The number of passengers and the amount of merchandise carried between 1907-12 inclusive were :—

The railway from Konakry in French Guinea to the Niger has grown steadily although the receipts in 1913 were less than those of 1912. The receipts and expenditure of this railway between the years 1905-12 inclusive were :—

The number of passengers and the amount of merchandise carried between 1906-12 inclusive were:—

In 1914 the total receipts of the railways of French West Africa are expected to realise 10,306,000 fr., or 412,0401. The expenditure will probably amount to 9,000,000 fr., or 360,0007.

The following shows in detail the railway budgets of the various lines in 1914 :—

But to the above should be added the revenue expected from the port of Dakar, 979,000 fr., which makes a total, when added to the railway receipts, of 11,285,000 fr.

Budget. The budget of French West Africa for the year 1914 has been fixed at 31,300,000 fr., or 1,252,000l., against 31,830,000 fr., or 1,273,2001., in 1913.

The customs receipts, which form the largest part of the revenue of French West Africa, are expected to realise 23,396,000 fr., or 935,840. This is a decrease of 174,000 fr., or 6,960l., upon the previous year.

The estimated revenue may, however, be exceeded. The value of land along the Thiès-Kayes Railway is likely to go up; and this year the groundnut trade will probably increase.

The revenue of the Ivory Coast should increase on account of the creation of new customs posts on the Gold Coast and Liberian frontiers.

The programme of works projected for the year 1914 accounts for a great deal of the expenditure. The principal works, with the estimated cost thereof, are as follows:

The following are the local budgets-that is to say, the budget of each of the colonies comprising French West Africa-for the year

Openings for British trade in the Consular district.-The Consular district of Dakar covers such an enormous area and comprises so many colonies and territories that the openings for British trade must necessarily vary greatly. In Senegal, French Guinea and the Ivory Coast there are good openings in cotton goods, ironware, provisions and oils. In Senegal, French Guinea and the Sudan (Upper Senegal and Niger) there is a preferential tariff, which is, of course, all in favour of French goods. The British merchant is, therefore, considerably handicapped at the start. However, in spite of every effort made by the French authorities to encourage the goods of their own nation, and in spite of the recent introduction of a new tariff on cottons, British-made cotton goods cannot be beaten, and are a great deal more popular with, and appreciated by, the native buyers, than are the cottons of French or foreign manufacture.

No preferential tariff exists on the Ivory Coast, thanks to the Niger Convention, and the openings for British trade in that colony are given on page 33.

Togo. There are openings for British trade in the following:Cotton goods, iron goods, enamelware, earthenware, haberdashery, sewing machines, copper and brassware, cutlery, rice, biscuits, whisky and wines, soap, salt, cigarettes, lamps, lanterns, lead bars, iron sheets, coal-tar, timber and pomade.

Portuguese Guinea.-In this colony there are openings in cotton goods, alcohol, gun-caps, guns, gunpowder, rice, lamps, leaf tobacco, salt, tin, lead bars, tobacco and cigarettes, rope, matches, pipes, ironware, hardware, biscuits, cutlery, soap, earthenware, iron sheets, lanterns and coal-tar. There is no doubt but that the openings for

British trade are good.

Movements of trade in French West Africa.-The total value of trade in French West Africa in the year 1913 amounted to 277,718,152 fr., or 11,108,726., the imports being 151,574,300 fr., or 6,062,9721., and the exports 126,143,852 fr., or 5,045,7541.

In 1913 the value of the imports in the various colonies were :

In order to compare the results of 1912 with 1913 the value of trade for the two years in the colonies comprising French West Africa is shown in the following table :

The following is the value of the principal products exported from

French West Africa during the year 1913

The following were the principal articles and their value imported into Senegal during the years 1912–13 :—

The following were the principal products and their value exported from Senegal during the years 1912-13 :

The following were the principal articles and their value imported into French Guinea during the years 1912-13 :