AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The primary commercial schools in Austria which receive State subventions are in the following towns:

There are a number of others in towns which I have been unable to locate.

The number of advanced commercial schools in Austria subsidized by the State is as follows: a

Trieste.
Reichenbach.
Innspruck.

Trient.
Prague.

Gratz.

Krakow.
Linz.
Chrudim.

A law exists in Hungary which says that where there are 50 apprentices in any one community, instruction in commercial subjects must be provided. The course of instruction must be maintained, even if the number of pupils should at any time fall below 50, provided that the outlook is that this standard may be regained. The time spent by an apprentice in Hungary in learning his trade is three years, as in most other countries. During the year there must be at least ten months of uninterrupted instruction. The months of July and August constitute the vacation period; other vacation days are: Christmas, from December 20 to January 2; Easter, one week; and Whitsuntide, two days. The birthdays of the Emperor and Empress, as well as of a number of other personages, are also kept as holidays.

As soon as a child is registered as an apprentice, it is the duty of the master to send him to one of the apprentice trade or commercial classes. Apprentices are compelled by law to attend the public school every day until the age of 12 has been reached. There is a law, however, which prevents a child under 12 years of age from becoming an apprentice, but a great many children become such by special permission of the municipal authorities. Apprentices must have completed the public school course by 12 years of age, must have a knowledge of arithmetic, and must be able to read and write readily. In exceptional cases, where an apprentice has not completed a public school course, the director of the school may admit him as a pupil if he can read and write sufficiently. In towns where no commercial schools exist apprentices after 12 years of age are compelled to attend advanced classes in the public schools; they must attend school during the entire time of their apprenticeship.

The commercial schools or classes usually occupy rooms in the public schools. The public school teachers are employed, more or less, to give instruction. In schools where independent teachers are employed the positions are for life. Teachers from the public schools are, in most cases, only temporarily selected.

The subjects taught in the advanced commercial schools in Hungary are the following:

BELGIUM.

There are several institutions in Belgium in which only commercial branches are taught. The Higher Commercial Institute in Antwerp, which may be placed in this class, was founded in 1852 by the joint efforts of the Government and the municipal authorities. Pupils who have completed the higher public schools are admitted without examination. The course of instruction occupies two years, at the end of which time each pupil receives a diploma. The number of pupils averages about 300, only one-half of whom are natives of Belgium. After the course has been completed, young Belgians who have shown special aptitude in their studies may become candidates for a stipend granted by the Government, which will enable them to reside for a short time in some foreign country to more thoroughly fit themselves for active business.

The Commercial Institute of St. Ignace, in Antwerp, was founded by the Jesuits in 1852. The course of instruction lasts six years. A commercial museum has been established in connection with the school. Examinations are held by a committee, and written testimonials are issued to those who complete the commercial courses.

The commercial school in Melle was founded as long ago as 1837. It has been attended by about 1,000 pupils since that time, and many of them are to be found to-day holding responsible and profitable positions in large commercial houses. In 1868 an institute for languages and commercial sciences was founded in Liege. The curriculum included the following subjects:

Instruction takes place in the evening after business hours. The school is coeducational, having about 350 male and 50 female students.

In addition to these schools a great many classes have been organized in Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, which give instruction in languages. There are many schools of a private nature established by Catholic priests, in which languages, bookkeeping, and other commercial subjects are taught. Higher institutions of learning in Belgium also devote much attention to commercial education. The school of mines in Mons, the naval schools in Ostend and Antwerp, and the agricultural school in Gembloux all teach languages, commercial law, and commercial geography. In the State universities of Liege and Ghent, as well as in the universities in Löwen and Brussels, lectures are given on national political economy, commercial geography, statistics, finance, commercial law, and mathematics. The Government decided to have these lectures in the universities, as they gave young men a better preparation for the consular service. There are about forty State schools for girls in Belgium where attention is paid to commercial subjects. In the few primary commercial schools which have been established-for example, in Verviers and Liege-girls are also admitted.

NORWAY AND SWEDEN.

The public commercial school system which exists in Norway is about 27 years old, dating from the establishment of the Commercial Institute in Christiania in 1875. Prior to that event, commercial branches were taught chiefly by public school teachers and others in private lessons. Well-to-do people, who could afford it, sent their sons to Dresden, Leipzig, Lübeck, Copenhagen, and other cities for special training in large business houses. In 1900 there were three public commercial schools in Norway-namely, in Bergen, Christiania, and Bodö. The course of instruction in each lasts two years. The following table shows the subjects taught:

There are two well-organized commercial institutions in Sweden, namely, at Stockholm and Gothenburg. Each school receives an annual subsidy of $2,000 from the Government, and, in addition, donations from merchant organizations. The same subjects are taught as in the commercial schools of Norway.

FRANCE.

Commercial education is a subject which has received much attention in France since 1870. The Government has founded no schools of this kind, but it has encouraged the work of the chambers of commerce in this direction. There are three groups of commercial schools in France namely:

I. Primary commercial schools.

II. Commercial schools.

III. Advanced commercial schools.

Primary commercial schools.-These are located in almost every city of France which has any commercial or industrial importance. The subjects taught and the number of hours devoted to each study per week in most of them are:

These schools are nearly all coeducational.

The teachers are recruited from merchants and public school instructors. Many of the schools have good libraries. After finishing these courses, the girls easily find positions in large business houses, where many of them draw salaries as high as $500 a year.

Commercial schools. Most of the institutions of this class in France are connected with industrial schools. Boulogne is the only city in which the commercial and industrial schools are not in the same building. There are 14 commercial schools of this class at present in France, and 7 for girls. They are:

The commercial schools for girls are situated in Boulogne-sur-mer, Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, St. Etienne, and Lyon. It costs about $2,000 a year to

maintain one of these schools.

Advanced commercial schools.-In 1900 there were 8 commercial schools which belonged to this group. They were the following:

The course lasts two years and the hours of instruction average about thirty each week.

REMARKS.

A comparison of what the different countries are doing for commercial education, as described in the foregoing, brings out preeminently the practice of the Institute of Commerce in Antwerp. Students who have passed their final examinations with credit are entitled to offer themselves as candidates for a stipend, which permits them to remain for three years in some foreign country for the purpose of studying economic conditions and acquiring a practical knowledge of business. All that is required of them, as far as the Government is concerned, is to report from time to time on the results of their observations. About 70 students have thus far been able to take advantage of this exceptional privilege. The stipend consists of $1,000 a year. These young men have gone out in the interests of Belgium's commerce to Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Philippine Islands, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United States, and Canada. Some 30 of them have made permanent homes in the countries to which they were sent. Some have become merchants, others commercial agents, and not a few are in the service of the Japanese and Chinese Governments as educators. To Belgium, however, they remain the pioneers of commerce, and the money thus expended draws ample interest. The far-reaching results achieved proves the wisdom of the policy.

EIBENSTOCK [GERMANY], May 21, 1903.

ERNEST L. HARRIS,
Commercial Agent.

Instruction for teachers in commercial schools.—The Prussian Royal Gazette for Trade and Industry announces that a session devoted to the preparation of teachers in advanced commercial schools will be held in Berlin, under the auspices of the minister for trade and commerce, from November 25 to December 22. Courses will be offered in bookkeeping, business law, commercial law, banking, exchange, mail and railroad traffic, and business correspondence. Discussions will be held relative to methods and plans of teaching, and visits to factories will be made. Forty to fifty teachers will take part in the session, instruction being free; their fare for both ways is paid, and they receive an allowance of $1.25 daily.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS IN GERMANY.

There are 287 industrial schools in Saxony. The population of the Kingdom is 4,202,216, or one industrial school to every 14,641 people. The schools are divided into the following classes:

1. Advanced industrial schools (Höhere gewerbliche Schulen).

2. Special industrial schools (Gewerbliche Fachschulen).

3. Industrial schools for drawing and painting (Zeichen- und Malschulen).

4. Industrial schools for women, girls, and children (Gewerbliche Lehranstalten für Frauen, Mädchen, und Kinder).

5. Industrial primary or continuation schools (Gewerbliche Fortbildungsschulen).

ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

There are 12 schools of this class in Saxony, located in the following cities:

Chemnitz.
Plauen.

Hainichen.

Dresden.
Mittweida.
Zwickau.

Leipzig.
Limbach.

Bautzen.

The following curriculum of the advanced industrial school in Chemnitz not only speaks for itself, but is a fair example by which to judge the others. It is divided into five distinct minor schools, known as the industrial academy, architecture, machine construction, dyeing, and industrial drawing departments. The industrial academy furnishes four courses, namely, for mechanics, chemists, architects, and electricians. The conditions of admission demand of the student sufficient educa. tion to be in possession of the certificate which entitles him to one year's service in the army. In addition to this he must show evidence that he has passed two years in some factory acquiring practical knowledge of the branch in which he desires to theoretically perfect himself in the industrial school. The course of study for mechanics is as follows:

The courses in the other departments are similar to this one.

Arithmetic.
Spinning.