account of rice, meat, raisins, and salt, while imports of butter, currants, coffee, dried fruit, and wheat flour increased. The imports. of flax and wool also show a considerable decrease. EXPORTS. The German exports for the same period were 15,272,944 tons, against 12,935,830 tons and 12,336,015 tons for the same periods in 1902 and 1901, an increase of 2,337,114 tons over 1902 and of 2,936,229 tons over 1901. Of the 43 tariff groups, 34 show an increase and 9 a decrease. The largest increases were: Coal, $1,374,394; clays, ores, etc., $548,205; iron and iron wares, $303,065; drugs, pharmaceutical articles, and dyestuffs, $50,628; cereals, $40,594; clay goods, $33,992. A considerable decrease occurred in groceries ($69,984). The decrease in raw sugar is larger than the total decrease of the groceries group, amounting to nearly 50 per cent compared with 1902. The exports of raw sugar to Great Britain decreased more than 50 per cent; the exports to the United States did not quite reach onethirtieth of those of the same period of the previous year. Refined sugar also showed a large decrease on account of reduced exports to Great Britain, Japan, and South Africa. FRANKFORT. June 25, 1903. RICHARD GUENTHER, NEW MEAT-INSPECTION LAW IN GERMANY. The new meat-inspection law went into effect in Germany on April 1, 1903. What trouble and expenditure it must bring to the importer and how much it is sure to increase the cost of living to the consumer may be seen from a case which occurred recently at Bremen. A local firm had imported 20 barrels of pork livers from New York which were examined at Bremerhaven in accordance with the new rules and regulations. At the end of the examination, the following bill was presented and paid to cover the expenses: To general fees for examination...... Marks. 75.65 $18.00 60. 50 14. 40 To examination for trichnæ, 50 pfennigs for each 587 livers........... 293. 50= 69.85 Total........... 429. 65 102. 25 In addition the firm had to pay duty on said livers as follows: Gross weight, 3,596 kilograms (7,929 pounds), less 16 per cent tare; net weight, 3,020 kilograms (6,659 pounds) at 17 marks ($4.04) per 100 kilograms (220 pounds), or 513.50 marks ($122.21). Hence the cost for bringing these 20 barrels of American hog product into this country amounted to 943.15 marks ($224.47), or more than 30 per cent of the original cost of the goods, which was only 3,000 marks ($714). This case gained considerable notoriety and was brought to the attention of the proper department at Berlin. It was hoped that the authorities there would order a reduction of the charges for entering these livers, which, as a precautionary measure, had been boiled before shipment, so as to remove any objection. However, the Secretary of the Interior decided a few days ago that, inasmuch as these livers weighed less than 4 kilograms (8.82 pounds), section 12 of the second chapter of the new law absolutely prohibited their importation into Germany. BREMEN, June 5, 1903. HENRY W. DIEDERICH, Consul. GOVERNMENTAL HORSE INSURANCE IN BAVARIA. Bavaria has within the last thirty years made remarkable progress in the domain of governmental insurance. The centralizing and modernizing of insurance by the government against fire in 1874 was followed in 1884 by an insurance provision against hail, which the state officials and farmers alike consider a most unique institution. In 1896 Bavaria provided government insurance of cattle, recognizing the great importance of the cattle industry to this Kingdom. After that provision had stood the test of time, the minister of the interior, Dr. Baron von Feilitzsch-the originator of hail and cattle insurance-took steps leading to the solution of the more difficult problem of the insurance of horses. A statement of accounts has just been issued by the Royal Chamber of Insurance regarding the Bavarian horse insurance, which, by the law of April 15, 1900, went into effect on November 1, 1900, and has therefore passed its first business years. This latest benevolent institution of Bavaria awakens the deepest interest among horse owners, and is furthered by the state and the townships. It has already overcome the initial difficulties and developed so surprisingly that it may be reckoned as one of the greatest of horse-insurance institutions. Like all other Bavarian governmental insurance, it rests upon the foundation of unions. These unions embrace entire districts as subdivisions. There are now 398 combined unions, with 34,748 horses, and an insurance capital of 28,666,540 marks ($6,822,636). This remarkable success is due to the cooperation of the Bavarian government and influential people interested in horse breeding. The management has eschewed all bureaucratic tendencies, and the state and township officials have been mainly friendly counselors to the parties directly interested. I gather from the yearly report that the officers of the Royal Chamber of Insurance assist in the founding of the unions and are detailed to suggest and supervise the conduct of the business of the unions, but without an attempt to participate in their management. A paper of instruction from the skillful pen of the director of the royal stud, Mr. Schwarzmaier, is published by the Royal Chamber of Insurance and gratuitously circulated among the various unions. Bavarian governmental horse insurance is not exclusively for the benefit of agricultural interests, but is an institution for city as well as country people. It extends to all regions where horses are bred, and counts many of the cities of Bavaria in its unions. MUNICH, June 1, 1903. JAMES H. WORMAN, SAMPLE MUSEUMS IN GERMANY. in the following report, dated June 27, 1903, Mr. Ozmun, our consul at Stuttgart, Germany, calls attention to the Sample Museum (Musterlager) of that city. A word as to the place occupied by a sample museum in German industrial and commercial life may not be out of place as a preface to Mr. Ozmun's report. For the last twenty or thirty years Germany has been doing a great deal of hard work to secure and to maintain a place in foreign markets. The number of the agencies employed to assist in this work is very large. From the huge subsidies granted by the Government to the steamship companies