a decrease of 771,200 pounds. The importation of American hams has practically ceased; during May, 1902, 202,600 pounds were imported, while the statistics for May, 1903, show only 200 pounds. Upon inquiry, I am informed that since this law went into effect (April to July 1) 768 pieces of bacon, sides, and hams were inspected here at Stettin and that not a single piece was rejected. The local market has shown but slight advance in the price of meats; but just as soon as the immense supplies that were "laid in" before this law went into effect are consumed and the drain on the home market commences, there will be a sharp advance. It is believed that this act will undergo a modification in the near future. STETTIN, GERMANY, July 7, 1903. JOHN E. KEHL, Consul. EXPORTS OF AMERICAN MEATS TO GERMANY. Quantities and values of American meats and meat products exported to Germany during the fiscal years 1893, 1896, and 1899-1902, compiled from the annual volume of the Bureau of Statistics showing the exports of domestic merchandise by articles and Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. 353,414 8,730,223 5.358,659 20,009,656 Hams... Pork, salted or pickled... 898,804 1,855.798 9,813,118 3,615,843 2,156,646 2,128,576 709,900 1,261,000 15,515,225 11,062,825 9,830,425 8,671,775 70,170,320 121,893,903 229,230, 175 195,595,578 182,389,879 173,517,891 Oleo, the oil, and oleomargarine. Total 23,576,742 25,403,079 30,612,969 27,229,755 34,717,310 28,321,585 125,740,571 180,603,670 347,327,788 284,252,352 267,336,341 247,091,779 DECLINING MEAT IMPORTS IN GERMANY. As was generally expected, there comes from the daily press throughout Germany complaints about the reduced supply of meat. caused by the somewhat drastic meat-inspection law, the last remaining clauses of which went into force on the 1st of April, 1903. The general effect of the new regulations will be inferred from the fact that during the three months from April 1 to June 30, 1903, only 3,250 tons of fresh meats were imported into Germany, against 4,715 tons during the same period in 1901 and 5,776 tons in 1902. The import of smoked and other simply prepared meats dropped from 6,561 tons to 2,240 and bacon from 3,073 tons to 771 during the April-June quarter, as compared with the imports for the same period of the preceding year. Hams declined likewise from 810 tons to 256 and other forms of pork meats from 1,825 tons to 574. Add to this the fact that by another clause of the same law, which has been in force since October, 1900, the importation of sausages and canned meats-of which 8,842 tons, valued at $2,046,800, were imported in 1899-has been prohibited, and it will be apparent that the German meat import has been reduced to about one-third of its former proportions. This in a nation of such liberal and constant meat eaters as the Germans is an economic fact of serious and farreaching importance. The deficit in imported meats has, however, been counterbalanced to some degree by an increase in the receipts of foreign cattle, of which there were imported during the first six months of 1903 174,000 head, valued at 54,000,000 marks ($12,852,000), as against 148,394 head, valued at 44,000,000 marks ($10,472,000), during the same period in 1902. This increased import of live cattle, however, is stimulated by another fact, viz, the new tariff law, which will probably go into effect some time next year. It raises the duty on imported cattle to $4.28 per 100 kilograms (220.4 pounds), live weight, which will all but prohibit importations under ordinary conditions of the market. Naturally such a change in duties has stimulated heavy importations during the last months before the new schedule is to go into effect. BERLIN, GERMANY, August 8, 1903. FRANK H. MASON, In connection with the foregoing report from Consul-General Mason, the following figures showing the exports of meats from the United States during the fiscal years 1901, 1902, and 1903, prepared GERMAN DEMAND FOR MODIFICATION OF MEAT INSPECTION. The society for protecting the general interests of German commerce and industry have petitioned the "Bundesrath" to modify the laws of June 3, 1900, and July 12, 1902, regarding the prohibition of importing canned meats or sausages, the inspection and examination of cured meats and lard, and the excessive fees collected for such services. In joining this movement the Stettin Chamber of Commerce has the following to say: With right does the society claim that through these regulations the trade is burdened considerably more than what is necessary for veterinary and sanitary purposes. With right