FAILURE OF THE SAAZ HOP CROP. (From United States Commercial Agent Twells, Carlsbad, Austria.) The town and environs, of Saaz, which are situated in my consular district, are famous for the excellent quality of hops grown in that neighborhood, and from there the principal breweries of Pilsen and Germany procure their supply of this staple. Large quantities of Bohemian hops from Saaz and Auscha, but chiefly Saazer Hopfen (so named), are annually exported to the United States. The reports lately received, however, indicate that the crop now being harvested in the Saaz district, owing to the heavy rains and cool weather, is one of the worst gathered for many years. In 1901 the quantity grown in the Saaz district amounted to 190,000 meter centners (41,887,400 pounds). The quantity fell off in 1902 to 90,000 meter centners (19,841,400 pounds), and this year it will not reach 40,000 meter centners (8,818,400 pounds) if the reports are correct, owing to the unfavorable weather of the past summer. Considering that the Buergerliche Breauhaus, at Pilsen, which is considered to be the principal concern which brews the so-called Pilsen beer, requires about 10,000 meter centners (2,204,600 pounds)— i. e., one-fourth of the crop of 1903-there will be little export this year to the United States of genuine Saazer hops, and American breweries which are in the habit of using hops from Saaz should be informed of these facts. The prices have already risen by 100 per cent. Last year the price of hops from Saaz was 150 to 180 crowns ($30.45 to $36.54) per 50 kilograms (110 pounds); the prices quoted now are 330 to 360 crowns ($67 to $73) per 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and are likely to go higher. There is a place near Saaz named Auscha, in the vicinity of which are likewise grown good qualities of hops and there will be a great demand for Auscha hops from those breweries in Germany which ordinarily buy Bohemian hops. CARLSBAD, AUSTRIA, August 31, 1903. JNO. STEEL TWELLS, COAL PRODUCTION OF BELGIUM. (From United States Consul McNally, Liege, Belgium.) The production of coal in Belgium is one of its richest resources. The pronounced capability of the miners, experts for generations, brings from the earth's recesses an annual production of about 23,000,000 tons. The production for the five following years was: 1890, 20,000,000 tons; 1895, 20,000,000 tons; 1899, 22,000,000 tons; 1900, 23,000,000 tons; and 1902, 23,400,000 tons. COAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Coal is imported into Belgium for various purposes, including. that of coke making. In 1902 the imports were: From Germany, 2,610,565 tons; from England, 642,000 tons; from France, 437,000 tons; from all other countries, 62,691 tons; total imports, 3,772,256 tons. Belgium exports some coal to Germany, but the principal country of export is France. The importation of briquettes-a composition of coal dust, fire clay, and tar-amounted to 44,000 tons in 1902, of which 39,000 tons came from Germany. The importations of coke in 1902 amounted to 278,000 tons, of which 20,000 tons came from France and 258,000 tons from Germany. BELGIAN COAL FIELDS. The Provinces of Liege and Hainaut form the richest coal region of Belgium. Up to the present Belgium's coal fields have been located in a tract of land contiguous to the valley of the Sambre and Meuse. rivers, passing through the country from west-southwest to eastnortheast, the fields being widest in the west. Recent investigations have located another promising coal field in the north of Belgium, known as the Campines, which are now being prospected with a view to their early development. COKE PRODUCTION. The production of coke in Belgium in 1902 amounted to 1,848,000 tons. Coke is obtained by distillation in ovens of various construction, according to the quality of coal used. The gas produced is used for heating the ovens. One and three-tenths tons of coal are required to produce a ton of coke. The Copee ovens are principally used. The by-products are sold, as sulphates of ammonia, for agricultural purposes. The tar is sold to refining works. COST OF MINING. The cost of mining a ton of coal is between $1.93 and $2.51, according to location of the mines. Charges f. o. b. boat are 58 cents. The mines are drift and shaft. The shaft varies from 1,312 to 3,937 feet in depth, while the drift extends as far as 1.8 miles. The Government receives 31⁄2 per cent of the gross profits. MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS. The mines are owned and operated by private companies or individuals under special legislation. According to the law of 1810— still in force-grants in perpetuity are made by the Government. By the grant the owner obtains a title to the mine distinct from the surface and which can be mortgaged separately from the surface. The operation of the mines is under Government supervision, whose powers are delegated to a board, the members of which are selected by the State. The liability for damage to the surface or to the appurtenances thereon attach to the owner of the mine. Mine owners are compelled not only to pay certain fixed