It must not be forgotten that Germany has already gained a very important position-in fact, a commanding one-in Russian trade. Not only has she large amounts of capital invested, but she has a large number of her people there. The banking business is very largely in German hands or under German influence. Many of the mills now being built all over Russia are going up under German directors and are being paid for with German capital. German weavers and spinners are exploiting the entire Empire. It is time for us to take a hand.

One

The field open to us is enormous. Russia will want for a long time the same kinds of tools, implements, and machines that we have used. It has mines to open, oil fields to drain or exploit, forests to cut down, mills to build, roads, railroads, and bridges to construct. All kinds of time and labor saving machines will be wanted. ounce of effort put into Russia will yield better results than tons in Germany and other parts of this old continent. Germany, Belgium, France, England-all of them-are aiming for the same goal-a foothold in Russia. An effort now, before the important parts are all taken, will pay much better than later on. The disposition of Russia towards our people is very favorable.

CHEMNITZ, August 4, 1899.

J. C. MONAGHAN,

Consul.

AMERICAN COMMERCE IN TURKEY.

I inclose for the Department's information a translation into English of an article which recently appeared in the Cologne Gazette. The article has also been translated into Greek and published in the papers of this city, and comment has been made in regard to German vigilance in contesting every step taken by other nations for a commercial foothold in the Levant.

The manufacturers and exporters of the United States should understand that their German competitors are extremely watchful and aggressive in their commercial work in this country, and the energies of their consular officials and subordinates are freely given to this branch of the service. I note these facts for the purpose of informing the Bureau of Foreign Commerce and those interested in the export trade that there is pressing necessity for earnest and united effort, if any marked advance is to be made in behalf of American commerce.

A direct steamship service is not to be maintained and made permanent without the cordial cooperation of exporters; and the agricultural exposition and the warehouse for American goods about to

be established in this city will not be fairly representative of American progress and interests, unless they have active sympathy and support from the United States.

Those interested in our export trade should unite in supporting these enterprises,* instead of dividing their patronage among rival steamship companies, and appointing a large number of agents. whose individual interests will be too small to justify an active and aggressive competition.

CONSTANTINOPLE, September 4, 1899.

CHAS. M. DICKINSON,

Consul-General.

TURKEY AND AMERICA.

[Translated from the Cologne (Germany) Gazette.]

Greater trade interests are being developed between Turkey and the United States. Through the activity of the United States consul-general at Constantinople, a steamer line has been established by Messrs. Barber & Co., to ply between the American and Turkish ports. Ali Ferrouh Bey, Ottoman minister at Washington for the past five years, has been working to establish better relations between the two countries. Three months ago, it was reported by the newspapers here that Ferrouh Bey's mission was to obtain the appointment of Caleb Witeheat at the post of general director of Turkish industry. There is also attributed to him the application made to the American Minister of Agriculture, asking that two professors, one an engineer and the other a manufacturer of much experience, should be sent to Turkey to establish agricultural schools. The fact is that Mr. Witeheat will be director of a factory, which, under the superintendency of the Turkish Minister of Agriculture, will prepare (or make) agricultural machines and implements. It is not a question of opening agricultural schools, but it seems desirable to invite men who can teach the people of Asia Minor how to handle the best agricultural machines and implements.

It has not, however, been decided yet that the Americans shall have the preference in this work. A few days ago Dr. Herman Schoenfelt, a German-American, was appointed Turkish consul-general at Washington, and that appointment was made with the view of further developing the relations between the two industrial countries. He does not accept the idea of those that maintain that closer relations between Turkey and the United States may prejudice the German interests. Ali Ferrouh Bey is a great friend of the Germans, whose activity in Asia Minor contributes much to the development of the country. The United States may compete with Germany in some things, but it is entirely certain that the industrial strength of Turkey will develop still more the Turkish-German commerce.

* See CONSULAR REPORTS NO. 224 (May, 1899), p. 76, and No. 228 (September, 1899), p. 184.

RAILWAYS OF INDIA.*

The total length of railways open and sanctioned on the 31st of March, 1899, after allowing for minor connections, was 26,059 miles, being a net increase of 604 miles during the year. The total length of railways open for traffic on the same date was 22,491 miles, being a net increase of 1,334 miles, leaving 3,568 miles still under construction or sanctioned.

The mean mileage worked during the calendar year was 21,475 miles, being an increase of 944 miles over the figures of the previous year.

The total capital outlay on railways open to traffic amounted on December 31, 1898, to $857,690,000, an increase of about $27,000,000, as compared with the expenditure incurred to the end of 1897.

The gross earnings in 1898 amounted to $87,885,561, or $5,981,012 more than in the previous year; and the net earnings amounted to $46,079,621, being an increase of $4,210,804; leaving a profit on the capital expenditure of 5.37 per cent, against 5.04 per cent in 1897.

The passenger tariff rates (average) per mile were: First class, 2.36 cents; second class, 1.13 cents; intermediate class, 0.56 cent; third class, o. 3 cent.

