324 [December, 1902.] IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. ;Vol. VIIL No. 96. 
distribution of the population. This must be the governing figure which dominated any 
statistical enquiry into the “conditions and prospects of society.” He referred to the growth 
of population disclosed by the recently published figures of the various censuses. The popula- 
tion of England had increased 132 per cent, in the 70 years between 1831 and 1901. England 
was much less the predominant partner in the U nited Kingdom at that early date than she 
was to-day. In 1831 she mustered but 58 per cent, of the total population of these islands ; 
to-day the proportion was 78 per cent. Looking outside our own country, he stated that in 
1830 the population of Continental Europe must have been about 192 millions, whilst that of 
the whole world was probably 847 millions. To-day the world was calculated to contain not 
less than 1,600 millions, of whom about one-fourth were in the conventional Europe. Were 
a like comparison to be ventured upon as regarded the areas of the world’s surface then and 
now under British rule or British protection, the older estimates, defective no doubt as to 
unoccupied areas, did not exceed 2 \ million square miles, the latter surfaces reached 12 j million 
square miles. This advance was relatively much greater than that of the estimated popu- 
lations on the areas concerned. If the estimate was accepted, it meant the exchange of a 
responsibility reaching 70 years ago to some 4 per cent, of the land of the world, for one 
which embraced well-nigh 24 per cent, of that area — and this without including the existing 
British commitments on the Nile for the good government and control of no insignificant 
population and no unimportant area in Egypt and the Sudan. 
Whether it was an advantage or not to the conduct of diplomacy — and the question 
might be left to be answered by some of their Foreign Office friends, whose co-operation, he 
feared, they did not often secure in the Royal Statistical Society — the world as it grew older, 
it would seem, inclined to concentrate power on a smaller number of political centres. Six 
States, and six only, appeared at the present day to govern or protect some three-fourths of 
the world’s population, and when ten States had been named, something like six-sevenths of 
the peoples of the globe had been grouped and classified. Two great Empires now alone 
accounted for something like half the population of the world — Great Britain and China — 
adding a comparatively known to a comparatively unknown statistical factor, hypothetically 
absorbing between them a multitude as great as all the world held a century ago, and one 
which pressed close upon, if it did not exceed, 800 million souls. The direct subjects and 
protected races falling under the widely-stretched sway of King Edward in distant corners 
of the earth were believed to somewhat slightly exceed the compacter masses which crowded 
the series of contiguous territories owing more or less allegiance to the Imperial Court of 
Peking. 
Speaking of the essential differences between the relative strength of the peoples of 1834 
and those of 1900, he said that Europe might have a littld less than doubled its population, but 
even the much greater population of Asia had increased in nearly equal ratio. Meanwhile, 
the new world’s development and the share of it which was due to the European overflow 
was common knowledge. The latest figure of the International Statistical Institute would 
mean a growth of 85 per cent, in the population of Europe in 70 years. But the factors in 
this aggregage should be dissected. Two, at least, needed further examination and enquiry. 
The Russian increment alone was close upon 70 millions of the whole. This suggested a 
hypothetical growth of population equal to more than 150 per cent, in 70 years, or more than 
2 per cent, per annum, and left to the rest of Europe a general growth at less than half this 
rate, or only 67 per cent. — less than 1 per cent, per annum. 
But the Russian figures before 1897 were open to a certain 'suspicion, and so a more 
trustworthy conclusion might be reached by comparing only the returns of Western European 
countries. In his review of these the president pointed out how in the 70 years Germany 
had added 88 per cent., whilst the United Kingdom had increased 70 per cent., and France 
had added less than 20 per cent, to her population. This brought the author to the con- 
sideration of the numbers of people who had left our own and neighbouring countries for 
oversea lands, to the fact that the growth of modern population was in big cities, and to the 
relative decline of rural population, which was noticeable in other countries besides our own. 
