BRITISH TRADE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1329, 17 May 1918, Page 7 (Supplement)

BRITISH TRADE.

STANDING WAR STRAIN. By Calle. — rress Association. — Copyright. (A. & N.Z.I LONDON, May 15. The House of Commons discussed the Board of Trade vote. Sir A. H. Stanley (President of the Board) drew attention to the enormous decline in Britain's imports since the war. The imports in 1917 were only two-thirds as much as the imports in 1913, and he estimated that this year they would be onehalf those'in 1913. They must make allowance for imports direct to France for the armies, but Britain's resources had proved marvellous. Nobody before the war would have ventured to prophesy that. Britain could have carried on as she had done with so little discomfort. It was a most valuable lesson, which ought to be borne in mind after the war. ' Our 1917 imports totalled £1,065,000,000,- and our exports amounted to £398,000,000, including re-exports. These figures were misleading, as indicating the growth of our trade, for two reasons —namely, the changed character of the goods we were manufacturing, and the changed price level since the war. We must remember that a large part of our lost trade was due to a cessation of trading with our enemies and Belgium and Rumania. He estimated that over one-half of Britain's,workers to-day were doing Government work, and estimated that the aggregate output from industry to-day was little less than before the war.' This constituted a truly remarkable performance. . He estimated that there were now 1,500,000 more women engaged on what was normally men's work than before the war.

The Government's control of the railways had heen thoroughly satisfactory, but the bargain with the railway companies would show a loss to the State. Of all the big services, the railways alone had not increased their charges for the carriage of goods. The railways after the war would be faced with higher wages, and would not have the same facility for' securing men, because labour would be much scarcer than before the war.

On the general policy of State control, Sir Albert Stanley said he thought it would be a great pity if the economy which unified control effected should not be secured permanently to traders. The Government was applying a more drastic coal-rationing scheme, and also setting up a Priority Committee to determine coal consumption for industrial purposes, and was also rationing gas and electricity. With a view to preventing Germany from recapturing the dye industry, the importation of foreign dyes and dyestuffs would be controlled under license for 10 years. . Of the members of the mercantile marine, 12,500 had been killed during the war. Their dependents were receiving £170,000 yearly.