by the middle classes, to which the majority of the wage earners belong. These conditions do not prevail in other countries, and especially not in Brazil, where the well-to-do middle class is not very numerous; where the great masses of the working people—the toilers in the fazendas, the hewers of wood and drawers of water, the drivers of oxen and mules-mostly live in abject poverty and are rated as the lower class.

Further, those among the native Brazilians of Latin origin, who are in better circumstances, do not seem to take as kindly to the wheel as their neighbors of Saxon, Teutonic, or Celtic extraction.

Brazil is, at present, in the midst of a great economic crisis; the production of the staple articles has-temporarily, at least-ceased to be remunerative; business is at a low ebb; the opportunities for earning the daily necessities are greatly diminished; and the wages. of the working classes, as well as the earnings of professional men, are consequently extremely low.

The majority of the Brazilian people (probably 14,500,000 of the 15,000,000 inhabitants) are at present engaged in such a struggle for existence that they can not extend their ambition to what is regarded here as among the luxuries of life. To a young clerk, for instance, who earns $15 a month, or to an experienced salesman, bookkeeper, or cashier, who is lucky if he can take home to his. family $10 a week, a $70 bicycle partakes very much of the nature of things unattainable.

Last, but not least, there are very considerable climatic and topographical difficulties to contend with in nearly all of the Brazilian cities, and particularly here, in the great South American metropolis. of Rio de Janeiro; all of which conditions combine to interfere seriously with the development of bicycling and the bicycle trade in Brazil.

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 30, 1898.

EUGENE SEEGER,
Consul-General.

BICYCLES IN NORWAY.*

Bicycles may be said to be in general use in this district, although not as extensively as in other parts of Europe; the use being perhaps more limited to the class in comparatively easy financial circumstances. The roads are macadamized and would be adapted to bicycling were it not for the large rainfall in western Norway, which amounts to about 85 inches per annum. The hilly nature of this

* These reports on bicycles are in answer to a request for information from a New York firm, to whom ADVANCE SHEETS have been sent.

part of the country is an additional drawback, necessitating as much. walking as riding. In spite of these conditions, however, the bicycle continues to grow in popularity. Two domestic manufacturers of

cycles are located at or near the capital, Christiania.

Most of the cycles sold in this district are from Germany and the United States.

The duty on cycles is 30 kroner ($8.04) each. There is no differential duty favoring cycle manufacturers in other countries.

German bicycles retail here for 220 to 320 kroner ($58.96 to $85.76); Norwegian bicycles, for 270 kroner ($72.36), 288 kroner ($77.18), and 315 kroner ($84.42). Bicycles put together in Christiania of parts manufactured in England sell for 342 kroner ($91.66). Canadian bicycles, with wood rims, mud guards, and other American improvements, are advertised and sold here as "American" wheels for 270 kroner ($72.36), 306 kroner ($82), and 315 kroner ($84.42). United States bicycles sell for 220 to 320 kroner ($58.96 to $85.76).

The general demand is for a strong, cheap wheel, and the highgrade machine would have but a very limited sale, when the population is considered.

Cycles are sold here usually by dealers in firearms and sporting goods.

Contrary to what appears to be the opinion of many, I think that-in this part of the world, at any rate-attractive and frequent circulars, catalogues, etc., would have considerable effect in introducing goods to the notice of dealers, where personal representation is impracticable, even when printed in English. Most of the leading retail dealers, owing to the large tourist traffic on this coast, speak English or have English-speaking clerks in their employ.

The following are the names of the principal dealers in cycles in Bergen: J. Milne Grieg, L. H. Hagen & Co., I. R. Tenden, Carl Bischoff, and W. Thomsen.

Catalogues, circulars, etc., should be, if feasible, prepared in Norwegian or Danish, although English would do fairly well if simple in construction and free from technicalities and local trade

terms.

Merchants here are accustomed to purchasing on three months' time, and several dealers have told me that while they liked the American cycles and would be glad to handle them, they could not do so to advantage, as they are required to pay cash, while German and English manufacturers give three, or even four, months' time. The superiority of United States wheels, already recognized, may make it possible to offer a sufficiently liberal cash discount to offset the present established feeling among conservative merchants

here as to time payments, especially if the relative prices of wheels should continue to change in favor of those of American manufacture.

BERGEN, April 20, 1899.

ERNEST A. MAN,

Consul.

GERMAN DUTY ON IMPORTED BICYCLES.

In reply to the frequent inquiries that are received at this office from American bicycle dealers and manufacturers, asking for an opinion as to when the pending increase in the German duty on imported bicycles is likely to be imposed, the following is submitted as a concise statement of what is at present known on the subject or conjectured upon what is thought to be the best authority.

When the present German tariff law was enacted, the bicycle had not become an important article of commerce, and it is not, therefore, specifically mentioned in the schedule. It is classified by the customs authorities under the category "fine ironware," the rate of duty on which is 24 marks ($5.71) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds), so that the import duty on an American-made cycle weighing 22 to 26 pounds is only from 75 cents to $1, a very low rate indeed.

When it is considered that under these favorable conditions the importation and sale of American-made wheels has reached large proportions in Germany, and the United States import duty on all foreign-made cycles is 35 per cent ad valorem, it is not strange that the German cycle manufacturers should clamor for increased protection from foreign competition. This, although every intelligent cycle maker knows that, even without any inequalities in duty, nothing produced in Europe could compete in the United States with home-made wheels. They have, therefore, as has been stated in a former report of this series, petitioned the Government to classify bicycles by an administrative decision as "vehicles," which would subject them under the present law to a practically prohibitive duty.

