Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/893

 SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION

537

The following table gives the tleclared value, in pouiuls .sterling, of the eight staple articles imported into the United Kingdom I'roni France in each of the last four years : —

Staple Imports into U. K.

1894 £

1895

1896 £

1897

£

£

Silk manufactures.

8,774,495 11,140,003

12,123,661

12,480,421

Woollen ,,. .

5,628,545 6,373,340

5,923,308

6,159,977

Butter ....

2,351,867

2,443,734

2,537,695

2,330,576

Wine ....

2,744,873 | 2,887,409

3,462,214

3,751,763

Sugar ....

2,849,422 1,736,041

1,812,035

3,235,437

Leather and manufactures

1,455,779 1,806,888

1,770,732

1,715,220

Eggs ....

982,800 1,069,580

1,273,200

1,022,869

Brandy ....

1,402,299 1,139,884

1,195,279

1,300,182

These eight articles constitute about two-thirds of the total imports from "France into the United Kingdom, The total quantity of wine imported into the United Kingdom from France in 1897 was 6,605,077 gallons, being 37 "6 [)er cent, of the total quantity of wine imported into the United Kingdom.

The following table exhibits the value of the princi]:)al articles of British )>roduce exported from the United Kingdom to France in each of the la.st four years : —

Staple Exports from U. K.

1894

1895

1896

1897

£

£

£

£

Woollen manufactures and

yarn ....

2,453,644

2,609,731

2,495,257

2,068,359

■Nletals (chiefly iron and

copper)

789,536

936,305

882,168

977,907

Coals. ., •

2,462,139

2,206,349

2,137,209

2,363,721

Cotton manufactures and

yarn ....

1,087,079

1,090,260

1,057,217

875,544

Machiuei-v

1,139,833

1,265,933

1,324,729

1,288,452

Chemicals

408,262

505,685

698,468

670,401

Shipping and Navigation.

On December 31, 1897, the French mercantile navy consisted of 14,352 sailing vessels, of 421,462 tons, with crews 68,132, and 1,212 steamers of 499,409 tons, and crews numbering 20,234, Of the sailing vessels 176 of 17,239 tons were engaged in the European seas, and 297 of 177,998 tons in ocean navigation; of the steamers 240 of 185,014 tons were engaged in European seas, and 171 of 266,820 tons in ocean navigation. The rest were •employed in the coasting trade, in port service, or in the fisheries. Of the sailing vessels and steamers 12,971 were not over 50 tons. Government assistance (prhnes) is given for the con- struction, equipment, and navigation of vessels, amounting to 12,500,000 francs annually.