said that the vast majority were in far better condition than most veld-fed Africander cattle after a moderate winter season. In the hundreds of animals seen in the Matolla yards, the writer did not see one showing signs of damage or hard treatment, and the manner in which the newly released heifers skipped about the kraals suggested anything but a seven weeks' confinement in a ship's hold, to say nothing of the long distances traveled ere they reached the port of embarkation. Most of the heifers are two-year olds, and many are in young. The bulk of the cargo is to order of the repatriation department, All the animals go first to Machadodorp, where they undergo the dipping process preparatory to being dispatched to other distributing centers. The importing company have depots at Pretoria, at Yokeskey River, and elsewhere, and it is to these places where other than Government stock goes before reaching the ultimate purchaser. It may safely be said that apart from the commercial aspect of the case the company is doing useful and beneficent work, and that the importations of such useful strains of breeding stock will eventually tend to an all-round improvement in South African herds. The promoters are to be congratulated on their prescience on selecting Delagoa as their port of discharge, and the cooperation of the Lingham Company is a valuable factor in the undertaking.

AMERICAN GRAIN SHIPPERS AT FAULT.

(From United States Deputy Consul-General Hanauer, Frankfort, Germany.)

German papers state that European purchasers of wheat and corn received from southern parts of the United States seriously complain about the bad condition of the grain when it reaches them. They claim that nearly half of all the maize coming to them from the United States is defective, and they have discussed among themselves the advisability of discarding the certificates issued by the United States inspectors. Heretofore it has been the custom of the trade to accept these certificates as proof of the sound condition of the grain, and in former years the consignments tallied with the inspectors' documentary evidence. Under the present usage the recipients of the grain, though the goods be found damaged on arrival, have no remedy at law or recovery for loss sustained, as the inspectors' certification protects the shipper.

SIMON W. HANAUER,
Deputy Consul-General.

FRANKFORT, GERMANY, August 29, 1903.

COMMERCE OF FINLAND WITH THE UNITED STATES.

(From United States Vice and Acting Consul Ek, Helsingförs, Finland.)

The natural products of the Grand Duchy of Finland for export are few, and its position on the Baltic, nowadays a remote inland. sea, makes a lively transit trade impossible. The route for the world's traffic is drawn far from the coasts of Finland. The activity

and comparative high culture of its inhabitants have nevertheless. caused its foreign trade to develop so that it can not altogether be ignored nor overlooked on the world's market.

GENERAL TRADE OF FINLAND.

The total value of Finland's trade with foreign countries in 1902 amounted to 434,700,000 Finnish marks ($83,897,100), the imports amounting to 234,100,000 marks ($45,181,300) and the exports to 200,600,000 marks ($38,715,800). The receipts of customs were 31,400,000 marks ($6,060, 200). In the foreign trade of Finland Russia takes a dominant part. This is owing not only to the intimate geographical position to the Empire, but also to its trade. relations therewith. During the whole period in which Finland has been united with the Empire, trade legislation in her regard has been founded on more liberal principles than that with other countries. The high tariffs wherewith the industry of Russia has been protected have not been so severely enforced in the Grand Duchy. A full reciprocity has, however, never existed in the trade between the two countries, as Russian products and manufactures, with few exceptions, have been allowed free import into the Grand Duchy, while free imports from Finland into Russia have been granted only for products of dairies, agriculture, and handiwork. Yet the commercial relations with Russia have grown so that during the last two years the surplus in the whole import of the country, compared to the export, is to be attributed entirely to the trade with the . Empire of Russia.

TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.

From a national-economical as well as mercantile-political point of view, it is of importance in relating the exchange of goods between the different countries to indicate the countries where the goods have been produced and where they are consumed. This is, by natural reasons, not always possible, at least for all kinds of goods, as many are not procured direct from the producing countries or sent direct to the consuming countries.

