NOTE. The highest point reached was October 10, 1901-45.1 per cent-and the lowest on December 10, 1901-30.5 per cent-showing a fluctuation of 14.6 per cent.

Shipping at Santa Cruz de Teneriffe in 1902.

NOTE. The total number of vessels entered during the year 19oz was 2,851, including coasting

boats of all classes.

Return of shipping at the port of La Palma, Grand Canary, during 1902.

The Compañia de Ferro-carriles de San Martin, Lieres GijonMusel, of Gijon, will receive proposals for the supply of materials for laying lines, and also for the construction of two hydraulic loading tips at the terminus at the port of Musel.

The Sindicato Asturiano del Puerto del Musel, of Gijon, will receive proposals for the construction of electric cranes and of three electric loading tips, the power to be obtained from the works of the Sociedad General de Productos Quimicos de Aboño, now in

course of construction about 2 miles from the harbor.

The Compañia de Ferro-carriles Vasco-Asturiano, of Oviedo, is having a survey made between Lugones and Gijon, in order to construct a line to connect the latter city with the line from Ujo to the port of San Esteban de Pravia.

ELECTRIC TRAMWAY.

The Compañia de Tranvias de Gijon is preparing to change its horse traction to electric, and is open to receive offers of electric cars.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT STATION.

The Compañia Popular Ovetense de Gas y Electricidad, of Oviedo, has a project in hand to utilize a waterfall at Cangas de Onis, to generate power for the electric-light station at Oviedo.

ARTHUR LOVELACE,

GIJON, May 9, 1903.

Acting Consular Agent.

UNITED STATES TRADE IN BRITISH INDIA.

I give below a statement of the imports and exports of British ndia (exclusive of treasure) and the trade with the principal counries, showing the comparatively small amount imported from the United States during the past two years:

More than one-fourth of the imports from the United States is kerosene oil.

From the above it will be seen that the United States is seventh in the list of exporters to India. The United Kingdom has about five-eighths of the trade; Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Russia, and Germany each send nearly three times as much as the United. States, and France a small amount in excess.

It will be seen by the total amount of imports what a field India offers for our manufacturers and exporters. There is no reason why they should not compete successfully with those of Europe for this large trade, in many items of which they do not participate.

The only obstacle to the development of trade between the United States and India is the want of a rapid, direct steamship. line, so that goods may be delivered within a reasonable time. It is true that there is a direct line of steamships to New York, but the ships touch at almost every port between Gibraltar and Calcutta, so that goods shipped via Liverpool or Glasgow arrive here quite as soon. If importers could rely upon quick delivery of goods, I believe that the trade would increase threefold within two years.

The demand for all kinds of electrical machinery, especially, is rapidly increasing, and American manufactures are generally preferred.

British and German houses have agents here and are pushing for the business. To secure a fair share of this large trade, our exporters should put energetic representatives into the field with samples of their goods. India has been neglected for markets nearer home, hence the small percentage of imports from the United States.

I know of no place that offers such inducements to our exporters of all classes of manufacture as Calcutta, the principal distributing point of India, whence a population of nearly 200,000,000 draw their supplies. R. F. PATTERSON,

CALCUTTA, May 13, 1903.

Consul-General.

TRADE OF DENMARK IN 1901-2.

Official statistics have recently been published by the Statistical Bureau in Copenhagen, which afford an opportunity for a review of the trade of Denmark for the last two years. There is general complaint that times are dull.

The figures setting forth the value of the foreign trade of Denmark, however, do not indicate that the country is suffering. The lack of confidence which one hears so much about does not have any apparent effect upon the aggregate amount of the trade of Denmark with other nations. Denmark is an agricultural country, and nothing short of a failure in crops can, from an economic standpoint, cause any great disturbance in her equilibrium. So long as she can export butter to the value of $35,000,000 annually, and horses, cat'tle, and pork to the value of $25,000,000, as was done in 1902, she is bound to remain, on the whole, in a normal condition.

The following tables have been prepared from official statistics. They show the value of the total foreign trade of Denmark for the five years 1897-1901, the value of the domestic exports, and her imports for consumption for the year 1902. Statistics giving the total volume of trade for 1902 are not yet available.

A foreign trade aggregating in value $247,000,000 (an increase of nearly $50,000,000 in five years) is remarkable for a country of only 2,500,000 population. For comparison, it may be stated that the ratio of the population of Denmark to that of the United States is about 1 to 30, while the total foreign trade of the two countries is I to 10. In other words, the United States, with thirty times the population of Denmark, has but ten times its foreign trade.

From the above tables, it will be noticed that Denmark imports considerably more than she exports. In 1897 her imports were $23,765,000 more than her exports; in 1899 the difference was $34,186,000; in 1900, $35,700,000. In 1901 there was an improvement, the adverse balance amounting to $27,900,000.

Denmark, however, it should be remarked, carries on this immense trade herself, and the money paid for freight does not go into the pockets of foreigners.

SOURCE OF IMPORTS.

Four-fifths of the imports into Denmark come from five countries, namely, Germany, Great Britain, United States, Russia, and Sweden. The value of imports for the five years 1897-1901, from the five countries named, is given below: