IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9161, 17 September 1888, Page 5

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

[from our own correspondent.] London. August 11. When some time ago a statement was made of the moneys which had been collected on behalf of the Imperial Institute, it was noticed with surprise that there was no mention of the sums received from India. The explanation of this silence would seem to be that, like the colonic?, India has nob subscribed as liberally to rao Prince of \\ ales' pet project as had been expected. It is now announced that that worthy personage, Sir Somers Vine, is about to proceed to India to canvass the princes and nobles of our great dependency for further subscriptions. This step meets with much disapproval amongst AngloIndians, because to all intents and purposes it is equivalent to demanding money from the Indian chiefs. The latter will not be able to discriminate between a request and a command, and are sure to regard an invitation, to subscribe to the scheme which the Prince of Wales has taken in hand as an indirect command to do so. The practice of semi-official begging amongst the Indian potentates has increased very much of receht years, and has more than once called forth some strongly-worded remonstrances from the older Anglo-Indian official element. One would think this latest step will nob do anything to reconcile the adverse critics to "the custom. The authorities of tho Imperial Institute have taken action in another direction, which looks well at first sight, but hardly bears examination. Some time ago the General Council entered into communication witli the Chambers of Commerce throughout tho country with regard to the establishment of a commercial intelligence department, and it is now stated that arrangements have been made for carrying j this project into execution. A sum of £800 has been set aside for the immediate development of the department, and additional accommodation has been secured in the same building as the present Institute offices in the Adelphi, fo'- the purposes of receiving and dealing witii the information which has been collected. The first step will be the preparation of a register, in which will be entered all the details procurable in reference to the various articles of commerce. The preparation of this register is intended to lead up to the periodical publication of the most reliable information with respect to all the classes of industry and commerce enumerated in it. In order to collect and keep up the supply of information, agencies will be established in all the important trade centres in and out of the United Kingdom and colonies. These will probably be about twenty in number, and will include branches at Montreal, New York, .Jamaica, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Singapore, Calcutta, Capetown, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Berlin, and Rome. The correspondents at these places will send off reports by every mail, anil these will be supplemented by brief telegraphic code despatches bringing down the information to the latest possible moment prior to the publication of the Register in London. It is estimated that the cost of this service will be about £2000 a-year. Probably about ten times this sum would be a little 'nearer the mark. If the agents begin telegraphing, one man at an Australasian centre will soon make a large hole in £2000, and if there are to be twenty of them at work, it will he apparent that the sum mentioned will not go very far.