down to the humble letter of a hillside laborer is a long way, but it is a way filled with all forms of effort. Some years ago there were formed all over the Empire, in connection with, and not infrequently independent of, the colonial movement, export unions. Among the most famous as well as most important of these, Stuttgart's and Dresden's may be mentioned. After a time it occurred to the directing agencies of these bodies that a good way to aid merchants and manufacturers was by gathering catalogues, samples, etc. Commissions, consisting of experts in commerce and manufactures, were sent into all parts of the world for the purpose of studying and reporting on foreign markets. Quite a number of such expert commissions are always on the road. There is one, at least, in the United States at the present time. It has at its head a Minister of State, a member of the Emperor's Cabinet. These commissions are authorized to collect samples. They are given power to do so, the union paying for them, the commissioners using their own discretion in the selecting. Consuls, too, are called on for samples, and often send valuable collections. On one occasion a commission sent by the Germans visited the Orient and collected a great many samples. These were afterwards exhibited for several days. in the halls and corridors of the Imperial Parliament. They were then sent to large industrial and commercial centers and put on exhibition for the benefit of the workmen and work women who could not afford a trip to Berlin. They were afterwards divided among the sample museums-textile centers getting textiles and iron districts getting iron and steel products. The sample museum is an excellent auxiliary of the Empire's industrial, industrial-art, and technical schools. While it would be hard to estimate their value in dollars and cents, the German merchant and manufacturer have come to regard them as a part of the popular system of education. The abstract, of which Mr. Ozmun's report is a résumé, says: Business in the trans-Atlantic countries was just as quiet as in Germany during the past year, on account of low prices for coffee and the decline in silver, and also on account of political troubles and other unfavorable circumstances; and, although more visitors called at our institution [Stuttgart Musterlager], the total business of 1902 was about 15 per cent smaller than in 1901. Most of our customers bought only what they required for immediate use. North American firms only gave large orders, and it gives us great pleasure to be able to report an increase of trade with the United States. For the purpose of calling the attention of foreign buyers to our institution and to our continual exhibition of German industrial products, we have mailed a large number of circulars. The domestic as well as the foreign press helped us a great deal by making detailed reports regarding our institution, for which we wish to express our thanks. The number of firms giving orders at our institution and by mail was as follows: The orders given at our office and by mail were divided among 506 firms. It has been our principle, ever since this institution was founded, to sell for cash only, and consequently our members suffered no losses. Seventy catalogues were mailed; the total of catalogues mailed so far is 9,920. The total number of letters received during the past year was 11,715, against 12,486 in 1901; number of letters mailed, 16, 290, against 17,620 in 1901. Our director visited, during the past year, Vienna, London, Bremen, Düsseldorf, and Frankfort, and made several new connections. Business with Greece increased a little through the efforts of our agents. Our branch in Hamburg (Deurer & Kaufmann, Hamburg, Africa house) also felt the general depression to a certain extent. Business is a little more active since the beginning of the current year, and we expect a larger total this year. Besides receiving large orders for metal ware of every description-clocks, jewelry, musical instruments, etc.—our branch in Hamburg has extended its machinery department and has succeeded in receiving large orders for machines. We recommend, therefore, that members handling machinery should send their catalogues to our branch in Hamburg. Here in Stuttgart there has also been a decided improvement during the first four months of the current year. Exports to Australia especially are steadily increasing. The large stock on hand seems to be sold at last, and the foreign buyers are placing large orders. MANUFACTURE OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN GERMANY. The manufacture of pianos in Germany has reached a state of perfection attained by no other nation. Admitting that in other countries particular firms produce instruments which in every respect. are equal to the best German make, it is claimed that as an industry, considering the number of factories and the high exports to nearly. every country in the world, the manufacturers of this Empire are a long distance in advance of all their rivals. In spite of the enormous sale of pianos every year within the limits of the Empire, the manufacturers are dependent upon the markets of foreign countries for the sale of fully one-half of the number produced. The success of the German pianos is due to the fact that they are cheap, comparatively speaking. Two hundred and fifty dollars will buy a very fine upright piano in this country. The construction is always apace with the latest art designs, special attention being paid to the woodwork; they not only present an elegant appearance, but are solid and durable. There are 435 piano factories in Germany, which manufacture 80,000 instruments annually. One hundred and forty factories are located in Berlin, 27 in Stuttgart, 21 in Dresden, 16 in Leipzig, 15 in Hamburg, 10 in Leignitz, 9 in Zeitz, while the rest are located in Dresden, Munich, Halle, and Brunswick. During the past twenty years the export of ready-made pianos and parts has increased from $1,900,000 to $6,110,000. Great Britain is at present Germany's best customer, buying over 40 per cent of the total exports. Prior to 1890 Argentina was the best market for German pianos, especially for those made in Halle. Australia is also a chief market, buying |