Struggle for Markets.

A recent event that attracted world-wide interest was Canada's initial wheat shipment by the Hudson Bay route. That route marks the Canadian wheat-grower's effort to come nearer to Liverpool. Canada calculates that Russia can grow within 400 miles of the Black Sea as much wheat as Western Canada has been producing in its most favoured years. Therefore, Canada, for reasons which New Zealand will well appreciate, tries to reduce the length of the sea route to her market. Geographically, she will do so for a portion of the year, but whether she will reduce freights—considering the reaction of ice risks on insurance—remains to be seen. Higher insurance rates via Hudson Bay might easily cancel any freight advantage derivable on mileage compared with the route by the St. Lawrence.

Big plans for the re-signalling of the French railways have recently been approved by the Paris Ministry of Public Works. Five years is to be spent on bringing the French signalling system completely up-to-date, and some £600,000 is to be spent under this head. Standardisation of signalling on all the French railways is contemplated, and the existing mechanically-operated signals are to be replaced by new signals of the three-aspect day colour light type. —From Our London Correspondent.

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