Dalny on Tuesdays. The express trains of the Chinese Eastern Railroad will leave Dalny from April 15/28 on Tuesdays and Saturdays and will arrive at Dalny on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The fast steamer Mongolia recently brought from Shanghai to Dalny 21 cabin passengers, nearly all of them foreigners going across Manchuria, 10 of whom went by the express train. This express train does not, however, make exceptional time, arriving at the station Manchuria only four hours ahead of the ordinary train for passengers and goods.

Eastern railroad-building expenses.-During the years 1899-1901 the Russian Imperial Treasury paid out 222, 174,700 rubles ($114,419,970) for the building of the Chinese Eastern Railroad. Up to January 1, 1902, obligations were deposited for further exploitation to the amount of 257,000,000 rubles ($132,355,000).

VLADIVOSTOCK, May 12, 1903.

R. T. GREENER,
Commercial Agent.

SETTLEMENT OF GLASSWORKERS' STRIKE.

After nearly two months of idleness, the strike of cut-glass workers, reported April 24,* has been terminated by a compromise which yields to the workers a wage advance of about 10 per cent or an equivalent, in certain instances, by the abolishment of charges affecting the use and rental of machines. This will result in a wage,

for a full day's work, of about 75 cents for skilled male and 55 cents for skilled female labor. Many manufacturers originally made terms with their workmen and were not affected, and the strike did not spread beyond the 1,600 finishers who first went out. The important phase of the settlement to the market is the decision announced by the manufacturers themselves to form in this branch of the tradechiefly prisms and rings-what can best be described as a selling pool. This scheme to maintain prices, already in operation in some other trade branches, was tried once before, but failed through lack of organization. Now a selling warehouse is to be established through which all goods in this branch of the trade will be marketed at agreed and uniform prices. It is hoped by this means not only to maintain profitable prices, but to make possible a more liberal treatment of workmen and avoid further trouble. The plan has official sanction, and a public loan at low interest is promised to aid in securing proper quarters. The influence of local and Government officials was powerfully exerted to effect the compromise. S. C. MCFARLAND,

REICHENBERG, June 15, 1903.

Consul.

*See ADVANCE SHEETS No. 1663 (June 4, 1903).

COAL TRADE AT GIBRALTAR.

A Spanish paper published in Cadiz calls attention to the fact that there has been a decrease of 23 per cent in the coal trade at Gibraltar for the years 1901 and 1902.

In 1901 the shipments were 218,782 tons, as against 167, 140 tons in 1902, a decrease of 51,642 tons. This decrease, the paper says, is not to be attributed to the coal strikes of April and May, which paralyzed the maritime activity of the British colonies. In fact, if the 51,642 tons sold in 1902 be added to the 35,500 tons which represents the loss caused by the strikes, there still remains 16,000 tons to be accounted for, which shows that there are other reasons for the decrease in trade noticeable since 1890.

The following statistics may be of interest: In 1889, vessels coaled at Gibraltar to the extent of 562,000 tons; in 1890, 450,000 tons; in 1901, 401,000 tons. In 1900 this figure fell to 303,000 tons; in 1901 to 219,000 tons; and in 1902 to 167,000 tons. From these figures it results that the port has lost during the period 1889-1902 nearly 400,000 tons-that is, 70 per cent.

The difficulties and special conditions which the port of Gibraltar offers to vessels coaling should be added.

The authorities do not permit operations except in the daytime and vessels must place themselves alongside of coal hulks, which often causes damage and reclamations. For these and other reasons few vessels call at Gibraltar. The city is losing daily in commercial importance. This can only be regained by the loss of the rock's essentially military and strategic character.

CADIZ, July 1, 1903.

R. M. BARTLEMAN,

Consul.

MINT MACHINERY FOR KING MENELIK.

Machinery to the amount of 490 tons was transshipped from this place to Djibouti, on the French East African coast, last week, and of a character that is likely to prove a surprise to many. This lot of machinery was for a mint which King Menelik of Abyssinia is preparing to have set up and in full operation at his capitalAddis Ababa-by the first of the coming year. The mint outfit was sold by the Vienna branch of the Vulcan Machine Building Company, of Stettin, Germany, and a competent mechanic accompanied the machinery to put it in working order. On arrival at Djibouti,

the machinery will be transported to the interior by rail to New Harrar, about 150 miles, the end of the road. Thence it will be transported by caravan to the capital, the caravan journey occupying more than a month.

