New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-07
COMMERCE. OF AFRICA.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF DARK CoN-
TINENT-GOLD AND DIAMOND
PRODUCTION.

PRODUCTION
Washington June (SpeciaD.-The deciarauon %
ne.ce in south Africa which is to be followed os
she reopening Of the greatest gold producing HIM
of me world and presumably by generai revival
= ,,,s,ness in that greatest consuming section OF
Africa lends especial interest TO monograph en-
titled Commercial Africa in lsOl' just isSueu Os
the Treasury Bureau CT Statistics
The commerce Of Africa. according TO this publ
-to, ~ the Bureau of Statistics amounts to over
600 of which ss2s 600 900 represented the value
of the imports. Necessarily in so large an area
with so many tribes and peoples who keep no rec
ords Of their transactions, considerable amount
Of commerce must pass without being recorded IN
any way. The total imports at the ports where
records are kept amounted in the latest aValIaole
year 10 ssee COO and the exports TO s-oSsUVVo'
OF the exports large share, especially those from
the south. is gold and diamonds; in the tropical
region ivory. rubber, palm nuts and gums ana III
the north fair share Of the exports are prod
ucts of agriculture. cotton. coffee, eacao spices
dates etc. The export figures of recent years are
less than those of former years. owing to the nos
fslifies in South Africa. which have both reouceo
production and increased local consumption.
About three-fourths Of she imports Of Africa are
through the ports of the extreme north and south
Of the continent those at the north being Tor the
CONSUMPTION Of the more densely populated regions
bordering on the Mediterranean and considerable
quantities going the interior by caravans-a large
PART across the Sahara to the densely popuIa'eo
regions of the Soudan. AT the south large snare
of the imports Is under normal conditions Tor use
az the gold and diamond mines, which lie Few
hundred miles north OF the Cape, and are reacneo
bv railway lines from Cape Colony and Natal at
the south and from ports of Portuguese East Al
rica on the southeast. The class of imports IN the
south differs materially from that at the north, the
demand Of the mining region being for machinery
mining tools dynamite. powder, -four, meats ana
clothing while the north cotton goods. tobacco
spirits clocks and trinkets form larger share OF
the imports a is also the case on the coast OF
che tropical regions.
A very large proportion of the trade of Africa is
with England There are numerous reasons for
this the most important however. being that heF
coionies-Cape Colony and Natal-on the south are
the avef.es through which pass most OF the sooos
fer that section and that very large share OF
the growing trade is also carried by British YES
sells while the bulk of the mining. as well as the
stock raising and general development OF that sec
ticn the hands OF British coonists or capital
fists In the north large share of the trade OF
Egypt is given Great Britain. whose influence in
the MANAGEMENT of Egyptian affairs is well recog-
nized while in Algeria, which has a large trade a
very large proportion is with France the governing
country.
The total recorded imports into Africa aggre-
eating in the latest available year $40 0 were
distributed follows Into British territory sl9'-
5000 French territory, s92eo4eO; turkish terri
tory s77.7S7 900: Portuguese territory, s2o,795"o;
German territory, s33sO00 and into the Congo Free
State sa722e GOO Of this importation of s42S $4,000,
about per cent furnished by the United
States the total for 1901 being s25S26ls Our total
exports Africa have grown from S6SI1S42 In 1873
TO SIS as s2s in 1929 and SIS 40 SIS in 1901 This rapid
increase is largely due to that orders sent
TO the United States for mining machinery and
other supplies much in demand in South Africa
are promptly filed with goods Of the latest pat
tern and most acceptable character.
Africa occupies fourth place in the list of the
grand divisions the world in its consuming power
in relation International commerce the imports
of the grand divisions, according 10 the latest avail
able figures being follows: Europe, SS3oo,00o0OO;
North America N3eOoO 600; Asia. ss0Ooo00: Africa,
$3.50 600 coo; South America sS759coce0 and Oceana,
ss25 100000 OF s1 $50 oG00e1. the United
States supplies per cent in the case of Africa,
10 per cent of the imports Of South America. 10
per cent of those Of Asia and Oceania II per cent
of the imports of Europe, and 40 per cent of the
imports of North America, exclusive of the United
States.
Railroad development in Africa has been rapid in
the lest few years, and but the beginning of
a great system which must contribute the rapid
development civilization and enlightenment of the
Dark Continent. Already railroads northward
from Cane Colony about 15Go miles and southwark
from Cairo about 100 miles. thus completing 100
miles of the proposed cape TO Cairo" Railroad,
while intermediate distance is about 5000 miles
At the north numerous lines skirt the Mediter-
ranean coast. especially in the French territory OF
Algeria in Tunis. aggregating about $500 miles:
while the Egyptian railroads are. including those
under construction about 1850 miles in length
Those Cape Colony over 5000 miles in length,
and those of Portuguese East Africa and the
Transyaal are another thousand miles in length
Including all of the railroads now constructed or
under actual construction. the total length of
african railways is nearly 1880 miles. or half the
distance around the earth a large proportion of
the railways thus far constructed owned by
the several colonies States which they traverse,
about 1000 miles of the Cape Colony system and
nearly all OF that OF Egypt belonging TO the State
That the gold and diamond mines Of South At
rica have been and still wonderfully prof1ta-
bile is beyond question. The Kimberley diamond
mines about 600 miles from Cape Town. now sup
though their existence was unknown prior 10 1881,
and the mines have thus been in opeTatlon only
thirty years 1t is estimated that sS5OVnoo worth
OF rough diamonds worth doubie tIdt sum after
cutting have been produced from the Kimberley
mines since their opening in 1855 So and this enor
nous production would have been greatly increased
but for the fact that the owners of the various
mines there formed agreement to limit the out
put so as materially exceed TIE worlds an
Equally wonderful and promising are the great
Wftwatersrand gold fields OF South AFRICA. better
covered there 1855. and in 1884 the value OF the
gold product about $4,000. II increased with
Fspdy S Sae 0 @ OF gs S o 5eg
1895 $50 009o0 and 1897 and 1885. about 500
000De0 Work these mines has been practically
suspended during the war IN progress IN mat re
pior within the last years The gold produc-
lion of the Rand since 1884 has been over SoO1ooo
and careful surveys Of the neld by experts snow
texond question that the gold in sight probably
amounts 10 $500 0e0 900. while the large number
OF mines in adjacent territory. particularly those
900 last year gives promise Of additional supplies,
so that il seems probable that South Africa will for
many years continue 20 be as Is now the largest
gold producing part OF the world
THE MASHassET BAY YACHT CLUB
will formally open it's new clubhouse on sat-