Vol. VIII. No. 95. 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
[November, 1902.] 305 
and the earnings from shipping were less than usual. The total 
foreign trade was under 24^ millions sterling, against 26^ mil- 
lions in 1900. The imports declined by over two millions and 
the exports by over half a million. Lower prices prevailed for 
coal, and barley, malt, wine, woollens, machinery, and some 
other articles were imported in smaller quantities. "The exports 
of dried fish, herrings, timber, and cellulose were less also. 
The railway earnings, too, were smaller than in either of the 
two previous years. Labour suffered in proportion, and the 
ranks of the unemployed, especially as regards the building 
trade, were larger. The proportion of Norwegian trade ab- 
sorbed by Great Britain in 1900, the latest for which there are 
full statistics, was 34^5 per cent., Germany coming next with 
22 percent., all other countries being less than to per cent, 
each. As to exports, almost exactly 40 per cent, is absorbed 
by timber and 29 per cent, by fish products. Ice is one of the 
important exports of Norway ; last year the quantity sent 
abroad was 346,78s registered tons, by far the larger part 
coming to the United Kingdom. But the value of the total 
export has fallen from £258,570 in 1898 to .£34,731 last year. 
The quantity consumed in the country is also considerable. 
“ The ice trade is declining owing to exporters being obliged, 
through insufficient capital, to sell at ruinously low prices. 
Even the vessels employed in conveying ice do so under con- 
ditions that make it often doubtful if they can clear expenses.” 
The export of granite to the United Kingdom has increased of 
late, especially that of hewn granite for paving stones. The 
catch of cod last year was 39$ millions, while the average 
for the four previous years was nearly 46^ millions. The 
manufacturing industries of the country have not flourished 
because of decreased consumption and foreign competition. A 
few years ago many factories were established around Chris- 
tiana, but of these very few have shown stability in troublous 
times. The industrial population of Norway has grown steadily, 
and in the last 35 years the exports of manufactures have 
risen in value from £83,000 to nearly 2^ millions sterling. 
Seventy-five thousand four hundred and fifty-seven people 
were employed in factories in Norway at the end of 1900. 
The emigration from Norway last year was larger than for 
some years past, and amounted to 14,210. The chief imports 
to the country in 1901 were, in order of importance, coal, rye 
(the only two heads exceeding in value a million sterling), coffee, 
sugar (both just over half-a-million in value), barley, woollens, 
machines. The last three were between a-quarter and half-a- 
million in value. The main exports were timber and its pro- 
ducts to the value of ,£3, 354, 726, and fish and various fish 
products .£2,246, 099. 
Rumania.— Commercial Revival. — The British Con- 
sular reports from Rumania speak of a distinct improvement 
in trade, after two years of distress and failure, and during last 
year the country regained, to some extent, the prosperity of the 
years preceding the failure of the crops in 1899 ; but another 
year of good harvests will be needed to complete the restoration. 
Good crops, especially maize (which is the crop specially affect- 
ing the peasant), mild weather, which kept the ports on the 
Danube open to shipments all the winter, and the development 
of the port of Constanza all contributed to bring money into the 
country, and to diminish the stagnation in business that usually 
takes place in the winter. Rumanian securities have risen in 
almost every case, and business generally has improved, 
although the effects of the crisis are still felt. Bankruptcies, 
however, are less frequent, and credit is obtained more easily 
and on more advantageous terms. The petroleum industry is 
growing in importance, but it is still cramped by want of 
capital. Transport is not in a satisfactory state, for the railway 
charges for petroleum are high, tank wagons are scarce, and 
the projects for pipe lines are still in abeyance. It was expected 
at one time that there would be a large export of petroleum up 
the Danube to Bavaria, and arrangements were made for the 
towage of tank barges to Ratisbon, but the Hungarian Govern- 
ment enforced the new tariff at the Iron Gates, and since then 
the oil has gone by rail. The production in Rumania last year 
is estimated at 250,000 tons ; there are about 50 refineries, one 
group, those of the Steana Romana, treating nearly two-thirds 
of the total amount of crude oil. Nearly all the sugar mills, 
distilleries, gas-works, and factories and public institutions of 
Rumania, as well as the State railway, use petroleum refuse as 
fuel. The timber export is increasing steadily, and has to 
some extent compensated Galatz for the loss of the grain trade, 
which has now gone to Braila. The Rumanian forests cover 
about one-sixth of the whole area of the country ; the 
most valuable are the beech forests, then follow the different 
varieties of oak, then pitch-pine, fir, lime, elm, ash, and plane. 
Russia takes more Rumanian wood than any other country ; it 
goes chiefly to Batum for use in petroleum drums. The oak 
sleepers used for the Congo railway were also Rumanian. 
From Braila last year about 9,000,000 qrs. of grain were 
exported (a little less than half being maize), over a million 
quarters from Constanza, over a million from Galatz, and over 
three and-a-half millions from Sulina. At Sulina there was a 
remarkable movement in shipping when the Rumanian harvest 
began to arrive, and the shipping trade has profited more than 
any other by the revival in Rumania. 
United States (Chicago). — The Acting British Consul at 
Chicago has prepared an elaborate report on the cattle and 
meat trade of the United States, in the course of which he gives 
a detailed description of the processes of slaughtering and 
packing cattle and pigs in Chicago in the establishments of the 
great export packers. The population of the country is increas- 
ing at the rate of 1^ millions a year, and the export trade in 
meat must soon be affected by this steady increase in the home 
demand, which amounts to about 200,000 more cattle each year. 
Some recent figures give the total supply of cattle for meat in the 
country at 27,610,000. It appears that Argentina has more 
cattle and sheep per head of the population than any other 
country in the world, Uruguay following closely, Australia and 
New Zealand coming next. There is some doubt whether the 
cattle supply from the ranges in the United States can be 
increased in the future, for many of the ranges have been 
overstocked, others have suffered from drought and fire, and 
sheep are being bred in large numbers. The latter move in 
large flocks, and eat the grass so close that the range does not 
recover for some years, and the shepherds and cattlemen are in 
constant conflict. There are over 614 million sheep in the coun- 
try, chiefly in the western States ; but it is thought doubtful 
whether they can be maintained at this high figure. The 
number of pigs is over 64.V millions. Mr. Erskine describes the 
methods of the stock yards, and gives statistics of the yards at 
the five chief centres— Chicago, Omaha, St. Louis, Kansas, and 
Sioux City — as regards cattle, pigs, and sheep. He also gives 
numerous figures relating to the business of the packing houses. 
The latter, it is said, make all their profit in cattle slaughtered 
out of the bye-products, nothing but the gastric juice being 
allowed to go to waste. These bye-products are valued at about 
£3 per head of cattle killed, and include albumen from the blood ; 
buttons and bone objects of all kinds (including billiard balls) 
from the bones ; combs, etc., from the horns ; buttons and cyanide 
of potassium and neat’s foot oil from the hoofs ; gelatine and 
glue from the soft bones ; oleo oil from the fat, and fertilizers from 
the refuse of everything. Mr. Erskine enters ,in some detail 
into the treatment of these bye-products. The export trade in 
cattle declined last year ; of the 392,884 cattle exported, 72 per 
cent, came to this country, and practically the whole of the 
remainder to other British possessions. The export of fresh 
beef was very nearly 302 million pounds, of which 98 per cent, 
came to this country ; only the best kinds of American beef will 
pay in this trade. Of tinned beef over 66^ million pounds were 
exported, of which 77 per cent, came to this country. Of the 
total meat export of the United States, the British Empire takes 
87 per cent., and 31 per cent, of the bye-products, and of the 
two combined 71 per cent. 
-*■ 
FOREIGN CONSULAR REPORTS. 
Ploughs in China. — North China, Mongolia, Manchuria, 
and that part of Siberia bordering on the Pacific, are destined 
soon to become consumers of agricultural implements, for 
several reasons, says the United States Consul at Niuchwang. 
First, the country is not, as a rule, thickly populated ; this is 
especially true of Mongolia, Manchuria, and Siberia. Labourers 
are imported each season to assist in planting and harvesting 
crops. There exists, therefore, more of a disposition to save 
labour than is generally found in other parts of China. Second, 
all of this country is abundantly supplied with animal power. 
Ponies, mules, donkeys, and cattle are used in every way to 
relieve the burdens of men. There are few parts of the world 
where animal power is more generally used than here. Ploughs, 
harrows, rollers, carts, and various other crude machines, 
locally made, are in constant use. The hand tools and the 
methods in use in other parts of China for cultivating, harvest- 
ing, and marketing crops are not so extensively employed here. 
As the people are so well trained in the use of this animal 
power, and already use many crude machines, there will not 
be serious difficulty in introducing better appliances. Third, 
the country is generally cultivated in much larger fields than 
in middle and southern China, and the employment of im- 
proved machinery would involve no change in the nature of 
their industry. Fourth, the opening of the country by rail- 
roads will reduce the cost of getting products to market and 
at the same time increase the supply. While these more 
general features are conducive to the introduction of agri- 
cultural machinery, it must not be understood that there are 
no difficulties. Above all other considerations, the plough 
must be cheap, as cheap as it is possible to make it. The 
form must differ very little from that now in use by the natives : — 
short beam, single handle, and as simple of construction as 
possible. The value of an improved plough will lie in deeper 
plowing with the same power. This would have to receive 
practical demonstration in every hamlet, and care should be 
taken to avoid some superstition, which might be done by giving 
the plough a favourable name. In Northern Manchuria, near 
Harbin, where there are several modern flour mills, better 
ploughing is done and from three to five mules or ponies are 
hitched to each plough. It is at this point that the effort to 
introduce the plough would be most successful, and thrashing 
and cleaning mills would also be most easily introduced here. 
The field should be carefully studied, and, in order to satisfy 
the prejudices of the people and create a market, implements 
should be designed especially for this territory. 
Rubber Exports from Para.— According to the final 
returns, the shipments of rubber from the Amazon Valley last 
season amounted to 29,997 tons, or 2,317 tons more than in 
1900-1901. In the present season, it is believed that a record- 
breaking crop will be harvested. The rubber fields of the lower 
river, and especially on the islands, are slowly but surely failing, 
both in quantity and quality ; but the decrease is more than 
made up by the development of new fields and the expansion of 
the old fields on the Upper Amazon. While all the more 
important tributaries of the Amazon are supplying their full 
quota of rubber, and even making a promising increase, interest 
will focus in the now famous Acre territory, and in south-eastern 
Ecuador. In the regions reached by the Purus (of which the 
Acre is a tributary), Jurua, Beni, Madre de Dios, javari, 
Ucayali, Japura, and other great affluents of the Upper Amazon, 
which penetrate Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, there are illimitable 
rubber forests as yet unexplored, which will now be gradually 
developed. Many seringueiros, or rubber gatherers, are headed 
for these regions, and it is reported that several syndicates are 
about to begin operations in new fields in Bolivia and Peru. 
Bolivia continues to offer inducements for the colonisation and 
development of her vast area of rich rubber and mining territory. 
The United States Consul states that the Government of the 
State of Amazonas has granted the exclusive privilege of 
receiving, cutting, and packing all the rubber produced in that 
State to one wharf company. The creation of this monopoly 
will injure the rubber trade of this region, but Peru, Bolivia, 
and Ecuador will be the beneficiaries, as rubber growers and 
gatherers here are seeking to escape the new restrictions, which 
entail considerable expense and trouble upon exporters. 
Balata Gum in Brazil. — The attention of interested 
parties in the United States has recently been directed to the 
possibilities of the Balata fields on the Amazon. James A. 
Bouty, for many years a gutta-percha operator in the Guianas, 
on a trip of investigation through this region about one year 
ago, found the balata tree growing in abundance near Para and 
on the Amazon and its tributaries for thousands of miles. The 
Brazilians had no knowledge of its gum-producing qualities. 
