The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-06
Observations Abroad of Chief Austin,
of the Treasury Bureau Of Sta
tistfcs at Washington.
TRAINING SCHOOL IN FRANCE
WHERE YOUNG MEN II EDUCATED
FOR COLONIAL SERVICE.
Production of FOodstuffs and Raw Ma
terial Required at Home En-
cOuraged i'm Many Ways.
ipecial TO the Indianapolis Journal.

WASHINGTON, July 5.-The chief of the
Treasury Bureau of Statistics has just re-
turned from a brief visit 10 London. Paris,
Berlin. Amsterdam and Brussels, where he
went for the purpose of making some sta
tistical studies regarding the m of
European countries, and especially their
with and their development of
their colonies.
Il was greatly impressed" said Mr.. Aus
tin. with the interest evinced in colonial
questions at all the capitals which l have
visited. Each of these five countries has
its colonial department or division. with a
thoroughly equipped force. largely made up
Of men who have had long experience in
the colonies of the countries. In England
the colonial office at the home government
interchanges. at intervals, its employees, as
far as practicable. with the colony, thus
obtaining practical and experienced men in
the home office and keeping a corps of men
in training for the colonies. AT the Neither
lands whose colonial work is a matter of
pride on the part of every citizen of that
country, the head of the colonial depart
ment has had long experience in Java, the
principal Netherland colony, and one which
has been eminently successful. In rance
the colonial department is extremely ac-
tive, obtaining large numbers of reports
from its colonial officers and distributing
information by a specially organized bu-
reau for that purpose, and in Germany and
Belgium equal interest was manifested.
Everywhere l found great public inter-
est in colonial matters outside of official
circles. In London, for instance. there is a
colonial institute, composed of several hun
dred ex-ofhcials of the colonies and others
interested in colonial matters, which has q
library of nearly $4,000 volumes, and which
is in close working relation with the Ii
brary of the Colonial Department, also con-
tanning $4,000 volumes. The members of the
institute hold monthly meetings for the
discussion of matters pertaining to the
management, statistics and
prosperity of the colonies and their COM
mercial relations with the mother country.
AT Paris there is a colonial organization.
with about 5000 members. some OF whom
nave had experience in the colonies; others
are merchants and business men desiring
TO keep In constant touch with business
conditions and opportunities in the colonies
and still others who are students of colon
ial subjects from an economic standpoint.
In Germany, although their colonial system
is young as compared with those of Eng
land, Netherlands or France. the Colonial
Association numbers over 10000 members,
scattered throughout the empire. some of
whom are officers and ex-officials. others
connected with the army and navy, and
many others who are interested in the COM
mercial and agricultural development of
the colonies.
.The study of colonial conditions and de-
velopment of the colonies, both as 10
PRODUCTS and is encouraged by
all the governments which control terri
tory Of this character. The French gov
eminent maintains an educational instlru-
ton devoted exclusively to colonial studies
and the training of men for the colonial
service. Admission TO its classes is OBJ
tanned through competitive examinations.
the term of study is three years and the
instructors are men of high standing both
in colonial experience and in the study Of
economies. While the primary object of
this institution is to educate men for the
colonial service. those who prefer at the
end of their term to devote their efforts
to the commercial and agricultural devel-
opment Of the colonies may do so. The
Netherlands government also maintains a
training school similar in general ch6rac-
ter. and the English government has a
somewhat similar system for the training
of men for service in India and the colo
MES.
I'm nearly all of the countries in ques-
ton there are excellent and interesting
colonial museums devoted to the exhibit
ton of not only the products of the colo
MES but also the articles required by their
population, and in many cases they are
accompanied by admirable statistical state
ments showing the growth in production OF
the principal articles and the growth in
exports from and imports into the colo
MES. Each of the governments maintains
a statistical service by which the COM
merce of the colonies is carefully studied
and the share which the mother country
supplies of the imports or receives of the
exports carefully tabulated, the receipts
and expenditures of the colonies and of
the home government on account of them
recorded and the growth Of agricultural.
commercial and educational conditions
noted.
Especial attention is given in all cases
to the ability of the colony to meet the
commercial wants of the mother country.
Countries which do not produce within
their own borders the foodstuffs and raw
materials required by their population en-
courage the production in the colonies of
the articles thus required at home, while
the countries which produce their own
foodstuffs or raw materials look to the
colonies for the tropical products which
they cannot produce at home and encour-
age the production of those articles in the
colonies and their distribution in the mother
country. The investment of home capital
in the colonies is thus encouraged through
the assurance given that the products Of
those colonies will find a ready market in
the mother country, the manufacturers
and producers OF the mother country are
the colonies through the increased con-
Stunning power which accompanies their in
creased production and sales. and the gem
eral prosperity of the colonies through in
creased production, larger markets ard
better roads. railways and improved educa-
tional facilities is thus assured"