COMMERCE

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are antiquated. The coast of the Mediterranean produces excellent sponges, the Red Sea mother-of-pearl, and the Persian Gulf pearls.

Industries in Turkey are mostly quite primitive. There is a tendency to start factories on a small scale, but the supply of labour seems likely to prove a difficulty. A glass factory on the Golden Horn, belonging to the Civil List Department, has been leased and is now being worked under British management. It employs 250 hands, and turns out about 2,000Z. worth of glass bottles, etc., per month. There is one other glass factory working in Constantinople at Pasha Bagtche, on the Bosporus. It employs 350 hands, and produces about 3,000Z. worth of glass monthly. An Ottoman company has been formed, under British management, to manufacture soap. The works are on the Golden Horn, and produce about 50 tons of soap per month.

A brick and tile factory has started work at Pasha Bagtche, on the Bosporus, on a small scale, and is to be considerably extended, A company has been formed for starting a floating dock at Stenia, on the Bosporus. Two cement factories have been established with local capital at Guebzeh, on the Gulf of Ismidt, and the cement is on the market at the price of 12 jnastres per sack of 50 kilos.

The Turkish Government cloth mills at Kara Mursal aud Ismidt have been equipped with new machinery, and manufacture the khaki woollen cloth required by the army. At Panderma there is a woollen yaru spinning mill belonging to the Oriental Carpet Manufacturers' Company, which produces 2,750,000 lbs. annually, and employs 140 hands. At Smyrna a weaving mill has been opened, with a producing capacity of 500,000 metres (about 546,000 yards), which will be increased this year to 1,200,000 metres (about 1,312,000 yards). It will employ 300 to 400 hands.

Commerce.

In 1675 the commercial privileges granted under Capitulations to several foreign nations were extended to the English, and in 1809 these were con- firmed by treaty. The 8 per cent, ad valorem duty has been increased to 11 per cent. The total trade of Turkey in various years ending February 28 has been as follows (£T1 of 100 piastres = 18 shillings, or £T10 = 9Z., or 10^. = £T11):—

Years

1S9U 1900 1908

Imports

23.959,130 22,04(5,880 34,(573,619

Exports

12,082,900 14,032,2(55 19,213,031

Years

Imports

1909 1910 1911

£T 31,432,231 33,382,55(5 37,774,913

Exports

£T

18,439,071 18,198,447 22,474,818

The chief imports and exports in 1910-11 were : —

Cattle .

Animal products

Cereals

Fruit .

CoHee, tea, spices

Sugar .

Oils and Fats .

Chemicals .

Imports Exports

£T

564,032

573.355 4,810;583

312,488 1,115,824 3,229,111 1,639,987

573,873

£T

620,096 1,018,613 1,991,892 4,340,261

223,658 99,639

939,090

704,758

Metals & Manufac- tures Timber

Hides and skins Textiles Tobacco Machinery . Drugs . . . . Jewellery .

Imports

£T

2,664,311

851,434

1,404,524

13,864,750

884,494 242,401 534,227

Exports

£T

565,586

272,072

780,496

5,435,332

2,705,874

3,871

1,897,542

15,369

4 V