In the lifetime of the society very nearly five persons to every ten added to our home stock 
had gone to build up the closely related State which dominated, as far as population was 
concerned, the continent of America ; about one person for every ten of the nation’s increase 
in our own islands had in the same interval gone to Canada, and another one for every ten to 
Australia. The subject of emigration, both from our own country and from other European 
nations, deserved, however, attentive study by itself on a scale which could not be 
attempted in a general address. A significant mass of statistical data was ready for con- 
sideration in the annual volumes which the Board of Trade now provided. Commenting 
upon the movements of the population he alluded to the growth of London and other great 
cities on the Continent, and said that, look where we would, even in our own Colonies, 
where the broad acreage of Canada or Australia so proudly impressed our admiration, the 
immigration seemed more and more to concentrate itself on setting up as soon as possible an 
urban community. The latest census figures at least suggested that urbification was going on 
even there apace, and that it was not wholly, or even mainly, the filling up of the interior with 
sturdy agriculturists, prepared to wring a livelihood from the soil by the most primitive of 
arts, that marked the situation of to-day. Concurrently at least with this, growing numbers 
of the immigrant population were being assigned to the secondary businesses which new 
cities might afford under sometimes artificially stimulated industrial activity of these new self- 
governing States within the Imperial fold. 
The president then glanced at the growth of our revenue and of our wealth. He took as 
a special index of progress the growth of house property, and quoted figures to show that 
whereas 70 years ago 8 per cent, of the dwellings of Great Britain were of ^20 and upwards 
rental, to-day rather over 16 per cent, exceeded that figure ; and, as a proof of the improvement 
in the condition of the people, he mentioned the fact that there was much less growth in the 
relatively small class of the higher-rented houses. It was a huge material fact, which must 
strike any candid enquirer into our internal national condition, that in the “ house property” 
of the kingdom stood an incontestable and visible form of the accumulation and investment of 
individual capital. 
In conclusion, he remarked that the statistics with which he had been dealing showed 
that our country was vastly bigger and a vastly more complicated machine than our fathers 
had to deal with when the society was founded ; that it had grown in numbers, in wealth, and 
in power ; grown, too, enormously in proportion in territorial responsibilities — responsibilities 
which might yet entail sacrifices that would test the national spirit, courage, and 
perseverance. 
If the land of “All the Britains” was to be occupied, held, and developed, we must 
more seriously resume that “ export ” of brave and courageous men, ready to fill the waste 
places of the earth, and where government fell on the shoulders of our race, to take up the 
burden with a stout heart and confidence in our national future. We could make our Empire 
strong by expansions of this type, rather than by the mere planting of colonial towns on the 
fringe of unoccupied regions. 
The most casual survey of the dimensions to which, after 70 years, the political fabric of 
the British Empire had attained, enforced the lesson that fully to hold our own with other 
growing nations, and rightly to discharge the world -wide responsibilities which Providence 
had entrusted to us over subject races, there must be no slackening of our capacity for serious 
duty and serious work at home, no resting on the bygone reputation of our fathers for indus- 
trial enterprise abroad, no hesitation in facing the newer political problems of these altered 
times. If largely growing urban conditions and augmenting dependence on distant lands for 
much of the raw material of our home industries, and for a considerable share of our food 
supply, were imposed upon us by the economic condition of the present, the obligation was 
all the more enforced to maintain that mastership of the sea which in the past had served to 
unite rather than to sever the scattered factors of the British Empire, and which had kept 
open to our teeming population unrestricted highways for trade with all the regions of the 
globe. That the home nation still grew and strengthened in material wealth his figures 
showed. The statistician recorded that much for their satisfaction and encouragement. 
He found, however, that the great Empire resting on the falcrum of these islands was 
still building and expanding, and he pointed to the obligations its future maintenance must 
entail. We must not be content, therefore, to sit down and admire the proportions of the 
edifice, but one and all determine by personal effort where we might, and by a readier toler- 
ance, in all cases, to any claims of the nation on the private purse, to face with courage and 
with perseverance the task of holding what the Empire-builders of the past had won, 
remembering that “ not once or twice in our bright island story the path of duty proved the 
way to glory.” 
+ 
FUNCTIONS AT THE INSTITUTE. 
THE LONDON NEEDLEWORK GUILD. 
In the north gallery of the Imperial Institute, the garments and other articles made and 
collected during the past year by the members of the London Needlework Guild for distribution 
among the hospitals, missions, prisons, refuges, and poor parishes of London were exhibited on 
the 7th and 8th ult. The total number of articles sent in this year is 54,755, and, though 
this number is rather smaller than that of last year, the garments are of much better quality. 
The Princess of Wales, who succeeded her mother, the late Duchess of Teck, as patroness 
of the guild, and takes considerable interest in the work, is again the largest contributor, her 
Royal Highness’s collection consisting of 12,300 articles. These comprise a contribution by 
the King of 59 articles of men’s clothing, and about 300 miscellaneous articles, including six 
woollen petticoats made by the Princess herself, and some well-stuffed pillows by the 
Prince of Wales. Included in Her Royal Highness’s collection also are several warm woollen 
scarves, a hood, and other articles, the work of Princess Victoria, a number of woollen 
comforters worked by Prince Edward and Prince Albert of Wales, who also contributed 
other articles purchased out of their pocket money, and two pairs of cuffs worked by 
Princess Victoria of Wales. Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar sent a collection of 402 
articles. The next largest collection to that of the Princess of Wales was sent by 
Mrs. Basil Ellis, numbering 2,654 articles, Mrs. Ellis, who is one of the honorary 
secretaries, has received from the children attending the village school at Oxshott, Surrey, 
between 300 and 400 garments, which they have made with materials that she has supplied. 
At her invitation these school children visited the exhibition on the 7th ult. Princess Edward 
of Saxe-Weimar was also present during the afternoon. Lady Ilarcourt sent 2,586 articles, 
and a collection of 1,602 was received through the Plon. Mrs. Holford. All of the ladies 
named are presidents of groups, of which there are 122. The members of these groups 
make the garments during the year, and they are collected by their several presidents for the 
purposes of the exhibition and distribution. A private meeting of the committee was 
held on the 10th ult., for the allocation of the garments : nearly all the London hospitals 
participated in the gifts. 

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 (November). 
*** 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, 
E. H. W., London .- — Agriculture in Natal. 
W. B. , Kent. — Production, consumption, etc., of beer and hops in the United Kingdom, 
P. B. W. , Norwood . — Tea-planting in Natal. 
M. C. ( Hampstead. — The Dragon tree and “ Dragon’s Blood,” 
E. R., London, — Names of publications which are the best sources of information on the 
markets of the world. 
B. T. , London. — Palmetto leaves for paper-making. 
E. E. S. , Oxford. — Agriculture in British East Africa. 
V., London. — Fruit-cultivation in Jamaica. 
B. C., London . — Gold Coast. — Climate, health, outfit, etc. 
City Branch:— 
Traders in Penang and Singapore. 
Publications noting building operations in Colonies and India. 
Imports of rice at various ports in South Africa. 
State of petroleum industry in Russia. 
Industrial conditions in Cuba. 
Import duty on petrol in India. 
Commercial travellers’ licences in South Africa. 

REQUIREMENTS REGISTRY. 
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 may be obtained : — • 
Home Enquiries.— A Dublin firm desires the names of Canadian dealers who can supply 
turkey quills in quantity. 
An enquiry has been received for the names of Canadian producers of slates, 
A company manufacturing pumping machinery wish to secure the services of a first-class 
firm of resident agents to introduce their goods into Canada and, more particularly, British 
Columbia. 
A London importing firm is prepared to take up the sale of a first-class Canadian lawn 
mower, and invites correspondence from manufacturers of same. 
An enquiry has been received for the names of Canadian shippers of green and blue 
marbles, etc., suitable for decorative purposes. 
A Liverpool firm desires names of Canadian shippers of molybdenum of good quality. 
Enquiry is made for the addresses of the leading Canadian dealers and shippers of wool. 
A company manufacturing electric fans, hydraulic rams and other specialities asks to be 
placed in communication with first-class Canadian firms who would be prepared to act as the 
company’s resident agents. 
An enquiry has been received for the addresses of Canadian firms who can supply semi- 
circular wooden strips as used in the manufacture of cane trunks. 
A manufacturing company in Cornwall desires names of Canadian manufacturers of box 
shooks who can quote upon specification for prompt delivery. 
Canadian Enquiries, — A timber manufacturer in the province of Quebec invites corre- 
spondence from United Kingdom importers of box boards cut to specification, also of spool and 
bobbin wood. 
A Canadian correspondent who owns a partly-developed deposit of molybdenum would like 
to hear from persons interested in obtaining supplies of this metal. 
A Canadian company manufacturing washing machines, wringers, wheelbarrows, and other 
goods asks to be placed in communication with United Kingdom importers of same. 
A Canadian house dealing in druggists’ and kindred goods, and able to furnish first-class 
United Kingdom references, wishes to obtain a good agency for brushes of all kinds. 
