The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1914. BRITISH TRADE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1914. BRITISH TRADE.

Trade leturns for the United Kingdom show a wonderful expansion in tlio Mother Country’s external trade last year, and never before has 'Britain’s export of manufactured goods been so great. Not only were the £768,800,000 of imports and £634,800,000 of exports the highest yet recorded, but after allowing for the steady growth of population, they were the highest per head in the history of the country. Not only this, but in addition the United Kingdom still holds pride of place as the great.; est trading country in the world, and ■ the outlook is that it is less likely than ever that either of her great competitors—the United States or , Germany—will overtake her. Brit, ish trade is very much alive in spite; of the many tales to the contrary, which from time to time are put in circulation. Looking at statistics; over a period of fifty years, one; finds what the trade expansion real-; ly has been : 1863—Imports £248,919,000, per head £8 9s oil, exports £196.902,000, peri head £6 13s 9d; 1873—£371,287,000, £ll 11s 2d, £311,005,000, £9 13s 7d ; I 1883—£426,892,000. £l2 0s lOd, £305..! 437.000, £8 12s Id: 1893—£404.688,-1 000, £lO 10s 7d, £277.138,000, £7 4s j 3d; 1903—£542,600.000, £l2 16s lid,! £360.371,000, £8 10s 7d; 1913—£768,. 830.000. £lO Us. £634,806,000. £l3 15s 10d. Chiefly owing to the great wars in 1802 and 1871, British trade made great expansion because of the high prices, but it is shown that as far as exports were concerned, that trade did not overtake the 1873 loved for sixteen years afterwards, and per head it diminished considerably. The year 1893 was a year of wide-j spread depression, and as a result j the volume of British trade was cx-|

ccptionally low. But tlie recovery even up to 1903 was slow, and it was a feature for grave consideration that, while the excess oi imports in 1873 was only £60,000,000, in iOO ! that excess reached £182,000,000. The past ten years has show n a remarkable transformation, and while the have increased by £226,000,000, the exports have increased by £271,000,000, and the excess of imports has dropped to £134,000,000, The' imports in those ten years luu» grown by £.3 lis per head, while 'the exports have increased by as much as £5 os. The record is a wonderfully gratifying one as indicating clearly the great and continued vitalitv of the Mother Country.