The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-24
HAVE SIX BILLION INVESTED
BRITAIN Is LOSING HER MARKET
FOR MANUFACTURED GOODS.
Germany Increasing Her Imports of
Raw ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Postal
System Statistics.
rpeclal 70 n. InalanapoIl. journal.

pOsh'iDle ssuopuOn OF system OF import
duties by England which has excited con-
sidersble attention among the British hold
ers or securities based upon enterprises In
foreign countries Mr.. Chamberlain's idea
is to give the colonies tariff preference
over competing goods brought in from for
eign ports At present the preference IL
to be limited to food stuffs and possibly to
raw materials. In return 1t is proposed
that the colonies shall give a reciprocal
tariff preference over competing goods i'm
ported into those colonies from foreign
countries. this being limited by the charac-
ter Of the trade 10 manufactured articles.
AS Great Britain is now a free-trade coun-
try. any preferential treatment OF the col
onies would mean the placing OF duty on
the foreign competing articles.
To illustrate the effect this would have
upon the British investor in foreign lands,
the item Of meat is considered. Twenty
per cent. of this product imported into
Great Britain comes from the colonies and
% per cent. from foreign countries. The
importations from Argentina are very
heavy as are also the importations from
New Zealand. and under the proposed
Chamberlain duties the exporters of New
Zealand would receive bonus over the
raised as to whether or not English in
terests would not be a.ore seriously injured
than helped by such discrimination, for Ii
Is English capital which has developed
Argentina and the exporters Of Argentina
are largely Englishmen.
The public debt Of Argentina Is largely
British Investment and amounts to nearly
t400.00000o, and any legislation adopted by
England which would decrease the pros
perity Of Argentina as a country would be
directly felt by the British interests which
furnish the money to finance that country.
In discriminating against the United
States the effect upon the railroads is in
stanced and as English investors are large
holders OF American railroad securities.
they do not take kindly to any proposition
made TO decrease the earnings upon capital
stock 1t is roughly estimated that near
ly $6.0oo,0Oo,0Oo OF English money Is invested
in foreign countries, or about one-half OF
the income derived by Englishmen from in
vestmsnts outside of Great Britain. The
argument Is made that TO give the colonies
preference in the tariff would be making
six billion OF English capital pay toll that
the other six billion might yield a greater
profit.
In the past ten years there has been a re-
markable change in the character Of the
exports from Great Britain, and informa-
ton In regard to this point has been devel-
oped along with other interesting facts and
figures in the course ofS the lively dis
cussion now on In England over the pro-
posed change in the national fiscal policy.
In 1882 Al per cent. OF the British exports
were food: 81 per cent. were raw materials,
and s02 per cent. were manufactured goods.
In 1902 s1 per cent were food, IL per cent.
were raw materials and s2.9 per cent. were
manufactured goods.
This shows that notwithstanding the gains
In Englands foreign trade she Is losing her
market for manufactured goods, and Is
shipping raw materials to foreign countries
which were formerly used by British indus
try. These raw materials are now brought
back to England in manufactured shape,
hence constitute a direct loss to British
industry.
The figures of imports tell the same story.
The Imports of food about hold their own.
The imports OF raw materials show loss
Of about one,eighth per cent In ten snv years rs
creased from 12.5 to 1871 per cent. OF the
total. Comparisons are made with Ger
many to the discontinue Of England, for
Germany in the past ten, years has de-
creased her exports Of foods by one-half.
has increased her exports of raw materials
by about one-ffth, but has also increased
her exports OF manufactures from ST. to
64.7 Of the total. German imports of food
have decreased during the same period.
Her imports OF raw materials have In.
manufactured goods have decreased by
nearly one-third- In this same period the
manufactured exports OF the United States
have increased ia per cent.
Consul Warner. OF Leipzig. has sent the
State Department an interesting description
of the operation of the street railroads Of
Leipzig. Germany Leipzig has only had
street cars since 1872, and they were drawn
by horses until 1885, when the power was
made electrical Concessions were granted
to companies building the new lines, these
concessions extending forty years from the
beginning of operation. but the city re-
served the right to buy the entire plant at
the price which they are assessed.
These street car companies pay the city
per cent. OF the gross receipts for the use
of the streets. which amount is increased
! per cent. after the lapse of every five
years until IL reaches per cent. of the
gross receipts. The companies are also
compelled to pay for paving and repairing
streets where new tracks are put down and
wherever the running of the cars is re-
sponssble for the wear and tear
The overhead trolley system is I'm use,
the wires being suspended from the houses.
Where there houses iron posts are
used as supports. There are 132 miles of
track and All cars are in use. Signal boxes
are placed at all street car crossings to
warn the motorman of the approach of cars
from another direction. These have been
found very satisfactory, and through their
operation IL has been possible to do away
with fagmen at the crossings, or the use
of conductors as lookouts.
Whenever a trailer is used with a street
car the law requires two conductors to
each train. The trailers and motor cars
art not connected by any passage way and
passengers not allowed to go from one
to another without paying additional fare.
There are twenty seats in each car and
when all are taken no more passengers are
allowed inside. the aisles must be kept
clear There is standing room for a GER
tain number on both front and rear plat
forms When these are taken and the in
side Is full the conductor hangs out at the
rear end of the car by the entrance a sign,
Occupied" and no more stops are made
TO take on passengers until some are first
let of.
The fare for single trip is 10 pfennigs
(23S cents.) Passengers carrying baskets
bundles. etc. must pay a full fare for each
parcel. School children under fifteen are
given special rates. Conductors and mo-
tormen receive about so per month for the
first year OF service. this amount being in
creased upon a longevity basis. Upon the
132 miles OF street railroad in Leipzig the
gross profit on operation alone amounted
to about 10000.
Consul Hanauer. at Frankfort. advises
the State Department that the Prussian
government will shortly send commissions
Of experts TO Austria. England. Switzer-
land and the United States for the pur-
Sooo Of studying the institutions ard meth