The chemical division collaborated with other divisions in such studies as that of the world trade in chromite and of the coal-tar dre situation in the calf-leather tanning industry in the United States and Europe. The division cooperated in the application of sim plified practice in the paint and varnish and drug industries. For the naval-stores industry a series of special statistical and news reporting services was arranged. An extensive survey on potas has been under way during the greater part of the year.

The number of statements of American chemical imports issued by the bureau was increased from 4 to 20 and of exports from 11 to 1. An important development was the establishment and first meeting of the chemical advisory committee, a liaison between the burest and the chemical industry.

Among many examples of direct trade promotion there may be cited the sale of several lots of American industrial chemicals to German interests, as well as the establishment by the chemical divi sion of sources of supply for many raw materials urgently needed in this country. One New York chemical corporation estimates that it has obtained $50,000 worth of foreign orders in consequen (directly or indirectly) of services rendered by the bureau.

COAL DIVISION

The work of the coal division increased materially during the fiscal year, the number of special circulars issued being more tha four times as many as in the preceding year and the corresponden being nearly 50 per cent greater than in 1923-24. The work of maintaining current statistical tables covering domestic production. distribution, and prices, ocean freight rates, and the production, inports, exports, and prices of coals in foreign countries has been con tinued and enlarged. Special confidential information concerning foreign trade opportunities is distributed to 266 firms and ind viduals. Two monthly reports, going to 450 persons, are issued regularly, one giving a general survey of conditions in the coal trade of the United States and the other a summary of the export coal situation.

The preparation of material for the publication of a coal exporters' manual has been practically completed. Under the chairmanship of the chief of the coal division there was formed a committee composed of representatives from those branches of the Government interested in the coal industry (the Geological Survey. the Bureau of Mines, the Labor Department's Bureau of Statistics the Bureau of the Census, and the coal division of this bureau) to make a study of the statistics relating to the industry now being collected by the Federal Government and to submit recommendstions as to the data that it would be desirable to obtain in the future in order to promote the interests of the public, the Government, and the coal industry. This committee made a thorough study of the whole situation and submitted its report to the Secretary of Con

merce.

The chief of the coal division has made, for the Secretary of Commerce, a study of the possible administrative changes require

for the best service to the industry and the public in fitting into the department's organization the functions of the Bureau of Mines, now transferred to the Department of Commerce.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT DIVISION

The electrical equipment division has devoted a great deal of effort to the maintaining of up-to-date information on radio market possibilities, governmental restrictions, and broadcasting service in all countries of the world, this being a very essential service because of the pronounced activity in the radio field and the consequent flood of inquiries coming to the bureau. A great number of mimeographed circulars were issued directly to manufacturers of radio equipment, besides material supplied to the trade and general

press.

A world survey of electric wiring practices and of the market for American products in this class was completed during the year, and detailed facts were disseminated to the industry. Wide circulation was given to a series of reports on the application of electricity to agriculture in those foreign countries where real work has been done along that line.

In cooperation with the division of foreign tariffs, there was undertaken the preparation of a series of studies of the duties imposed by certain foreign countries on a long list of specific electrical products; a report has been issued for Australia, and material for Argentina and India has been prepared for checking by the tariff division.

Throughout the year the division regularly kept up to date its directory of central stations, preparing, at the same time, condensed lists for certain countries for loan to manufacturers. The division continued to advertise and sell, through the Chicago and New York district offices of the bureau, sets of specifications for electrical equipment being bought by the Electricity Commission of the State of Victoria, Australia. Specifications were handled also for projects in various countries throughout the world, such as Egypt, Uruguay, and the Commonwealth of Australia.

The division responded to a considerably increased number of requests for recommendations as to markets for specific lines, advice on sales policies in different countries, and personal suggestions as to foreign representatives and the like. In a number of instances the division has placed American engineering firms in touch with large construction projects abroad and has worked closely with organizations interested in bidding on such work.

The chief of the division spent four and one-half months on a trip through Venezuela, Colombia, Central America, and Mexico, as a result of which much definite information is being made available to American manufacturers regarding the kinds of electrical products that can be sold, foreign competition, relative sales efficiency of dealers, and other merchandising data.

The concrete value of the bureau's services to the electrical industry is attested by the fact that various firms have written in, stating that they consider its efforts responsible for foreign sales amounting, respectively, to $30,000, $7,000, $10,000, $5,000, etc.

FOODSTUFFS DIVISION

An increase of 65 per cent in the outgoing correspondence marked the work of the foodstuffs division during the fiscal year just past, indicating a very substantial growth in this branch of the bureau's service.

Two new specialists were appointed for service abroad, one with headquarters at Hamburg, Germany, who covers the foreign situation as regards meats, fats, oils, and livestock; and the other with headquarters at Brussels, Belgium, who reports on the tobacco markets of Europe. These men spend about half their time visiting the important marketing centers, to get first-hand information, which, with that furnished by the other two foodstuffs specialists in Europe, is passed on, through the division at Washington, to American interests.

The world survey of agricultural products undertaken in 1923 has shown rapid development during the past fiscal year in the publication of the following bulletins: Marketing Canadian Wheat, Relation Between Value and Volume of Agricultural Exports, Marketing Cotton for Export, International Trade in Raw Silk, International Trade in Minor Fibers, International Trade in Wool, International Trade in Cotton, Marketing of American Meat Products in Export Trade. International Trade in Wheat and Flour, and Seasonal Aspects of Wheat Exporting. Other bulletins issued by this division have included: The Chinese Market for American Foodstuffs and The Cuban Market for American Foodstuffs (bulletins covering other important trade areas are now being prepared); International Trade in Leaf and Manufactured Tobacco; Tobacco Trade of the Scandinavian Countries; Tobacco Trade of Spain, Portugal, and the Canary Islands; Markets for Canned Foods in the Western Hemisphere; World Trade in Canned Salmon; Market for Nonintoxicating Beverages in Latin America; Markets for Flour in Central America; three bulletins of a series on Foreign Markets for Confectionery. covering (1) Latin America, (2) the Far East, and (3) Europe, Canada, the Near East, and África.

