The Board of Trade has sent us the first two
numbers of a journal, which is for the future to be issued monthly, and to contain all the commercial intelligence transmitted to the Government from all parts of the world by the agents of the Foreign Office. All changes in tariffs, actual or proposed, are reported, and all legal decisions affecting tariffs; while the reports forwarded by Consuls are carefully edited, under the superintendence of Mr. R. Giffen. Much of the information must, of course, be of a technical kind ; but it is often valuable, as, for example, a description by the Acting Consul at Tai-wan, Formosa, upon the cotton cloths which suit the millions of China. Their demand is limitless, but they will not buy what we usually export. The goods are too thin, and have too little warmth in them for any but the rich. The poor Chinese want " nntearable, unwearoutable homespuns," such as they make themselves, specimens of which the Consul forwards. If Manchester can make them at the price, there is a new and endless market ; if not, it is useless to send to China fabrics only fit for India, where the object is to avoid warmth. That report may be worth millions a year to the cotton centres, yet but for this new undertaking it might never have been seen, being lost in the depths of an annual Blue-Book, which nobody would buy. The idea is an admirable one, and may be expanded until the journal becomes a kind of commercial Moniteur, containing the official account of the trade necessities of the world. There are things wanted in quantities all over the world of which the British manufacturer, who will make anything he is asked for, but who is slow to suggest, has never heard. Every native of India, for example, wants a cheap plaid for the cold weather, and likes it square. How many do we export ?
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