This petition having been brought by an influential committee. before the Imperial Finance Minister and Secretary of the Treasury, they are understood to have considered the matter at length and decided that, while the proposed change of classification could not be granted, an increase of duty might and would be authorized. According to the Berliner Tageblatt, which is confident of the correctness of its information, this increase will be from the present rate to 20 marks ($4.76) on each bicycle, a rate that, it is thought, will

afford the highly prosperous German cycle manufacture sufficient protection for practical purposes. The same authority, which is near to the sources of power, and therefore likely to be well informed, predicts that this increased rate will go into effect at the beginning of January, 1899, so as to meet the importations of bicycles for the trade of next year. This is probable, but nothing is positively

known.

It may be added that the better class of bicycle dealers in this country, who handle the really high-grade American wheels, are not strenuously opposed to such an increase of duty. A good American

made cycle will easily stand a duty of 20 marks, which, on the other hand, would operate to exclude the flood of cheap, inferior, leftover, and bankrupt stocks that have been poured into this country during the past year and which have done more or less to break down and degrade the fine reputation the high-grade makes had estabtablished for American bicycles in Germany.

FRANK H. MASON,

FRANKFORT, May 11, 1898.

Consul-General.

GERMAN RESTRICTIONS ON UNITED STATES

FRUIT.*

Referring to former reports on the imperial decree against the importation of American fruits into Germany, I have the honor to report the receipt of a note and inclosure from the Foreign Office, translations of which are herewith inclosed, from which it will appear that the Imperial Chancellor, by virtue of the power conferred upon him in section 2 of the above decree, has, in accordance with the opinion of experts, divided live plants into three groups—(A) those absolutely prohibited, (B) those admitted unconditionally, and (C) those admitted upon being found free from the San José scale after examination.

BERLIN, April 24, 1898.

AND. D. WHITE,
Ambassador.

NOTE VERBALE.

The Foreign Office has the honor to inform the embassy of the United States of America that the Imperial Chancellor (Imperial Department of the Interior) has, by virtue of section 2 of the imperial decree of February 5 last, by which he is authorized to make exceptions to the prohibition of importing live plants or fresh waste of plants (Pflanzenabfälle) from America, placed the question before experts, for them to ascertain whether certain categories of plants on which the San José scale

*See CONSULAR REPORTS No. 210 (March, 1898), p. 377.

is not to be found, or only in a degree not to be considered dangerous, are to be excluded generally from the prohibition of importation, or after an examination has taken place.

The investigation has led to the drawing up of the inclosed list, according to which the plants are divided into three groups, namely:

(1) Plants which must under all conditions be excluded from importation (A). (2) Plants which may be imported because they are regarded as not being dangerous without any previous examination having taken place (B).

(3) Plants which may be imported after an examination has demonstrated the nonexistence of the San José scale (C).

As a result of this examination, the Imperial Chancellor (Imperial Department of the Interior) has decided to permit the importation of plants mentioned under 2 unconditionally, and those plants mentioned under 3 whenever the experts, after examination, have found them free from the San José scale. The exceptional privileges, however, apply exclusively to plants belonging to one of the two groups (B and C). Shipments consisting of plants of different groups will be treated in accordance with the regulations which apply to the group undergoing the more rigid examination. Only such experts may be entrusted with examinations who have been thoroughly instructed in the microscopical characteristics of the San José scale.

The Government of the Confederated States has been requested by the Imperial Chancellor (Imperial Department of the Interior) to furnish the frontier customs offices with appropriate instructions.

BERLIN, April 19, 1898.

A. The following are to be unconditionally excluded: Living trees and bushes of all kinds, also parts of such (cut branches and the like); further, seedlings, scions,* shoots, cuttings and the like of said categories of plants. The following especially come into consideration: Fruit trees and fruit bushes of all kinds, as apple, pear, quince, cherry, plum, apricot, peach, almond, walnut, pecan nut, (Carya oliraformis), date plum (Diospyros virginiana), Kaki plum, (Kaki pflaume), Kaki figs or Chinese persimmons (Diospyros kaki); further, useful and ornamental trees and bushes or shrubs (Stäucher) of all kinds, especially linden trees, elms, alders, willows, acacia (Akazien), osage oranges and coniferous trees; further (bushes of) raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and related growths, grapevines of all kinds, Euonymus, white thorn, Hagedorn,¶ roses, spiräen (Spiræa ulmaria), Cotoneaster (dwarfmedler, Pyrus chamæmespilus), Japanese quince (Cydonia japonica).

B. Importation is unconditionally permitted of aquatic plants of all kinds and parts of such; further, of all subsurface-growing parts of plants, as, for instance, onion bulbs, and subsurface-growing stems (Rhizomes), also when these bear developed stalks (Triebe), provided that they do not belong to plants of the species included under A.

C. The importation of living land plants and parts thereof, as well as of seedlings, shoots, and the like, which do not belong to group A is permitted when an expert examination gives satisfactory results.

*Ableger-scions, or slips.

+ Setzlinge-shoots, plants, or young trees.

+ Persimmon.

§ The original reads Färber-Maulbeerbaum (Maclura aurantiaca); Färberbaum is Venus sumach; Mulbeerbaum is mulberry tree; but Maclura aurantiaca is the osage orange.

Common hawthorn, may (Cratægus oxyacantha), "der glänzende Weissdorn"-cockspur thornMespilus crus galli.

¶Also hawthorn, white thorn, quick-may (Crataegus oxycantha).