As a rule, it has been accepted that the last port from which the goods have been taken in by import, and the first port of unloading at export, are considered as the respective places of origin and destination. Hence it follows that although the commercial relations between the United States and Finland must be of considerable importance at least a good deal of American goods are to be found in the trade here—yet in official statistics the trade is indicated as very slight and in uncertain figures, so that it will be impracticable to have them published, as they might be incorrect and misleading.

In 1902 only one vessel arrived from the United States direct to Finland, and only one vessel left from Finland for the United States. Only one ship carrying the colors of the United States has visited a Finnish port.

The principal American goods in the Finnish market are cotton, machine oil, flour, tobacco, resin and turpentine, hides, machines, implements, shoes, etc. A part of these goods comes via Copenhagen, by regular Danish steamers from New York. Some of the goods are also imported via Bremen and Antwerp, but for the greater part Hamburg and Hull are the ports of transit. Of all the American goods imported, flour is the highest in value, but according to the above-related statistical system it is impossible to give any exact figures.

Petroleum was formerly one of the main American articles in the commerce of Finland, but Russian oil, which is free from duty, is almost exclusively sold here now.

A very peculiar occurrence is shown in the import of American pork. In the year 1893 corned pork was imported for only a few thousand marks. In 1899 this import reached its highest point, when it amounted to 4,500,000 marks ($868,500).

To the people of Finland American pork is very acceptable and a good addition to their native food of breadstuffs; but hard times in Finland and higher prices in the United States have caused a decline in the import of this article, so that in 1902 the import amounted to only about 1,000,000 marks ($193,000).

A product of mechanical industry of American manufacture which is largely sold in Finland, and which seems to have conquered all competition, is the bicycle, yet changes in the fashions have much reduced the importance of this article nowadays. In 1899 bicycles were imported to the value of 1,400,000 marks ($270,200), but the imports in 1902 amounted to only 300,000 marks ($57,900).

American machines, particularly for agricultural and dairy purposes, are used throughout Finland. Recent hard times have not allowed an import of foreign articles, except the most necessary for consumption, and consequently the import of machinery has also declined. In 1902 the value of imported machines was 10,500,000 marks ($2,026,500), of which those intended for agricultural and dairy purposes represented 2,000,000 marks ($396,000).

For the reason that the principal articles of export from Finland consist of wood and agricultural products, there is no export worth mentioning from here to the United States.

It remains a question whether any direct measure could be worth the while to promote a more lively exchange of goods between the two countries, but at present, under prevailing circumstances, there

seems to be but little probability for the success of such a measure. Beyond doubt the exporters here do all that is possible to find a paying market for their articles.

Perhaps something might be profited if direct purchases from American manufacturers were more common. Orders for goods are often answered by referring to the "European agent" of the firm, generally in England, by whom all the American business transactions. with Europe seem to be conducted. VICTOR EK,

HELSINGFÖRS, FINLAND, July 30, 1903.

Vice and Acting Consul.

MR. MOSELEY'S INDUSTRIAL INQUIRY.

(Translated in the Bureau of Statistics from a paper published by the Union of Metal and Mine Workers of France, dated August 12, 1903.)

Apropos of Moseley's second commission, composed of educators and scientific experts, which is about to visit the United States for the purpose of studying at first hand the forces and factors underlying America's success, the following discussion of the former commission, translated from a paper by the French Union of Metallurgical and Mining Industries, is just now of special interest:

