GREAT BRITAIN'S TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10830, 24 November 1906, Page 6 (Supplement)

GREAT BRITAIN'S TRADE.

FIGURES FOR FIFTVT YEARS,

Some people May find comfort m the facts disclosed by a. couple of the charts m Great Britain's Court at the Exhibition. The diagrams shows that there has been a rapid increase m the consumption of tea, sugar, cocoa, currants,' raisins, and tobacco, but there has been a decline m coffee, and British beer. Tho imports of wheat have very largely increased. In 1854 Great Britain, with a population of 29,000,000, imported 38,000,000 "bushels, and produced 100.000,000 bushels. In 1905, when the population was 42,000,000, the imports leached 220,000,000, and grew oniy 40,000,000. In England and Scotland during the past fifty years pauperism has greatly declined, but m Ireland the rate rose from 16 per 1000 m 1885 to 25 m 1905. Imports ascended from £150,000,000 m 1854 to £570,000,000 m 1905, &nd exports grew from £120,000,000 to £400,000,000. Apparently the imports have increased at a greater increase than the exports, but the value of new ships exported has not been included m the. export figure.-,. Generally, the fluctuations of exports and imports, shown by the rise and fall of — the curves, are m close sympath/ with each other. The toiiiiasre of vessels cleared and entered with cargoes m 1854 was 8,000,000 and 7,000,00f- respective!: whilst m 1905 the tonnage had increase i to 50,000,000 and 40,000,000 respectively. During the same period the railway goods traffic receipts increased from £10,000,000 to £57,000,000. The production of coal increased during the period from 63 million tons to 237 million tons, .-md pig iron rose from three million tons to nine millions. The Hcne j-msuniptioii of coal im- ceased between 1873 and 1905 from U5 miliims of tons to 170,000,000 tons.

Tbe consumption of raw cotton increased m the half -century from 7 to 17 million twts. Betw.-tn 1866 and 190 j the consumption of -aw wool increas-i-i from 2| million cwts to 4£ million cwts. During the past fifteen years there had been a decrease m consumption of raw wool.

The • et tonnage of ships built, exclusive of those for the Royal Navy, but inclusive of wai - ships built for foreigners, increased during the half rentu-y from 350,000 torn to 875,000 tons.