METALLURGICAL INDUSTRIES.-The number of blast furnaces in' operation in France in 1904 was 110, giving employment to 12,464 workmen. The total output of pig iron was 2,974,042 metric tons, divided as follows: Run of the furnace, 143,715 tons; foundry pig, 463,218 tons; gray forge pig, 701,109 tons; Bessemer, 194,118 tons; Thomas, 1,440,666 tons; spiegeleisen, ferromanganese, etc., 31,216 tons. The combined value of the product was 193,120,655 francs ($37,272,286). The quantity of wrought iron and steel produced was 661,881 metric tons, comprising 525,143 tons of bar iron, 74,728 tons of steel bars, 59,679 tons of plates and large sheets, and 2,331 tons of forge pieces. The total number of employees was 20,754, and the value of the product 110,668,312 francs ($21,358,984). The total production of steel ingots was 2,087,474 metric tons. In the production of cast steel 250,161 metric tons were composed of rails, fish plates, and cross bars, 27,243 metric tons of tires, 799,212 metric tons of steel bars, 286,791 metric tons of plates and large sheets, 19,994 metric tons of forge pieces, and 23,750 metric tons of steel castings. The total number of employees was 35,544. The total value of all metals other than iron was 56,457,982 francs ($10,896,391), and the average number of employees was 4,204.

STEAM APPARATUS. The number of steam boilers of all kinds in operation in 1904 was 116,122. Of this number 94,880 were used in industrial and other establishments, 16,785 were employed upon railroads and tramways, and 4,457 were upon steamboats exclusive of the vessels belonging to the French navy. The total number of steam engines was 104,554, with an aggregate horsepower of 10,285,407. The number of accidents due to the use of steam power was 29, of which 10 resulted in slight injury to persons or simply damaged property. The other 19 accidents resulted in the death of 18 persons and the incapacitating of 26 persons for a period exceeding 20 working days.

GREAT BRITAIN.

Statistics of Proceedings under the Workmen's Compensation Acts, 1897 and 1900, and the Employers' Liability Act, 1880, during the years 1904 and 1905. 41 pp.; 46 pp. (Published by the Home Office.)

The statistical information contained in these reports relates to the proceedings under the acts named in the title and was compiled from returns made by registrars of county courts and officers of the supreme court in England, Wales, and Ireland, sheriff clerks and officers of the court of session in Scotland, and from information available from medical referees, chief registrars of friendly societies, and the returns made by railway companies to the Board of Trade.

Various summary tables are shown, those for England and Wales giving statistics of compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts and of damages under the Employers' Liability Act for a number of years. The reports do not give similar summaries for Scotland and Ireland, but those for England and Wales are here reproduced as indicating the workings of the acts from year to year. The following table shows, for each of the first seven years after the act of 1897 went into force, the number of cases under the Workmen's Compensation Acts in which compensation was awarded on account of death and the total and average awards. Cases in which the deceased left no dependents are not included.

TOTAL AND AVERAGE AMOUNTS AWARDED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTS FOR CASES OF DEATH WHERE DEPENDENTS WERE LEFT, FOR EACH YEAR, 1899 TO 1905.

In the following summary the cases of total and partial incapacity and the average weekly amount paid under the Workmen's Compensation Acts are shown for the same series of years:

AVERAGE WEEKLY AMOUNT AWARDED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTS FOR CASES OF TOTAL AND PARTIAL INCAPACITY, FOR EACH YEAR, 1899 TO 1905.

A summary of the cases acted on under the Employers' Liability Act, from 1895 to 1905, together with total damages awarded, is shown in the following table:

CASES IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY ACT, ACCORDING TO RESULTS, AND TOTAL DAMAGES AWARDED, FOR EACH YEAR, 1895 TO 1905.

In the following table a comparison is made between the average amount of compensation awarded by county courts in England and Wales under the Workmen's Compensation Acts in cases of death, and the average damages recovered in similar cases under the Employers' Liability Act for each year from 1899 to 1905:

AVERAGE COMPENSATION AWARDED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTS IN CASES OF DEATH, AND AVERAGE DAMAGES IN SIMILAR CASES UNDER THE EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY ACT, FOR EACH YEAR, 1899 TO 1905.

In addition to the summary tables the reports give tables showing in detail the operation of the Workmen's Compensation Acts and the Employers' Liability Act in each country of the United Kingdom for the years 1904 and 1905. From these tables are drawn the following statements, bringing into comparison the figures of the various. countries.

The first statement shows the number of cases under the Workmen's Compensation Acts decided by arbitrations in the county courts of England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in 1904 and 1905, the manner in which they were dealt with, the number of cases for

which compensation was awarded, and the total amount of compensation.

CASES UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTS DECIDED BY ARBITRATIONS IN COUNTY COURTS AND COMPENSATION AWARDED, FOR EACH COUNTRY, 1904 AND 1905.

The above table shows the total lump sums and weekly payments awarded. The following table shows the number of cases according to kind of compensation awarded, whether for death or for total or partial incapacity, and the total and average amount awarded in lump sums and in weekly payments for each country in 1904 and 1905:

TOTAL AND AVERAGE AMOUNTS AWARDED UNDER THE WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACTS BY ARBITRATIONS IN COUNTY COURTS FOR CASES OF DEATH, AND OF TOTAL AND PARTIAL INCAPACITY, FOR EACH COUNTRY, 1904 AND 1905.

In addition to the lump sums awarded as shown in the table, compensation was awarded in 1904 for one case in Ireland of death where no dependents were left and in 1905 for one case in England and Wales. The former award amounted to £10 ($48.67), the latter to £8 7s. 6d. ($40.76).

In England and Wales there were 3,625 cases in 1904 and 4,317 in 1905, which were decided by agreement, committee, or arbitrator, and registered in county courts under the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Acts. In Scotland 521 cases were decided in this manner in 1904 and 411 in 1905, and in Ireland 84 cases in 1904 and 124 in 1905. The following table shows for each country the number of these cases in 1904 and 1905 according to the manner in which they were settled, the number of cases for which compensation was awarded, and the amount of compensation.