Last year Mr. Alfred Moseley, an English business man, invited the secretaries of the trades unions of Great Britain to go with him to the United States for the purpose of seeing for themselves the rapid progress and enormous industrial development of that part of the world. He had been struck, in the course of his travels in America, with the gigantic powers of its production. He had seen with regret that in England neither employer nor employee was aware of the danger that was developed by a competition that was growing greater every day. It was to enlighten the workmen that he had organized the commission of inquiry commonly called the "Moseley Industrial Commission." The delegates left England, accompanied by Mr. Moseley, in October, 1902. There were twenty-three of them. They divided into two groups, one of which went direct to Canada and the other to New York. The delegates were to furnish individual reports and had absolute freedom as to form and expression of opinion. Mr. Moseley asked each to fill out answers to a series of forty-one questions submitted by himself. These were arranged under four subheadings, and related (1) to the early instruction given to workmen, (2) the relations existing between employers and employees, (3) to the general condition of the workmen outside of the industrial establishment in which they are employed, and (4) general questions. Twenty-two out of the twenty-three filled out the lists. These replies, etc., preceded by a report edited by Mr. Moseley, have appeared in a volume, of which the following is a fair, though brief, analysis. Separate copies, including the replies of each delegate, have been made for circulation among the workmen of the industries represented. A photographer accompanied the commission and took pictures of such things and places as were deemed of value to the report.

The lack of time, the thousand and one obstacles met with in so long and varied a trip, and the scanty preparation, due to haste and ignorance, led the members of the commission to confine themselves to their particular lines. Very few felt themselves capable of pronouncing a general judgment. Their reports are little better

than notes at any time. All the information of a purely professional character we have to leave out, to take up the proportions that deal with the general conditions of America's industrial organization.* "In writing my impressions of America," one delegate says, "I am sensible of the difficulty, if not of the danger, of making general comparisons and of trying to draw conclusions. Our time was too limited and our field of exploration too vast to permit of a complete and detailed inquiry into the industrial, economic, and social conditions of a country like the United States of America."

Limiting our analysis of the work of the commission to its general conclusions, we omit, with that object in view, the replies made to the various questions and lay stress on the information which permits us to complete the first impressions obtained.

INSTRUCTION OF YOUTHFUL EMPLOYEES.

The opinion of the commission seems to be unanimous in regard to the value of the instruction given to the youthful employees in the United States compared with what is given to the same class in Great Britain and Ireland. All the delegates were impressed by the degree of general instruction received by the young people in American industrial concerns and by the facilities afforded-unknown in England-to obtain a secondary or even a higher education.

"My opinion is," says the delegate of the Manchester spinners, “that the young American is better equipped than the young Englishman for the battle of life by the preliminary education which he receives. The children of American workmen stay at school till they are 14, 15, or 16 years old, and in the latter years of their school life they acquire just such knowledge as fits them from their very entrance into industrial life to be useful to themselves and to their country. The children of the English working class leave school too soon."

The delegate of the tailors says: "The American school system is very much better than ours. In certain States the boys and girls are able to pass from the kindergarten to the higher schools without costing a dollar to their parents. In many States the frequentation of the universities even is gratuitous. England is a quarter of a century behind the age, and each year augments the difference." The delegate of the bookbinders confirms that judgment, for he says: "The system of education appears to be very well adapted to the wants of the nation. The ambition of a great number of workmen is to see their sons attain a fine position. This ambition is encouraged and aided by the facilities offered to the child who has a taste for study." "That ambition is so much the easier to understand," says the iron and steel delegate, 'when one knows that the wages of the parents are much higher than in England. The wages of the little ones are not needed in the family." He cites a fact from the census of 1900 to show that the metal trades at that time did not employ more than 1,901 children under 16 years of age. Another delegate, visiting an ordinary school, found fully 50 per cent of the children remain there till their fifteenth year (the law compels them to stay till they are 14), and as many as 25 per cent of the children stay till they are 16 years old.

The delegate of the tailors says, further: "At home [in England] the poverty of the parents is responsible for the ignorance of the children. In America the poverty of the father is an added reason for the child to receive the best education the nation can give. The American nation is so impregnated with this point of view that I have heard employers express a certain repugnance to employing any child before its eighteenth year."

This, then, is the general instruction given to the children of the working

*The quotations of the workmen may not be word for word like the text of Mr. Moseley's book, for it has been put back into English from the French translation.