There has been a rapid expansion in the various sections of the informational statement entitled "Foodstuffs 'Round the World," which is sent to newspapers, trade papers, business concerns, trade associations, and individuals. Eight sections are now issued weekly, semimonthly, or monthly, as the case demands.

During the past year considerable stress has been laid on the development of information on the minor commodities, such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and tropical products.

HIDE AND LEATHER DIVISION

There was an increase of 115 per cent in the number of special and confidential circulars distributed during the year by the hide and leather division of the bureau, being indicative of a marked growth in the volume of all phases of the work and in the practical assistance afforded to the industry.

The division assisted in the securing of a great many new agencies and direct orders. Trade-information bulletins published included

World Trade in Chromite and The Quebracho Industry, the latter of which has already had a far-reaching influence. Much time was spent in contributing to the Senate document entitled "The Calf Leather Industry." Special reports were made to the four major groups of the industry relative to world markets for sole leather, side upper leather, calf and kip upper leather, and goat and kid upper leather. A new feature of the statistical service was the publication of charts showing, at a glance, the complete situation in the cattle-leather, calf-upper, goat and kid, and sheep and lamb industries. The reindeer industry of Alaska has received considerable attention from the standpoint of the future supply of reindeer skins for the American industry. Advice has been given on methods of take-off, grading, and merchandising, and interest on the part of the tanning industry has been stimulated. In cooperation with the calf-upper-leather group some detailed surveys of foreign markets were prepared and distributed.

The division has worked with various branches of the War Department throughout the year. Through the cooperation of the Quartermaster Corps much preliminary work was done in planning leather procurement in time of national emergency. In conjunction with the Chemical Warfare Service the procurement of special leather for gas masks was arranged. Scores of personal advisory conferences were held in the field with concerns relating to their individual foreign-trade problems. Through the cooperation of the Bureau of Standards the results of analyses of foreign leather and of new tanning materials were placed in circulation. Through the expert advisors on tanning materials several projects are being studied for the growing of vegetable tanning materials in strategic and accessible areas.

INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY DIVISION

One of the activities of the industrial machinery division has been that of making available to American interests the important information gathered by the chief of the division during a tour of investigation of the European markets. Special interest has been shown in the German market, which is now regaining a good deal of its former status as a field for the sale of American machinery. The division has also made special studies regarding the machinery possibilities in various other foreign countries, the effect of European competition on the machinery trade of this country, and business practices appropriate in connection with the sale of machinery in foreign countries; these have apparently proved of great value to Americans interested in exporting mechanical equipment.

Many American machinery manufacturers have been given assistance in the handling of their export problems, especially in finding better channels in all foreign markets for the disposition of their products. There have been a large number of requests for information as to the laws of foreign countries controlling the construction and installation of steam boilers, and the division's file of such data has been in constant demand.

There has been much work with regard to Pan American highway matters, especially in connection with the delegation representing 19 Latin American Republics which visited the United States to study American methods of road construction, the equipment employed, etc. The division has also handled matters having to d with construction projects of various sorts in foreign countries, re porting the particulars to interested American manufacturers. A series of trade information bulletins and mimeographed circulan have been issued describing ice-making and cold-storage plants in various parts of the world, in an effort to provide a complete picture of these facilities for all Americans interested in refrigerated prod ucts and their transportation.

The character of the concrete results obtained by business mer through the efforts of the division may be illustrated by a single instance. A firm of engine builders writes that their export business has been nearly doubled through the help of the bureau. They estimate the business thus obtained at about $60,000 and say that the repeat business that they will receive this year from these ac counts will easily equal or surpass that amount.

IRON AND STEEL DIVISION

The number of services rendered by the bureau and its district offices with respect to all of the commodities handled by the ironsteel-hardware division more than doubled in the past fiscal year as compared with the preceding one. Inquiries concerning hardware. a class of commodities which was transferred to the sphere of this division's activities in May, 1924, accounted in large measure for this remarkable gain. Hardware items comprise at least half of the requests addressed to the division now.

Early in the year an advisory committee was organized among manufacturers of a diversified line of hardware who are actively engaged in export trade. This committee, comprising 14 exporting officials and the chief of the division, has met several times and has afforded important aid in the solution of hardware problems.

Among the new services inaugurated during the year the following may be cited: (1) Studies were made of the trade in metal lath, alloy steel bars, horseshoes and horseshoe nails, card clothing, wood screws, and other steel specialties, and the results were dis tributed in mimeographed form among the manufacturers concerned. (2) The world's leading markets for iron and steel products were analyzed for exporters. (3) Graphs and charts were made to show the world's production of pig iron and ingot steel by countries, and the position of the United States in respect to exports of iron and steel in comparison with the performances of other steel-producing countries. (4) A biweekly hardware bulletin, including pertinent items bearing on foreign marketing possibilities, competitive price information, construction projects of particular importance involv ing the use of hardware, etc., has been given regularly to the hardware trade. (5) Special confidential surveys were issued treating at considerable length of subjects of particular interest to the hardware-exporting trade.