do they claim that the prescribed fees do not bear a comparison with the services rendered, and that a necessary food is unnecessarily increased in price, and in some cases the importation made impossible. Considering the loss to the working class of people as well as to commerce, we give this petition our indorsement. In this connection it might be of interest to note that the chief customs inspector for the Province of Pomerania has issued an order that canned meats and pieces of cured or salted meats weighing less than 8 pounds (the importation of which the law of June 3, 1900, prohibits) can, provided it does not go inland, enter the free harbor and remain there until exported. The object of this order is to enable the foreign-bound ships to provision with the indispensable article of canned beef. It is a well-known fact that every navy and deep-sea merchantman is provisioned with American corned beef, and it thus seems that it is not considered injurious to the German sailor, whether in the navy or merchant marine, while, on the contrary, it is considered dangerous to the German landsman. JOHN E. KEHL, STETTIN, GERMANY, July 17, 1903. Consul. MEAT IMPORTS AND CONSUMPTION IN GERMANY. Since the new German meat-inspection law has been in force the importation of foreign meat, sausages, and canned-meat stuffs have decreased about one-third. This great reduction has, however, been compensated for by the increase of imported live animals for slaughtering purposes. During the first half of the present year 174,050 head of cattle, valued at 54,000,000 marks ($12,852,000), were imported by Germany. In the same period of the preceding No 277-037 year the number of foreign cattle imported was 148,394, valued at 44,000,000 marks ($10,472,000). Should the new tariff law go into operation in its present shape of largely enhanced rates on imported meat and live stock, the importation of foreign beef cattle and hogs, as also of meat stuffs generally, will greatly diminish and meat consumption in Germany be seriously affected thereby; but the German. stock raisers will profit by the higher prices which will rule for their protected meat products. SIMON W. HANAUER, FRANKFORT, GERMANY, August 6, 1903. Deputy Consul-General. SANITATION OF CONGESTED AREAS. At the annual conference of the Royal Institute of Public Health held at Liverpool yesterday, a paper was read on "Rehousing the poor on the outskirts of large cities," of which I send a synopsis for publication in the CONSULAR REPORTS. MARSHAL HALSTEAD, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, July 17, 1903. Consul. CURE FOR CITY CONGESTION. In the section on sanitation of congested areas, Mr. Austin Taylor, M. P., Liverpool, presided, and said that they were only on the threshold of an enormous slum problem-a monster whose outward aspect was one of bricks and mortar, but in the interior dark with the tragic fate of men, women, and especially children, whose dreary mechanical life was only ended by death. It was uscless to cure plague spots in the center of the cities and to let the outlying belt grow up in a haphazard fashion. He suggested that municipalities should be allowed to buy land 3 miles outside their boundaries, where streets could be laid out on model lines, trees preserved, and a general style of architecture insisted upon. There must be expansion to cure congestion, and for that purpose he also advocated the compulsory acquirement of suitable areas on moderate terms, the reduction of interest on public loans for demolition and rehousing, and rating of vacant sites on their capital value, by which model dwellings could be erected at not greater rent than IS. (24 cents) per room weekly. REHOUSING THE POOR. Dr. James Niven, medical officer for Manchester, in a paper on Rehousing the poor on the outskirts of large cities," said it was generally recognized an effort should be made by the sanitary authorities to house as many as possible of the poorer working-class families on the outlying parts of these districts under the improved conditions of light, air, space, and construction of dwellings. So far, efforts in this direction had been the result of private enterprise and confined to persons above the laboring classes. A great impulse had already been given to the movement outward by the development of electric trams. With a view to house persons displaced by sanitary and other improvements, the Manchester corporation had purchased a considerable estate in the northern limit, which is well provided with transport facilities. A committee had just begun the development of this estate by |