Tariff on freight per ton per mile (average) was as follows: First class, 1.59 cents; second class, 2.34 cents; third class, 3.6 cents; fourth class, 4.12 cents; fifth class, 5.55 cents.

The number of passengers carried in 1898 was 152,584,320, an increase of 1,320,505 over the previous year.

The aggregate of freight carried in 1898 was 36,350,900 tons, an increase of 2,652,283 tons over 1897.

The rolling stock was as follows in 1898: Locomotives, 4.335; passenger cars, 12,814; freight cars, 80, 708.

for

It will be seen by the above that the mileage remaining under construction or sanctioned on the 31st of March, 1899, was 3,568 miles. Improvements are being made on the railways now open traffic, to which I would call the attention of our manufacturers of locomotives, bridges, steel rails, cars, and other railway supplies, as it has been demonstrated that they can compete successfully for contracts for such supplies. Last year, 7,000 tons of steel rails were delivered in Calcutta from the United States, and now I am informed that the Baldwin Locomotive Works have a contract for ten freight engines for the Bengal State Railway, besides three or four passenger engines for the Bengal Central Railway, and that the Burma

* See "American railway machinery in India," post p. 654.

Railway, the Bombay Baroda, and the central India railways also have made such purchases.

To ascertain what supplies are required and when contracts will be let, our manufacturers should correspond with Sir A. M. Rendel & Son, consulting engineers, 8 Great George street, Westminster, S. W., London, for Indian state railways, East Indian Railway, Bengal and Northwestern Railway, Southern Mahratta Railway, and the Bengal Central Railway; and with Sir George B. Bruce, consulting engineer, 3 Victoria street, London, S. W., for Great Indian Peninsular Railway, Indian Midland Railway, and South Indian Railway. They should correspond with the director-general of stores, India Office, London, with reference to contracts for supplies for the railways worked by the state.

CALCUTTA, August 31, 1899.

R. F. PATTERSON,

Consul-General.

TRAMWAYS IN BOMBAY.

Inquiries having been made as to the street-car system of this city, I submit a short report which, I think, may be of interest.

The company was chartered by the Bombay government in 1874 under the name of the Bombay Tramway Company, Limited. It has an invested capital stock of 30 lakhs of rupees, or about $1,000,ooo, and debentures of about two-thirds that amount. The stock is principally owned in the United States, and its main office is located. in New York City. The road is a double-track system, with about 171⁄2 miles in operation. The charter embraces the franchises of the entire city. The road covers the principal business centers, such as the fort district, Girgaum, Byculla, Parel, Mazagon, Grant Road, the railroad terminals, and docks. It does not extend to Breach Candy, Malabar Hill, or to any suburb or outlying district.

It has in use 187 open cars, made by the company in Bombay. It employs 1,150 horses, each of which travels on an average 13 miles daily. They are well cared for and never abused, a sort of a hat or padded bonnet being fastened on top of their heads during the day as a protection against the sun. All animals, in fact, receive humane treatment in India.

About 1,100 men are employed by the company. The car drivers and conductors are paid by the trip, and the former receive about 18 rupees* ($5.85) and the latter 22 rupees ($7.15) per month. The track, barn, and common laborers receive the usual Bombay wages of 6 annas (12 cents) per day.

*The consul estimates the value of the rupee at 321⁄2 cents throughout his report.

The rails are of the girder type, 30 feet long and weighing 83 pounds per yard. They are laid on teak-wood ties embedded in concrete. The road was opened to traffic in 1874, and its present cost is estimated at about 35,000 rupees per mile of single track. The total gross receipts of the road for the last financial year were $398,498, and the operating expenses during the same year were $257,821.

There is now a movement to convert the road into an electric line. In fact, the company has applied to the Bombay government to sanction the conversion. Electricity has but recently come into use in India, Madras being the only city where it is used on street railways as a motive power.

Bungalows

The rents in the city of Bombay are extremely high. rent from $800 to $2,000 per year, and flats without any modern conveniences for from $500 to $1,000 per annum.

The population of the city in the last census in 1891 was 821,764. The density of population in certain parts of the city is very great. In the native quarters, which contain most of the population, it is estimated that there is one human being to every 10 square yards

of space.

The mortality at present is great, owing largely to the plague with which the city has been infected for the past three years.

In view of these facts, it is hoped that the Bombay government will speedily sanction the conversion of the present system of the street-car road into an electric line, and that the company will not only extend its service to all parts of the city, but also to outlying and suburban districts, and give the people of this city a service of cheap and rapid transit, thereby providing an outlet, as in many large cities of Europe and America, for its overcrowded quarters, and being of advantage not only financially, but also from a sanitary standpoint.

BOMBAY, August 15, 1899.

WILLIAM T. FEE,

Consul.

STREET RAILWAYS IN VERACRUZ.

In response to an inquiry by a New York trade journal,* ViceConsul Pagés, of Veracruz, on September 20, 1899, says:

The following is a statement of the street railways in the State of Veracruz:

Ferro-Carril Urbano de Jalapa a Las Puentes; capital stock, $150,000 in Mexican currency; Apolinario Castillo, president, Mex

The editor has received copy of the report.