THE AFRICAN TRADE.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 411, 31 March 1904, Page 6

THE AFRICAN TRADE.

Monopilized by tie Ceamtt«ial House* of Great Britftia.

WkU« tie Tr««9 of the CiKil •*•<** Baa Qrtm to »3S.O«K»,Oa«V The* o< y Sfcatem Exln*e«m 4*i»lt tofl3T,ooo,«oe.

Ifce importance of Afric* M * ft*M for the producers and manufacturers af the United Sta'terie illustrated by Cant f gurc« just received by the treasury bureau of statistics, showing- the commerce of tie United Kingdom with Africa. Considerable pride has been, felt in the fact that the exports from rt9 United States to Africa have growa lo $33,000,000 in the fiscal year l»02; but a comparison of the»e figure* with those of the fexportscfrom the United Kingdom to that continent shows that our export* to Africa still form a very mall proportion of the importatibna •f the dark continent. The total 'exports from the United Kingdom to Africa, according to figures received "By ike bureau at statistics, were- in I*ol, ti»7,OOO,OC(D, ur practically five times ee much at%eexports'froin the United States to Africa. While the growth oj exports from the United Kingdom to Africa has not been so rapid as in the «« of the United States, it has been steady and persistent. In 1897 the total exports from the United Kingdam to Africa amounted to $120,000,M 0; is 1900. $ 134,C05,006, and in 1901, 1157,000,000.% Of this exportation of ■ore than f 150,000,000 worth of mer* dhandise to Africa, nearly two-third* goes to the southern part of tha continent; the figures being to Cap* Colony, $OT,?00,000; to Natal, f29,500,000; and \o Portuguese Afrioa, chiefly that seattbn leaatsd on the southeastern front of ?}»e the ; n*o«* airect entrance to the territory ef the fate Boer Republics, $8,020,800. The next section in importance is Sgypt, to which the exports from %ne Umitad Kingdom are $31,238,000; next, British West Africa, $13,323,000.

An nnalysk of this market farswrer $150,000,000 worth of British products shows that the chief export* to Cape Colony consist of cotton piece goods, iron (wrought and unwroujjht), coal, provisions of all sorts, and mauufaeturtd articles, especially apparel tnd haberdashery. To Natal the axrr.rts are similar to those to Gape C .lony, with the- exception of coal, -' a considerable quantity is roduced in Natal itself. To Portu-

gese Africa the shipment* included ottons, machinery and other sup-

ille?. chiefly for the Transvaal and Orangs Biver colonies. To British West Africa, cotton goods, coal and iron are the most important articles ex-ortecl. To E{ry;i: the exportation* inclurlsd cotton goods to the value of $1,036,040; coal, ?R,325,000; iron wrought and unwrought, $1,630,000; and machinery, including staara enaiacs, $1,935,000. The following table shows the tot»l value of exports to Afriea from U:e-JLTnited States and United Kingdom, jfespeetivaly, in *a»ek. calendar ifar from 1897 to 1901: Froir t'nitsd From United * -*r. Stats*. Klngaoss. :*7 flStTS.flf , H30.W4.f1W '<m M.in.iw J U8.»»,«» w» IMOM»* / uws.ew •.*» n.m.rm jw.m3.oos 3*31 5J.t1.01t Wl.lM,m