1901 shows that the imports from the United States have grown from 5,093,182 kaikwan taels in 1895 to 23,529,606 in 1901; while those from Great Britain grew from 33,960,060 taels in 1895 to 41,223,538 taels in 1901; those from Russia, from 1,791,658 taels in 1895 to 3,015,756 taels in 1901, and those from the continent of Europe, Russia excepted, from 7,552,099 taels in 1895 to 17,046,453 taels in 1901, showing a much more rapid gain proportionately in imports from the United States than from the United Kingdom or other countries of Europe.

Cotton goods and flour are the items of importation from the United States which show the greatest gain, and in cotton goods especially the increasing popularity of the American product the American product seems to be causing some anxiety on the part of European manufacturers and representatives of European manufacturing countries. Commercial Attache Jamieson, commenting upon this fact, says that "cotton manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the United States, particularly in the coarser grades of cottons."

Canadian imports from the United States continue to grow more rapidly than those from the United Kingdom, despite the legislation of 1897 in favor of products of the United Kingdom. In that year, it will be remembered, the Canadian tariff laws and regulations were so adjusted as to give an immediate reduction, beginning with April, 1897, of 12 per cent in tariff rates on import from the United Kingdom, with a further provision that another 12%1⁄2 per cent reduction should occur in 1898. In 1900 a still further reduction was made, making the total reduction of tariff rates in favor of merchandise from the United Kingdom 33 per cent. The official report of the trade and navigation of the Dominion of Canada, which has just reached the treasury bureau of statistics, includes a series of tables showing the imports for consumption from the United States, Great Britain and other countries, and the total imports, for a long term of years. This shows that in the fiscal year 1896, the one immediate

ly preceding the year in which the reduction of tariff in favor of products from Great Britain began, Canadian imports from Great Britain were $32,979,742, and in 1902, $49,206,062, an increase of $16,226,320. In 1896 the Canadian imports from the United States were $58,574,024, and in 1902, $120,814,750, an increase of $62,240,726.

"The Land of Unbounded Possibilities" is the title of a series of articles on conditions in the United States, prepared by Hon. Ludwig Max Goldberger of Berlin, royal privy councillor of commerce and member of the Imperial German consultative board for commercial measures, to be republished by the treasury bureau of statistics in its forthcoming issue of the monthly summary of commerce and finance.

These statements are the result of an eight months' official tour of the United States by Mr. Goldberger, in which he made personal observations and investigations into industrial, commercial and economic conditions. His detailed reports upon these subjects were made direct to the emporer and the minister of commerce and have not yet been officially published. Meantime, however, he has published in a leading weekly journal of Berlin, “Die Woche," a series of signed articles under the above title, "The Land of Unbounded Possibilities; Observations on the Economic Life of the United States," from which the following are extracts:

"The United States, like an enchanted garden, has brought forth from a marvelously productive soil, splendid results of human ingenuity. Yet the thing that causes most wonder is that the concentrated intelligence which, intending to replace human factors by machinery, has, in working towards its aim, been giving to constantly growing numbers of workmen, an opportunity to support themselves and become productive factors. The joy at the size of their own land encourages each individual. It makes him communicative and friendly to foreigners who are seeking information. It seems as though everyone were filled with the idea: "The stranger

shall see how great and strong America is.' My eight months' trip of observation and study took me through the States, and everywhere I found open doors inviting me to enter and nowhere did I find the slightest attempt at secretiveness. Everywhere I observed an uncommon but steady bustle of men who enjoy their work and are consciously working for great results. 'It is a great country.' This is the verbatim designation of reverential admiration which the citizen of the United States has found for his country.

"The inhabitants of the United States -including Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippine Islands-number ahout 88,000,000 - that is, barely 5 per cent of the world's total inhabitants, according to its highest estimate. This 5 per cent has at present taken possession of 25 per cent of all the cultivated area of the earth, viz., 407.4 million acres out of 1629.3 million acres. A land of marvelous fertility offered itself for tillage, and the husbandman had but to gather in the produce. The virgin soil made his work easier, and its extensiveness rendered the application of artificial fertilizers practically unnecessary, although the agricultural officers of the states and the Union have constantly by excellent advice and practical expert assistance been furnishing the ways and means towards more intense cultivation."

by the treasury bureau of statistics. It shows that the United States not only leads the world in coal production but has advanced from third place to the head of the list since 1880. In that year the United States produced one-fifth of the coal of the world; last year its production was one-third of the total of the world. The coal production of the United States has quadrupled since 1880, while that of the remainder of the world has not quite doubled. The three great coal-producing countries of the world are the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. These three countries produce practically 80 per cent of the world's coal. Since 1880 the United States has increased her output by 221,000,000 short tons, Germany by 103,000,000 tons, and the United Kingdom by 80,000,000.

The growing importance of South Africa as a market for products of the United States is illustrated by some figures just received by the treasury bureau of statistics. They show that the importations into Cape Colony, Natal, Delagoa Bay and Beira amounted last year to more than $150,000,000, or nearly treble the total for a decade earlier.

The exports of manufactures from the United States in the nine months ending with September, 1902, are larger than those in the corresponding period of any other year in the history of the country, with the single exception of 1900.

The American Federation of Labor held its annual convention in the city of New Orleans, beginning Nov. 13th and ending Nov. 23d, having been in session nine days. From the printed proceedings of each day we glean the following. The convention was called to order by President Gompers and the dele

gates welcomed to the city by Robert E. Lee, President of the Central Trades and Labor Council of New Orleans.

The credential committee reported proper representation from 69 National Unions, 11 State Branches, 66 Central Bodies, 54 Local Trade and Federal Labor Unions, representing nearly every

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branch of industry in the country. President Gompers prefaces his report with a greeting which is characteristic of the man, which in part is as follows: GREETING: Permit me to welcome you, representatives of the wage earners of our country. assembled here as you are, directly from factory, shop, mill, and mine, with the mandate from your constituents to review the past and formulate the means by which the great cause of human progress may be advanced. This session of the American Federation of Labor marks an episode in the progress of enlightenment unparalleled in the world's history. We meet in solid phalanx, regardless of creed, regardless of dogma. With national pride, but without international prejudice. The world is our field of action, and man is our brother. We not only proclaim, under the unsullied and untarnished banner of trade unionism, but live the principles of liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice. Ours is an affiliation of men of like interests, and of a kindred spirit. It is the natural growth of a sentiment for unity that binds and seals the compact for harmony, fidelity, and fellowship. Our cause demands that there is no worker so deep down in the abyss of misery and despair that we dare refuse to extend a helping hand in his uplifting; that there is no high pinnacle of grandeur to which the toiling masses should not aspire to attain.

The trade unions are of, by, and for the wageworkers primarily, but there is no effort which we in our movement can make but what will have its beneficent, salutary influence upon all our people.

Something of the growth of the labor union movement is shown by the following extracts from the report:

Six new national unions were formed during the year, and two are now in the process of formation, while others will soon be in a position to have a national or international charter formed from existing local union of the trade. In all, new charters were issued to

At the end of the fiscal year (eleven months), September 30, 1902, we had affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, national and international unions (with approximately 14,000 local unions under their direct jurisdiction), 99. State Federations, 26.

City central bodies, 424.

Local Federal Labor Unions and Local Trade Unions, directly affiliated to the American Federation of Labor by charter, 1,483.

NATIONAL TRADE UNIONS.

In the eleven months ending October 1, 1902, there have been organized and chartered by our affiliated national unions, and by the American Federation of Labor direct, not less than 3,500

new local unions, with an added membership of not less than 300,000.

FEDERAL LABOR UNIONS.

Two hundred and seventy-nine Federal labor unions have been organized and chartered during the past eleven months. These, as is well known, are composed of wage-earners of different crafts or callings of which there is an insufficient number to form a local trade union.

COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

During and since the strike many have been led to advocate the system of compulsory arbitration of labor disputes. They contend that strikes of this character must be averted; and on the one hand friends who desire to legally compel employers to submit matters in controversy with labor, to arbitration; and on the other hand the subtle enemies of organized labor, have stimulated and advocated compulsory arbitration. Those of our friends who advocated this policy are like us provoked at the unreasonableness and obstinacy of employers who refuse to submit a matter in controversy with organized labor to voluntary arbitration, and permit their indignation to warp their judgment; in other words, observing the difficulty of attaining justice, they would resort to an imaginary remedy which indeed, if enacted into law, would prove a much greater injury and danger than the ill of which we complain. It is another instance where the remedy would be worse than the disease.

We

Our movement seeks to avoid strikes. make every effort in that direction, and are largely successful therein. We realize, however, that the best means of avoiding strikes is a thorough organization of the workers, and it is also the best preparation to maintain our members for and during a peaceable struggle.

We make for industrial peace and tranquility. We recognize these as essential to our material and social welfare; but we ought never to be asked and we never will surrender our right to protest and resist wrong or an invasion of our rights, or to be hampered in a lawful, peaceable struggle for amelioration in our condition, and for the final emancipation of labor through the evolutionary process of building character, manhood, independence, intelligence, which inspire nobler aspirations.

The men of organized labor want arbitration, but only arbitration as a last resort after conciliation has absolutely failed, and then arbitration only, voluntarily entered into by both the organized workers and employers, the award voluntarily, honorably and faithfully adhered to by both sides.

The report strongly advocates an eight hour work day-the passage of an anti-injunction bill by the congress in the following words:

We reiterate our position that organized labor seeks no immunity from the law, for violations committed by any one of its members; but it insists that that which is lawful when done by other persons shall not be regarded as unlawful

when done by wage-earners either as individuals or in association.

We demand, too, that the common law practice shall apply to wage-earners as well as to all others; that is, that no injunction shall be issued wherever there is another remedy provided by law.

Our fellow-workers or our movement are not law-breakers; but if anyone be guilty of a crime the laws of our country and the laws of the states have provisions for his apprehension, trial, and, if convicted, punishment.

* * denounces convict labor-urges an effective Chinese exclusion bill, and a proper restriction of immigration, by conservative legislation and enactment of laws prohibiting the exploitation of child labor, declaring it a menace to our civilization, involving as it does the deterioration of our race.

The Secretary's report contains a vast amount of statistical matter, and sets forth with startling clearness the phenomenal growth of the Federation.

The Treasurer's report shows a healthy balance.

The reading of the above reports, together with that of the report of the Executive Council and the adoption of

the same occupied the whole of the first day. The following eight days were given up to the hard, earnest work of the convention.

The election of officers which took place on the morning of the 9th day resulted as follows:

President for ensuing year, Samuel Gompers.

First Vice-President, James Duncan. Second Vice-President, John Mitchell. Third Vice-President, James O'Con

nor.

Fourth Vice-President, Max Morris. Fifth Vice-President, Thomas I. Kidd. Sixth Vice-President, D. A. Hayes.

John B. Lennon was unanimously reelected Treasurer and Frank Morrison was unanimously re-elected Secretary for the ensuing year.

After a spirited contest Boston, Mass., was decided on for the next meeting place of the Federation.

Did you say Cy Warman ran an engine? I do not think so. In those days prior to his fame, he did nothing except to fire the No. 88 for old Dick Bellinger up the Grand Canyon of the Arkansaw. Even then he was a poet who afterward carried his dreams into songs of the rail.

Thinking of Warman, recalls many incidents of those days on the Rio Grande Railway. From 1875 to 1889, with all its changes which were made from general managers down to track men, who from time to time came and went, and the road grew from a three foot gauge to a standard and from 160 miles in length to a real railroad of over 1600 miles.

Out of Denver over the snowy range of the divide, down to Pueblo, up the Grand Canyon of the Arkansaw over

Marshall and Tennesee Passes down to Glenwood and the raging river to Grand Forks and the home of the Mormons.

On Thanksgiving day in 1880, Cy was firing the 88, I was the head "car stopper" for Frank Holbrook, conductor. My duties were to screw up brakes, if the air failed to work, under the supervision of the "eagle eye" on the right hand side of the engine, who knew very little about handling air at that time. We got orders at Buena Vista to run to Canyon City as extra, avoiding regular trains. We made South Arkansas ahead of No. 2 and could not make any further for train No. 21. I got on No. 2 and flagged to Spike Buck, where I dropped off. It was one of those regular "Klondike" nights that we have since learned of, the snow was fast filling up the cuts

in the canyon, and about five degrees below zero. No. 2 slacked up to let me off and I fell into the snow up to my neck. I waded around for some time trying to find the right of way. I was waiting with my red light to flag No. 21. She did not show up, and the worst of it, neither did Engine No. 88's headlight appear in sight.

I

Something was radically wrong. was trying to keep warm by walking back and forth stamping my feet, when suddenly from out the storm and darkness there appeared before my eyes, to my great horror, the biggest cinnamon bear I ever saw, dead or alive. I had nothing with which to defend myself; I could not run, that would mean a head end collision. My mind was working pretty fast. I commenced to swing the red light across the track as if giving a stop signal to the train I was to flag. His bearship stood up on his hind legs stock still, glaring and growling all the time, looking straight at my lights for about ten minutes. When I heard an answer to my signal from No. 21's engine, two short blasts, the engine came up and stopped with the pilot just on my legs. The head light of the engine brought myself and the bear in plain view of the engineer, and he taking in the situation at a glance, pulled out from his seat box, quick as a flash, a Sharp sporting rifle. Crack! Crack! Down went Bruin. It took two brake

men, one engineer, one fireman and the flag man to load that bear on the pilot in front of the boiler.

After I had regained my equilibrium, I managed to tell Conductor Burch of train No. 21 what I was holding them for. A's engine No. 88 had followed No. 2 out of South Arkansas, they should have been there long before No. 21 could get to Spike Buck. Conductor Burch put his train on the side-track and struck out with his engine to find extra engine No. 88's train, whistling almost continuously for several miles above Spike Buck. They found engine No. 88 and five cars over in the Arkansas River.

A huge boulder had rolled down upon the track after No. 2 had passed. No one was hurt. Cy and old Dick had jumped into a snow drift. The train crew was shaken up pretty badly in the little dinky caboose on the hind end.

Upon meeting at the hotel the next day at Canyon City, we voted unanimously that the day previous had been one to be long remembered and thankful that none of us, were killed or

seriously injured, and no doubt the wife of the engineer of No. 21 was also thankful for that great big bear skin that she used for a rug. I suppose that friend Warman has made many trips over that part of the old Rio Grande since that day, in an upholstered car, and perhaps recalls the events of that Thanksgiving night.

"The boneless tongue, so small and week, Can crush and kill," declared the Greek. "The tongue destroys a greater horde," The Turk asserts, "than does the sword." The Persian proverb wisely saith, "A lengthy tongue-an early death." Or sometimes takes this form instead: "Don't let your tongue cut off your head."

"The tongues can speak a word whose speed," Says the Chinese, "outstrips the steed." While Arab sage doth this impart: "The tongue's great storehouse is the heart."

From Hebrew wit the maxim sprung,
"Though feet should slip, ne'er let the tongue."

The sacred writer crowns the whole,
"Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul."