abroad, and, it is believed, refined and 
separated into several grades, such as ‘ glycerine, red oil, lard 
oil, and inferior grades.’ It is not known that refineries in this 
country are as yet able to handle what is known as garbage 
grease, as the secret of the trade seems to be held abroad. The 
solids, after being dried and screened, are sold to the various 
manufacturers of ‘ complete fertilizers,’ and by them made up 
into grades which seem to be particularly adapted for use in 
the cotton belt. 
"Furnace Slag. 
"The economic uses of furnace slag have been greatly 
developed within the last few years. Formerly this slag was 
carted away from the furnace and disposed of in the most 
available place as so mucn refuse material, hardly worth the 
cost of carting. It was considered an encumbrance of the 
smelting works, of no account except to fill up gullies and 
ravines, or to be thrown into the sea, if such a disposition could 
be made of it. Within very recent years it was estimated that 
the cost of removing this waste slag from the furnaces of Eng- 
land was no less than $2,500,000 annually. The amount of 
slag made by the iron furnaces of Great Britain is certainly 
immense. A considerable portion of this waste is now put to 
some profitable use as a substitute for artificial porphyry in the 
construction of buildings and for street pav. ments. Paving 
stones are made from it for the streets of Metz, Brussels and 
Paris of a quality sufficiently durable to stand heavy traffic. 
“Waste Gases. 
"A very important innovation in the metallurgical industry 
in Germany is the utilizing of the waste gases of blast furnaces 
for working gas engines. That the waste gases can now be 
made serviceable in their entire heating capacity by a rational 
burning in gas engines is one of the most important steps that 
have been recently made in science in its adaptations to prac- 
tical technics. What this improvement means economically is 
seen by a theoretic calculation, according to which this use 
yields a profit of $1.25 per ton of pig-iron production, which 
means for Germany alone, where the utilization of these waste 
gases is made, a gain of over $10,000,000 on her entire wrought- 
iron production. 
"Gas engines for utilizing these gases were introduced into 
Germany about 1898. Good results were reported from all 
quarters, which lead to the belief that this is a material advance 
in the development of an important gas-machine industry. 
"Lumber and Timber. 
" Nearly all of the formerly waste products of lumber and 
timber are now turned to some utility, and some of the new 
products thus formed are of considerable value. Of this latter 
class may be mentioned sawdust, which was formerly con- 
sidered an absolute waste material, and was allowed to float 
down the stream or was thrown into a heap where it could be 
most conveniently disposed of. 
"The production of acetic acid, wood naphtha and tar from 
sawdust is one of the latest enterprises in Norway. A factory 
has been started at Frederikstad capable of distilling 10,000 
tons of sawdust in a year. It also manufactures charcoal 
briquettes, which are exported to the Netherlands. The acids 
are chiefly placed on the German markets, while the tar is 
mostly consumed at home. The factory is said to be the first 
of its kind erected in that country. According to an English 
patent of 1897 sawdust may be so prepared as to be non- 
inflammable, and then applied to jacketing of boilers and other 
purposes." 
LABOUR MARKET. 
COLONIES. 
The monthly report, compiled by the Emigrants' Informa- 
tion Office, 31, Broadway, Westminster : — Canada. — There 
has been plenty of work in the building trades, in the lumbering 
and allied industries, and in agriculture. There has been a 
marked increase in the wages of masons, bricklayers, and others 
in the building trades, of moulders, pattern-workers and iron- 
workers generally, and of railway employes ; this increase is 
largely due to the greater cost of living. There is a good 
demand in the Montreal district for farm hands, general 
labourers, and female servants, and for miners in Western 
Ontario. There is a large demand for general labourers for 
railway and other work at Sault St. Marie and in the Algoma 
district : there is also a good demand for carpenters, black- 
smiths, and female servants. The Royal Commission appointed 
in 1900 to enquire into Chinese and Japanese immigration to 
British Columbia has just reported as to the Chinese, " that the 
further immigration of Chinese labourers into Canada ought to 
be prohibited," 
Australasia (New South Wales).— The drought continues 
to be very serious. Operations at the mines have been restricted 
from want of water, and enormous losses of sheep have occurred. 
The result is, that a considerable number of miners, shearers, 
and station hands have been thrown out of work. In spite of 
this, however, under the new shearing agreement the pay of 
shearers has been raised generally to 20s. per 100 sheep 
shorn. The price of provisions has risen almost everywhere. 
(Victoria.)— The drought is very serious, and restricts agricul- 
tural, pastoral, and mining operations. There is practically no 
demand for more labour of any kind, and many men are out of 
work ; no large public works are being contemplated by Govern- 
ment which might provide employment. The rise in the cost 
ol rent, and of meat, bread, and other articles affects everyone. 
The Woollen Trade Board has fixed the lowest wages to be 
paid to wool-scourers and spinners at 30s. a week, and to 
female warpers at 15s. (Queensland.) — The last report from 
the Government Labour Bureau shows that in the North there 
was no demand for anyone, except female servants and a few 
general labourers ; that in the Central districts there was 
practically no demand for anyone ; and that in the South there 
was a good demand for agricultural labourers and general 
labourers only. More mechanics, station hands, miners, or 
married couples on farms and stations were not wanted in any 
part of Queensland. The drought is causing great losses. 
1 Western Australia.) — There is practically no demand for 
more labour at the present time, except for competent farm 
hands and female servants. (New Zealand. )— A report from 
Auckland states that there is a demand for farm and general 
labourers, station hands, mechanics, and female servants, but 
not for miners. A report from Hawkes Bay states that there is 
a good demand for female servants, but not for any mechanics 
or labourers, unless they are specially skilled. 
South Africa. — There is a good demand for competent 
mechanics, especially those in the building trades, in Cape 
Colony, Natal, the Transvaal and Orange River Colony ; but 
no one can land without a permit, which must be obtained from 
the Permit Office, 47, Victoria Street, London, S.W. No 
moie applications from railwaymen for service in Cape Colony 
or Natal are now wanted. The Agent-General for Natal will 
still entertain a few applications from boilermakers, rivetters, 
platelayers, signalmen, and carriage and wagon examiners ; 
he is instructed to suspend the granting of passages to 
carpenters and other artisans, and those who go must find 
their own way out. Candidates for the Cape Mounted Rifles 
must apply to the Agent-General for the Cape of Good Hope, 
at 100, Victoria-street, S.W. , and candidates for the South 
African Constabulary in the Orange River Colony and Trans- 
vaal, to the Recruiting Officer, King's-court, Westminster, 
S.W. 
Western Australia. — Labour Legislation. — The 
Labour Gazette gives an account of the new laws relating to 
Labour in Western Australia, which have recently received Royal 
Assent. There are four Acts dealing respectively with Trade 
Unions, Conciliation and Arbitration in Industrial Disputes, 
Workmen's Compensation, and Shop Flours Regulation. The 
Trade Unions Act follows closely the lines of the legislation 
in force with respect to this subject in the United Kingdom. 
The Industrial Conciliation Act, which repeals the previous 
Act of 1900, is, in the main, identical with the Industrial 
Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1900, of New Zealand, but in 
certain respects follows the recent statute passed by New- 
South Wales. This Act provides for the establishment of 
District Boards of Conciliation, and also of Special Boards, to 
meet any case of emergency or any special case of industrial 
dispute, and of a Court of Arbitration, power being given to 
either party to a dispute to refer the matter direct to that Court, 
without taking it in the first instance before a Board of Con- 
ciliation, and for the making of industrial agreements. With 
respect to strikes and lock-outs, the Act sets out penalties for 
those who are associated with a strike or who, pending reference 
to a Court, suspend work in any industry. The Workers' 
Compensation Act applies to injuries of workers employed ou 
or in or about any railway, water work, tramway, electric 
lighting work, factory, mine, quarry, or engineering or building 
work, or on or in or about any employment declared by pro- 
clamation (issued pursuant to addresses from both Houses of 
Parliament) to be dangerous or injurious to health or dangerous 
to life or limb. 
FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
Germany.— Factories Report. — The yearly report of 
the official inspectors on the state of labour in Berlin and its 
suburbs of Charlottenburg, Schoneburg, and Rixdorf, gives the 
total number of persons employed in factories and workshops 
within this area during 1901 as 233,762, or about one-tenth of 
all the persons so employed in Prussia. This total includes 
152,851 men, 66,440 women, 14,424 young persons of 14 to 16 
years of age, and 47 children. Of the wpmen, 23,035 are from 
"16 to 21 years old, and 43,405 over 21 years old. The total 
number of these employed in~ factories and workshops only 
increased by 1-9 per cent, during 1901, as against 10 ’5 per cent, 
in the preceding year. The number of male workers decreased 
by 1 -3 per cent., but there was an increase of io-i per cent, in 
the number of females employed. The dulness of trade has 
thrown many people out of work. Enquiries made by the 
inspectors in 1,233 establishments showed that in the metal and 
machine industries, the building, carpentering and allied trades, 
there was a decrease of from 15,000 to 18,000 in the number of 
persons employed in October, 1901, as compared with October, 
1900. The iron foundries dispensed with about 39 per cent, of 
their hands. It was calculated that in the month of November 
about 7,500 factory hands were out of work. Many firms have 
curtailed the hours of work. The workmen in the machine 
factories, for example, have earned on an average 15 per cent, 
less than usual. One consequence of the slackness in the labour 
market has been to render "the housing question, especially in 
northern and eastern quarters, less acute, since many persons 
have left Berlin in hope of finding employment elsewhere. The 
complaint, however, is made that the suburb of Charlottenburg, 
which is Largely inhabited by the well-to-do classes, puts diffi- 
culties in the way of the erection of industrial dwellings. 
