The evening times., 1900-05-28

the Iong-desired ship canal to the Rhone
/ This circumstance leads TO frequent COM
plants both rs TO rates and insufficient
| service. The docks Of Marseilles are
owned by one company. and il is freely
charged that the railway, the dock com
pany, and the Compagnie des Messageries
Maritimes (the greatest of all French
steamship comp2nies) are practically one
and the same ahi that local industries are
impeded by lack of competition. Within
the past year. new companies have been
formed 10 buy out smaller companies en-
gagged in various lines. and the shares have
been put upon the market and generally
purchased. The word has not become
hateful, however, and-the subject is not
popularity discussed.
The French wheat crop may be describ-
ed as very good. Il IS. in fact. reported
! by the Government to be somewhat larger
than last years abundant harvest. But
for the fact that Marseiles and the sur
| rounding district always require certain
/ kinds of foreign grain, France would have
I enough wheat for domestic consumption.
These special qualities are soft descrip-
! tiOns rich in gluten (which latter is al
most entirely lacking in French grown pro-
dHce) and hard wheat destined for scmo-
lima manufacturing (Which class is not pro-
dUced here at alb.
In my observations on the the grain
situation. l notice that many American
cereals are unknown here and are not rep
resented by sample. have eonversed
wi h several brokers. who say that if they
| had SAMPLES Of the new American crop
! they could make sales. This difficulty
/ could be overcome and a step in advance of
/ every grain-eXporting nation would be
/ taken, if our produce exchanges, notably
at Chicago and New York. should send TO
/ this market annually. after the new crop Is
/ in. a complete set Of standard samples The
| utility of the suggestion is shown by the
fact that me French consul at New Or
! leans has forwarded some few samples 10
! the Syndicate des Minouers by request
/ Samples should be selected with scrupulous
/ care, endorsed by the exchange sending
! them, and sealed by the French consul, in
/ order to be fully accepted here. The idea
4 is applicable not only to cereals but 10
] cotton. oils etc. ] am extremely desirOus
/ of having this matter considered and acted
/ upon, and will be happy 10 see that sam
/ pies are properly placed.
Introduction of Cotton.
The battle around the question of the
| introduction Of American cotton oil into
| France at the present nominal rate Of
SI.I5 per go pounds promises to be con-
tinued with the reassa amb-ing Of the Cham
! Der. The language Of the new reciprocity
treaty with the United States now await
J ing ratification does not appear to prevent
action In the direction Of increased duties,
( provided they be not leveled at the Unite I
States alone. and the manufacturers Of
! sCap who have hitherto exercised the
! most effective resistance TO the proposed
increase in the duty, on the ground Of the
| necessity OF cheap raw material, have lost
their enthusiasm. This is explained b. the
| sudden rise in the price Of cotton oil, fol-
-
! ment Of the successful negotiation OF the
| treaty, The rise, accounted for on the
/ American side by the natural laws Of sup
ply and demand indicates to the French
| soapmakers. now dependent upon Ameri-
| can oil md to the local seed crushers,
whose great industry has been all but
! ruined by American competition, that
means must be found for re-establishing
in Franco an Oil-crushing Industry, where
by French soapmakers viii be rendered in
dependent Of foreign conditions The logic
of the situation may assert itself to p. G
vent unfavOiable legislation, but the forces
are nevertheless ripe for revolt. Il is
pointed out that the only crop that can Be
/ successfully grown in the French colonies
on the west coast Of Africa IS that Of ara
chides. or peanuts. 1t is asserted that if
| the cultivation of these nuts is enco IT
| aged, and an assured market furnished. the
I need Of buying American oil will no long T
exist, and that the MaTse.lles crUshers vii
be able TO employ thousands of French
workingmen. and furnish an oil as cheap
as the present American supply.
''The steeTage passengers shipped from
1 Marseilles are almost without except n
Syrians and representatives, Of other
/ Levantine racCS-ignOTaDt, filthy, and very
I poor. In many cases they arrive with only
the clothing upon their backs, and in no
/ case do they possess more than a bundle
OF old garments of no value. Very few
can read or write at all, and those few can
/ do so only in Arabic. Toe enter the Unitel
( States without any knowledge Of our sys-
| TEN of government and secure naturaliZa-
! tion papers as soon as possible, but with
/ out the slightest idea Of the responsible
[ ties of citizenship They frequently re-
I turn to their native land. the only appar-
: ent Changes in their condition being ability
| to utter a few words Of English and the
| substitution of conventional garments for
/ their picturesque attire After discharg-
/ ing their mission at home they often come
I upon the Consulate brandishing their nat
uralizaJiOn papers and demanding trans
poTtation to the United States at Govern
/ ment expense, and complain bitterly be-
| cause financial aid is Iot forthcoming.
/ Though not a vicious class Of people they
are certainly lacking in most o. the ess m
tial elements of an Independent, viriIe cit
| izenship."