GOLD PRODUCTION OF TRANSVAAL, AUGUST, 1899.

Consul Hill transmits from Amsterdam, October 5, 1899, clipping from the London Economist of September 16, 1899, containing data respecting the production of gold in the South African Republic, as follows:

The official statement of the total yield of gold from the Wits watersrand mines for the past month was, like the returns for the two preceding months, much better than had been generally anticipated, in view of the disturbed conditions prevailing in the district and the scarcity of native labor. The amount of the precious metal produced in the month was 459,709 ounces, showing an increase of 3,235 ounces over July and of 82,798 ounces as compared with the corresponding month of last year, as will be seen from the subjoined table:

It will be observed from the above table that in each of the past four months there has been an increase over the preceding month, which is all the more noteworthy as even in the early part of the year the supply of "boys" was short and fitful, though relatively the Rand district has always been much better off in the matter of native labor than Rhodesia. For the eight months to the end of August the increase over the corresponding period of last year amounts to 804,131 ounces, or nearly 30 per cent. In the following table the yields of the principal Rand companies is shown for the month of August, and the profits also, where the information is available:

The largest increase in the month's yields was one of 1,635 ounces in the case of the Ferreira Deep; but the Angelo had a gain of 814 ounces; the Henry Nourse, 748 ounces; the Ferreira, 743 ounces; the Robinson Randfontein, 615 ounces; the Langlaagte Deep, 566 ounces; the Rose Deep, 521 ounces; the New Comet, 516 ounces; and the New Goch, 461 ounces; while the Bonanza had a decrease of 974 ounces; the May Consolidated, 884 ounces; the Crown Deep, 880 ounces; the Aurora West, 721 ounces; the Robinson Deep, 635 ounces; and the West Rand, 466 ounces.

LEATHER INDUSTRY IN CAPE COLONY.

An association of colonial manufacturers recently sent a committee to call upon the prime minister of this colony to urge a special tariff on certain lines of manufactured goods that, it is alleged, are being produced in the colony and other goods that might be produced, together with the free admission of all raw materials entering into the manufacture of said goods, to the end that the present manufactures may be fostered and other industrial enterprises inaugurated. The association also desires free interchange of all South African products and manufactures throughout the states and territories of South Africa, the same to be brought about by a new "customs union." The claim is made that leather tanning, boot and shoe manufacture, saddle and harness making, furniture and cabinet making, and biscuit making which can consume large quantities of South African products are languishing for want of adequate protection against imported manufactures. Fruit preserving is mentioned as an instance where the admission of raw material free is necessary for the development of an established industry. In the opinion of the association, it is necessary for the encouragement of colonial industries that all manufactures in which colonial products or colonial labor represents 50 per cent of the total value should be carried over the several systems of railways at third-class rates.

It is claimed that the tariff on leather goods was unable to stop the importation of goods which competed with those produced here. The manufacturers say that the Americans are sending boots and shoes and leather into this country, while colonial manufacturers can not send their goods into America under a duty of 25 per cent for boots and shoes, and 45 per cent for harness. They claim that all they want is sufficient protection to place them on the same footing as their English and American competitors. The present duty in Cape Colony on boots and shoes and leather goods is 9 per cent. In reply to the request, the prime minister stated, in substance, that South Africa would never be largely a manufacturing country, and that in the matter of boots and shoes the colonial manufacturers could not begin to supply the needs of the country. He would not

promise any action, but suggested that they appoint a committee and submit suggestions as to the tariff.

I speak of this for the reason that, within the past year, manufacturers of the United States have been paying more attention to the introduction of American-made boots and shoes, conforming to the English patterns, and have also been active in the saddlery and harness line.

CAPE TOWN, August 18, 1899.

J. G. STOWE,
Consul-General.

TAXATION IN MAURITIUS: BUBONIC PLAGUE.

At the last meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Mauritius, the question of imposing an additional excise duty was discussed. The finances of the colony have made this tax necessary, owing to the great depression in the cane-sugar industry. An ordinance levying a tax of 10 per cent on all imports and exports went into effect on January 1 of this year. Within the past ten days, another ordinance has been passed levying a duty of 10 per cent on home and foreign spirits as well as on all other imported commodities.

It is alleged that this new duty is rendered necessary to meet the extraordinary expenditure in connection with efforts to stamp out the bubonic plague, which broke out in Mauritius in January, 1899, and during the past few months has assumed the nature of an epidemic. Deaths are now daily reported from all parts of the island, and the mortality in Port Louis has been greater, in proportion to population, than in Bombay. Placards have been posted. over the town requesting the inhabitants to receive inoculation with the Haffkine serum, which is administered free of charge by medical officers of the government. Only a small percentage of the people, however, especially those of the lower classes, have availed themselves of the opportunity.

PORT LOUIS, August 14, 1899.

JOHN P. CAMPBELL,

Consul.

RAILWAY CONGRESS AT PARIS.

The Department has received from the Belgian legation, under date of New York, October 13, 1899, the programme for the sixth international congress of railways, which will meet September 15, 1900, at Paris. The subjects to be discussed are:

Section 1, ways and works.-Nature of metal for rails; rail joints; points and crossings; maintenance of way on lines with heavy traffic;

methods of dealing with snow; construction and tests of metallic bridges; transition from a rising to a falling gradient; preservation of timber; ballast; creeping of rails.

Section 2, locomotives and rolling stock.-Exhaust and draught in locomotives; locomotives for trains run at very high speed; stability of locomotive axles; banking, piloting, or double heading; purification of feed water of locomotives and use of disincrustants; use of steel and ingot iron in construction of locomotives and rolling stock; brakes and couplings of carriages and wagons; economical size of goods trucks or capacity of freight cars; electric traction; automotor vehicle.

Section 3, traffic.-Train lighting; handling and conveyance of broken loads; long-distance goods trains; economical interlocking apparatus; automatic block system; signals for repeating visible signals; use of the telephone; safety appliances for preventing collisions arising from runaway wagons; sorting by gravitation; distribution of rolling stock.

Section 4, general.-Accounts; railway clearing houses; grouping of goods; technical education of railway servants-appointment and promotion; cooperative societies and stores under railway management; facilities for customs inspection.

Section 5, light railways.-Influence of light railways on national wealth; means of developing light railways; main lines crossed by light railways; conveyance of farm produce to stations on main railways; carriages and wagons for light railways; warming of carriages on light railways.

The programme gives the names of those who will report on the various subjects. Reports from United States representatives will be made in regard to nature of metal for rails; ballast; exhaust and draught in locomotives; locomotives for high-speed trains; use of steel and ingot iron in the construction of locomotives and rolling stock; brakes and couplings; capacity of freight cars; electric traction; conveyance of broken loads; automatic block system; railway clearing house; technical education of railway servants; conveyance of farm produce to stations on the main railways.

Other matters which will be discussed are: Use of liquid fuel in locomotives; international passenger fares and goods tariffs; suburban passenger traffic; organization of funds for providing pensions to employees; benefit societies of Russian railways (old-age pensions, sick and accident funds, mutual loan arrangements, etc.).

The United States Government is invited to send delegates to the congress.