After persistent effort Mr. Bouty succeeded in interesting parties 
in the United States and Para, bought a concession, and has 
lately begun the practical work of producing gutta-percha for 
the market. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to demonstrate 
the commercial value of Mr. Bouty's personal experiment, but 
his work has served to open up a new industry for Brazil, which 
may develop into large proportions. As in the case of rubber, 
there is practically no limit to the supply of gutta-percha on the 
Amazon, and, as it can be produced at a fraction of the cost of 
rubber, it offers a much higher percentage of profit. The 
United States Consul gives the following report on this subject 
from Mr. William Gerdeau, who has had a practical experience 
of many years in the Guianas, where he represented American 
and English gutta-percha importers and managed balata 
estates : — 
The balata or bulle tree {Min saps balata), grows in great 
abundance throughout the Amazon valley, but up to this time 
no attempt has ever been made to introduce the gutta-percha 
trade in this country. For more than thirty years, this trade 
has been carried on with immensely profitable results in the 
Guianas and the Orinoco valley, but those fields are now almost 
exhausted, and very little gutta-percha has recently been shipped. 
It is my opinion that this balata trade can be made to rival the 
rubber trade in this country, as it can be produced here in 
unlimited quantities, and its quality is, if not better, at least as 
good as the Guiana balata. I have found the balata trees 
scattered and in groves, sometimes amounting to forests many 
miles in extent, all over the States of Para and Amazonas, and 
I am informed on trustworthy authority that vast areas of these 
trees are growing on the Purus and Acre rivers and other 
tributaries of the Upper Amazon river. The method of bleed- 
ing the balata tree is entirely different to that used to extract the 
gum from the rubber tree, and only experienced and expert 
bleeders can be employed. But, on the other hand, these trees 
yield many times as much sap as the rubber trees, and one man 
can easily produce as many kilograms of gutta-percha in a day 
as twenty men can extract of rubber. The trees will average 
35 pounds of gutta-percha each, and a competent bleeder can 
prepare 40 to 50 pounds per day. The gum is first fermented 
and then dried in the sun, after which it is ready for shipment. 
Concessions of balata fields of any extent can be readily secured 
from the Brazilian Government, and private balata lands can be 
purchased for a fair price. It only requires some capital and 
practical knowledge of the business to develop one of the 
greatest industries in Brazil. 
Trade Openings in Cuba. — Minister H. G. Squiers, of 
Havana, sends the following suggestions apropos to trade with 
Cuba : American manufacturers have either not studied or not 
heeded certain indispensable requirements to gain and retain the 
cotton goods trade in Cuba. They rely mainly on the export 
commission houses in New York engaged in Spanish-American 
trade to secure business for them here. Once in a while they 
send one of their representatives to Cuba, to work up trade, 
and he is generally one who does not speak Spanish, and must, 
therefore, transact his business through interpreters. The 
following requirements are noted : Special and careful packing, 
giving exact and minute details of goods in the invoices or on a 
separate memorandum attached to invoices. They should 
specify marks and numbers of packages and gross and net 
weights. The net weight of each separate class of goods con- 
tained in a single case should be specified ; how each is packed, 
whether without wrapper or with paper wrappers or pasteboard 
boxes, and the net weight with or without wrappers or paste- 
boards ; the total number of pieces each class or quality ; the 
total number of yards, price per yard ; width ; whether white, 
crude, printed or manufactured with dyed yarns, and whether 
mixed with wool, silk or linen. European houses are liberal in 
the matter of credits, and it should be observed that failures are 
rare among the textile importers of Havana. The British have 
the largest part of the cotton-goods trade. Spain and the 
United States are close rivals, Spain surpassing the United 
States in some lines, notably in knitted hosiery and underwear. 
Spain does a thrifty trade with Cuba in wines, of which the 
United States might secure a share for its Californian products, 
if they are properly introduced. Spain also ships a consider- 
able quantity of hams and sausages to this market. Too much 
importance cannot be attached to labelling and advertising goods 
in the Spanish language. 
Peat v. Coal in Canada. — The United States Consul at 
Stratford (Ontario) reports that hundreds of thousand of dollars 
have been expended during the past few years in experiments by 
the different companies in the province of Ontario for the 
perfection of machinery to turn out a fuel that will compete with 
coal. The whole question of making the inexhaustible beds of 
bog commercially valuable lies in the drying process. The 
genius who will invent a machine to satisfactorily extract the 
moisture from crude peat will not only make a fortune, but will 
be a public benefactor. 