For several years, King Menelik has had

a limited silver coinage circulating in his Kingdom, the minting being done in France. For some time the King has been putting aside bullion for coinage purposes, and now it is understood that he has over 50,000 kilograms (110,230 pounds) of gold bullion on hand, besides a larger amount of silver.

ADEN, June 20, 1903.

WM. W. MASTERSON,

Consul.

INDUSTRIAL NOTES FROM GREECE.

The Greek press announces that by the terms of a contract recently closed by the Greek consul at Naples with Italian coral fishers the latter are to come to Greece and search Grecian waters for coral. The Greek ministry has appropriated money for the purpose and has directed the consul at Naples to pay the Italian fishermen an advance installment and send them to Greece at once.

Through the Greek press I learn that Mr. D. Kyriakos, manager of the Hellenic Steamship Company, has submitted to the Greek Minister of the Interior a plan to inaugurate a direct line of steamships between Piræus and the island of Cyprus, touching en route at Syra and the island of Rhodes; that the company foresees that the line will not, in the beginning at least, pay expenses and asks assistance from the Government; and that the Minister of the Interior is in favor of granting the aid asked.

The firm of Hadzikyriakou, Zachariou & Co. announces that it has opened a cement factory at Eleusis, Greece (on the Bay of Salamis and about 15 miles from Athens), in which it is manufacturing “artificial Portland cement" equal in quality to the best made in Europe, which it offers for sale in Athens and Piræus at the following prices: In barrels: 150 drachmas paper ($12.15) per ton; by the oke, 19 leptas (1.54 cents per 2.8518 pounds); in bags: 140 drachmas ($11.34) per ton; by the oke, 18 leptas (1.46 cents).

ATHENS, June 13, 1903.

DANIEL E. MCGINLEY,

Consul.

THE ANGLO-BELGIAN TELEPHONE.

The new telephone line between Belgium and London* was opened to the public June 7. The exact length of the finished line, which connects St. Margaret's Bay, England, with La Panne, Belgium, is 87,000 meters (54.058 miles) and the cost of laying was 750,000 francs ($144,750). By this service, Antwerp and Charleroi will be connected with 12 English cities and towns, Brussels with 16, and Ghent, Malines, and Termonde with 11. Liege, Verviers, Bruges, and Ostend will have communication only through Brussels. Localities in the United Kingdom to be shortly included in the service are Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Derby, Ipswich, Sheffield, Southampton, Leicester, Lowestoft, Newport, Norwich, Nottingham, and Yarmouth.

The cable is of British make and is composed of four wires, permitting the establishment of two distinct circuits. The thickness of the cable is 54 inches and the wires are insulated by three coats of chemical composition and by gutta-percha, and are wound on a cable made of tarred flax. The whole is covered by two layers of specially prepared cotton, separated by a copper band. On top of this, again, a layer of flax acts as a protector, and finally the whole is inclosed in galvanized-iron wires, prepared in a special way and incased in two layers of flax tightly wound in opposite directions. The tariff for using the telephone is 10 francs ($1.93) for three minutes' conversation.

BRUSSELS, June 10, 1903.

GEO. W. ROOSEVELT,

Consul.

*Sec ADVANCE SHEETS No. 1465 (October 10, 1902).

NOTES.

Wheat Crop of India.—A final general memorandum on the wheat crop of India of the season 1902-3, issued on June 2, 1903, by the government of India and transmitted by Consul William Thomas Fee, of Bombay, estimates the total output at something over 7,800,000 tons (291, 120,000 bushels), against 6,063,000 tons (226,352,000 bushels) in 1901-2. The estimates for 1902-3, however, include 587,000 tons (21,915,000 bushels) grown in the United Provinces in combination with barley and gram.

The exports of wheat from India during the last five years are given in the estimate as follows:

The yield of wheat per acre in the different provinces is given as follows:

The memorandum states that the yield for the United Provinces was the highest ever returned and that the season was a favorable one for all the provinces. At the date of the issuance of the memorandum prices of wheat were lower everywhere in India than during any previous year since 1899.

German Prison Fare. The present food fare for prisoners in Germany is said not to meet the minimum requirements of a rational nutrition. In course of time observation has shown such severe objections to the condition of prisoners that a change appears necessary. In order to obtain a scientific and economical basis for a