revenues to the Government, but also to the owners of the surface, which latter sum is fixed by the State in its deed of concession and can not be less than 5 cents per 2.471 acres, together with 3 per cent of the net output. The mines are not subject to a tax, as are commercial enterprises, and pay no license, but must pay annually the sum of $1.93 per o. 386 square mile, together with an amount, fixed annually by the Government, not to exceed 5 per cent of the production. The budget laws, however, invariably fix the amount at 2.5 per cent. MINERS' WAGES. The mine owners do not furnish dwelling houses for their workmen. There are in Belgium 134,000 miners, of whom 98,800 are employed underground and 35,200 on the surface. The average wages of miners are $273 per year. Compared with other industries, the wages of the coal miners are relatively high. Under recent legislation women are forbidden to work in the mines. They are still employed on the surface, leveling coal, etc., but their employment in and about coal mines is being gradually done away with. RELATIONS BETWEEN OPERATORS AND EMPLOYEES. Strikes in Belgium are not of common occurrence. The relations between the operators and their employees are most amicable. The formation of arbitration boards to pass on matters of dispute have had good effect. This is particularly so in the collieries of Mariemont and Bascoup, whose board of conciliation is famous. JAMES C. MCNALLY, Consul. LIEGE, BELGIUM, August 27, 1903. FRENCH TARIFF CHANGES. (From United States Consul Haynes, Rouen, France.) After being adopted by the Senate and Chamber, the following law has been signed and promulgated by the President of the French Republic, to be in force from July 31, 1903: (From United States Consul Ridgely, Nantes, France) French merchants and exporters are beginning to feel that they must take prompt and active efforts to meet the competition which Germany and other industrial nations have forced upon them in the Levant a region in which, until recent years, France has enjoyed almost a monopoly of many of the leading imports. With the idea *A report on this same subject, dated September 3, 1903, was received from United States Consul Atwell, of Roubaix, No 279-035 of more closely studying the situation, the national "Comité d'organisation des Croisières de reconnaissance commerciale" (committee for the organization of cruises of commercial inspection), composed of some of the leading merchants and exporters of France-including the presidents of the boards of trade of Lyons, Nantes, Roubaix, Bordeaux. Havre, Tourcoing, Rheims, Rouen, Dunkirk, and other important cities-has organized a cruise to the principal markets of the Levant, in which many leading French exporters will personally. take part. A large and fine steamship, the Isle de France, has been chartered by the committee, and with its distinguished gathering of business men aboard will leave Marseilles on the 18th of next October for Constantinople, Broussa, Mytilene, Smyrna, Saloniki, Piræus, and Athens. Arrangements have been made at each port for brokers, chosen by the several chambers of commerce, for each line of trade, respectively, to meet the ship on arrival and enable the visitors to acquaint themselves with the needs of the market by personal inspection. It is believed that in this way the exporters will learn more of the exact situation and trade prospects in a few weeks than they could in years by correspondence. The distinguished visitors will be under the special care, in the several important centers enumerated, of the French consuls, the French chambers of commerce, the Comptoir National d'Escompte de Paris, the Ottoman Imperial Bank, the branches of the Credit Lyonnais Bank at Constantinople and Smyrna, and the Banque de Credit Industriel de Grece at Athens. The cruise will be personally conducted by an inspector of the Ottoman Imperial Bank of Constantinople, who, during the course of the voyage, will deliver an address on the economic conditions of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish business system. The visitors will spend eight days at Constantinople. In commenting upon this fact a leading journal of Nantes says: Everybody should appreciate the great importance of Constantinople as a market for all our industrial and alimentary products. M. Giraud, the distinguished presi dent of the French Chamber of Commerce, has for a long time warned us against the growing competition of other industrial nations, and it is now high time for our exporters to wake up and devote their best energies to the retention of the market. From Constantinople the visitors will go to Broussa, the seat of the Turkish silk-spinning industry, for the purpose of visiting the great bazaar there and acquainting themselves with the form and character of the numerous manufactured articles which are marketed in the region of which Broussa is the center of distribution. After leaving Broussa they will spend three days at Smyrna, where they will pay particular attention to the considerable and constant demand for dry goods, furniture, saddlery and harness, agricultural |