Thus far, the nearest solution to the problem lies probably 
in the machine invented by Mr. Dobson, now in use at his peat 
works at Beaverton, near Lake Simcoe, in Northern Ontario. 
This machine consists of a press, drier, and spreader, and is a 
most ingenious contrivance, for it cuts, pulverises, and spreads 
the material at the same time. This reduces the moisture 50 per 
cent. , and the balance is taken out by the drying process. The 
machinery in operation at this plant has a capacity of 20 tons a 
day. The bogs are three miles from a railway, and yet the 
demand for the fuel is such that it brings 13s. 6d, a ton at the 
plant and is retailed at Toronto at 17s. 8d, The plant near 
Stratford now has a daily capacity of 25 tons and a ready sale 
for all the fuel it can produce. It is run night and day, with a 
view to supplying the demand caused by the scarcity of hard 
coal. 
Canada annually consumes nearly 3,000,000 tons of 
anthracite coal, all of which comes from Pennsylvania. Most 
of this is delivered during the summer months. The prolonged 
strike has changed the situation to such an extent that this 
summer no coal was delivered, and a serious fuel famine con- 
fronts the people of that latitude. This condition of affairs has 
given a tremendous impetus to the manufacturing of peat for 
fuel all over the province, and will probably lead to the perfection 
of inventions, so that crude bog will, in course of time, be the 
leading fuel and to a large extent take the place of hard coal, 

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE REPORTS. 
UNITED KINGDOM. 
Birmingham. — At a meeting of this Chamber on the 22nd 
ult., a letter was read from the secretary of the London 
Chamber stating that he was desired by his municipal trading 
committee to ask whether, having regard to the important 
issues raised by the opposition to the municipalisation of the 
Birmingham tramways which had been initiated by the Birming- 
ham and District Trade and Property Association and others, 
it might be possible for the Birmingham Chamber, on broad 
grounds of public policy, to give the association its valuable 
support. The letter adds that “public attention has recently 
been drawn to the matter by reason of the growing indebtedness 
of local authorities, which is a serious matter for traders who 
are ratepayers, and it is submitted that, pending an enquiry, it 
is highly undesirable that local authorities should seek for 
further powers or that Parliament should confer them,” 
Mr. E. M. Carter said he thought that was a remarkable 
letter for the London Chamber of Commerce to send to them. 
The question of municipalising the Birmingham tramways was 
one of purely local interest, and he did not see why the London 
Chamber should attempt to interfere. One could not help 
thinking there was some other underlying motive besides the 
broad grounds of public policy referred to in the letter. 
Examining the constitution of the London Chamber of 
Commerce, he found there was at any rate one member who 
was very closely connected with and interested in certain electric 
tramway companies, and it appeared to him that another 
interpretation of the letter, besides the ground of public policy, 
might be that it was an attempt to cripple the hands of the 
Corporation of Birmingham in negotiations they might have to 
conduct with one of those electric tramway companies. 
Mr. J. W. Tonks said it was easy to assume personal 
motives, but w r hat the London Chamber of Commerce had done 
in this matter was in pursuance of its policy of bringing about 
the careful consideration by corporations and chambers of 
commerce throughout the country of the main question of 
municipal trading and its possible dangers. That was a fair 
proposition. He thought it w T as gratuitous, and rather unfortu- 
nate, that at the beginning of a discussion of that sort a 
gentleman should tell them some person was interested in a 
particular tramw'ay company. So far as he had seen at the 
meetings of the association of chambers of commerce, this had 
been a perfectly bond fide movement, and he w’as not aware 
that anything had been done by any American capitalist or any 
American concern in order to influence the votes of the 
chambers. 
Mr. Arthur Chamberlain said the Birmingham Chamber 
represented the trading interests of Birmingham, and it should 
be sufficient for them to act when Birmingham traders called 
their attention to any wrong from which they were suffering. 
He thought they would be going out of their w'ay and making 
useless work for themselvesjn considering thequestion of municipal 
