helping to develop the agricultural and in some cases the manufacturing and commercial interests. A consequence of this development is seen in the numerous banking institutions whose fields of operation show that German commerce is working more and more in foreign parts. These banks look after and aid foreign investment as well as the Empire's other commercial relations. They help the millions of Germans in all parts of the world to carry on trade relations, not only with the Fatherland, but with other countries. These are the links in a long and very strong chain of gold uniting the colonies with the Mother Country. Quite recently, large quantities of German capital have been invested in various industries. The Empire's capital in United States railroads is put down at $180,000,000. In America, Germans have undertaken manufacturing. They have used German money to put up breweries, hat factories, spinning, weaving, and paper mills, tanneries, soap-boiling establishments, candle mills, dye houses, mineral-water works, iron foundries, machine shops, dynamite mills, etc. Many of these mills use German machinery, and not a few German help. The Liebig Company, the Chilean saltpeter mines, the Chilean and Peruvian metal mines, many of the mines of South Africa, etc., are in large part controlled by German money and German forces. Two hundred different kinds of foreign bonds or papers are on the Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfort exchanges. Germany has rapidly risen to a very important place in the financial, industrial, and mercantile world. Will she keep it? Much will depend on her power to push herself forward on the sea. History has told no more eloquent tale than the one that records the progress of maritime powers. From Phoenicia and Carthage to England, Germany, France, and the United States is a long way; but every hour of it is luminous with the wonderful prosperity that awaits nations strong in their merchant and fighting marines. The Empire is eager to increase her fleet. Every effort known to intelligent leaders is being put forth to secure as large and efficient a navy as possible. J. C. MONAGHAN, CHEMNITZ, April 24, 1899. Consul. GERMANY'S WOOL IMPORT. A noteworthy change in favor of South American wool has taken. place in German imports within the last few years. Whereas formerly wool from the English colonies, especially Australian wool, formed the main portion of German wool imports, the Argentine. Republic has taken since 1897 first rank among the countries interested in supplying this market. The German wool imports from Great Britain consist almost exclusively of Australian and Cape wool. According to official statistics, Germany imported in 1898 about 71,000 double cwts. (15,652,660 pounds) of Australian and Cape wool and about as much in 1897, against 970,000 double cwts. (213,846, 200 pounds) in 1895. The wool imported from the Argentine Republic, including that from Belgium, which is mainly of Argentine origin, amounted to 927,000 double cwts. (204,366,420 pounds) in 1898, against 770,000 double cwts. (169,754,200 pounds) in 1897 and 750,000 double cwts. (165,345,000 pounds) in 1895. The falling off in the imports of British colonial wool is chiefly due to the decrease in the imports from Australia; the latter have, since 1895, gone down by one-third. A further decrease in the imports of wool from that country is to be expected during the next few years; for, according to a report from New South Wales, the prolonged drought has caused the colony a direct loss of about 20,000,000 sheep, and the whole production of Australian wool has, in a single year, gone down from 1,500,000 to 250,000 bales of wool. BAMBERG, June 16, 1899. LOUIS STERN, Commercial Agent. GERMAN EXPORTS OF SOAP AND PERFUMERY. Among the articles of German manufacture of which exports are steadily growing are soap and perfumery. The value of toilet soap exported from Germany rose from $904,000 in 1897 to $999,600 in 1898, whereas in 1889 the German export in this line amounted to scarcely $475,000. The principal countries buying fine soap in the German market were: Russia, China, and the Dutch East Indies also receive considerable quantities of German fancy soap. A falling off is observable in the exports to the United States only, where this branch of manufacture has so largely developed in the course of the last few years as to compete with the German trade. Germany's exports of perfumery amounted in 1898 to $2,118,000, being an increase of nearly $250,000 over those of 1897. Germany's No. 228- —9. most important customers for this article are Belgium, Holland, Austria, Russia, British East Indies, China, the Dutch East Indies, and Australia. There has been an increase in 1898 in the exports of German perfumery to all these countries; only the exports to the United States and Switzerland show a falling off. Considering that toilet-soap manufacturers in the United States should be able to buy their raw material considerably cheaper than their German competitors, that the American style of wrapping and putting up for sale is in most cases more tasteful than the German, and that, as I have been informed, the machinery of our large soap manufacturers is superior to any other, one would think that the American product ought to be able to gain a place in the European market. BAMBERG, May 25, 1899. LOUIS STERN, DUTY ON DRUGGISTS' SCALES IN GERMANY GERMANY. In compliance with special instructions from the Department dated June 3, I have to report that the German import duty on scales and balances is specific, and is governed (1) by the material chiefly used in construction and (2) by the nature and degree of outward finish to which the whole or principal portions of such instruments have been subjected. The classification is substantially as follows (the rate given in marks and dollars equivalents being the amount of duty assessed in each class per 100 kilograms-220.46 pounds avoirdupois): I. Scales and balances of iron: (a) Rough, unpolished................. (b) Smooth finished........ II. Scales and balances of copper, brass, bronze, aluminium, pinchbeck, (a) Not varnished or polished......................... (b) Varnished or polished......... (c) Fine, highly adjusted and delicate scales for scientific pur- (d) Trays of scales and balances, when imported separately from other parts of the instrument, are dutiable (a) If rough, unpolished..... (b) If polished or varnished... Marks. 6=$1.42 10= 2.38 30= 7.14 18= 4.28 *These reports were obtained in compliance with a request by a New York trade journal, which has received advance copies. All druggists' scales used in Germany must be graduated to the metric system Those in use at Berlin are practically all of polished brass or nickeled copper, varnished, except the inside of the trays, with a coating of lac to prevent oxidation. Such instruments are dutiable at 60 marks ($14.28) per 100 kilograms. None of the dealers who have been consulted here have in stock any imported scales, their whole supply being of German manufacture. Druggists and apothecaries throughout Germany are under very close and strict surveillance, and their business is controlled in every detail by an elaborate statute, which is rigidly enforced by frequent inspections of each pharmacy by a designated official. At such inspection the scales and balances in use are carefully tested, and the influence of such a system would be to encourage, if not require, the use of scales and balances of German manufacture. FRANK H. MASON, BERLIN, June 19, 1899. Consul-General. FRANCE. In answer to Department's instruction dated June 3, 1899, I have to report that druggists' scales, being considered and classified as "instruments of precision," are exempt from duty on entering France. PARIS, June 23, 1899. JOHN K. GOWDY, Consul-General. PUBLIC WAYS AND PARKS IN SILESIA. The roads in Breslau are kept in good condition. In fact, what is said to be the finest promenade of Europe surrounds the old city, beside a stream of water known as the "Stadtgraben," the former fortification ditch, which has been beautifully improved and which is about 200 feet wide. This is supplied with water from the River Oder and is well stocked with fish, which are sold at auction by the city administration once a year and bring a good revenue, which is used to keep the promenade in repair. The promenade is from 100 to 150 feet wide and about 12,000 feet long, and is well supplied with benches for seating purposes. The small parks of 400 to 1,000 feet square, through which the promenade runs, have flowers, fountains, etc. Numerous parks are scattered over the city. At intersections of streets small strips of land, from 200 to 1,000 feet square, are planted with fine shade trees and provided with benches. There are also other parks which the city has made from abandoned graveyards, the law being that when a graveyard is full and has not been used for the term of forty years for burying purposes, it becomes a public park.* As they are planted with all kinds of shade trees, the abandoned graveyards make splendid parks at once. The turnpikes through the province of Silesia are about 100 feet wide. Three-fourths of the width are macadamized and one-fourth is natural dirt road. The roads are kept in a better condition than a good many macadamized streets that I have seen in the United States. A good reason for this is that the fellies and tires of the wheels are never less than 2 inches, and sometimes 8 inches, wide, and the gauge of all wagons, whether carriage, truck, or farm wagon, must be 11⁄2 meters (4.92 feet). This law in regard to the width of the gauge and the tires of the wagons is strictly enforced. The fellies and tires of all farm wagons must be not less than 4 inches; of rock and heavy freight wagons, from 6 to 8 inches. The roads are kept in order by men who have charge of certain sections, under the supervision of the roadmaster. The man who keeps his section of the road in the best order during the year receives commendation from the roadmaster for performance of faithful service, which testimonial is looked upon by the laborer as a great honor. On each side of the public roads are pathways for foot passengers, which are kept in good condition. Along the inside of the footways and outside of the road are trees, planted about 30 feet apart; most of them are black, white, and red cherry trees, of a very fine quality, and plum trees, known in the United States as the blue egg plum. These trees not only give excellent shade, but also return considerable revenue to the treasury of the various counties, the fruit being sold at auction so much per tree for a term of five years, the buyer binding himself to keep the trees well trimmed and free from insects, and whitewash the same in spring up to the first limb. Stones are placed along the roadside, to keep the hubs of wagons from damaging the trees. The law against defacing or damaging any tree or shrub on the public highways is strictly enforced. As soon as caterpillars make their appearance, they are burnt out with cotton balls saturated with coal oil. There is no toll collected on any of the public roads, either for * Hebrew graveyards are private property and can never be used for any other purpose, unless the city should extend any of its public ways through said graveyard. The portion taken for this purpose is condemned by a jury and the trustees are paid by the city. |