IMPERIAL FIGURES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12184, 27 March 1909, Page 4

IMPERIAL FIGURES.

Tha Board of Trade has just issued its impressive annual volume of Empire statistics. That the Empire embraces 11,332,000 square miles of territory, populated by 396' millions of people,white, 3'ello'w, black and brown, every schcolboy is presumed to know. The United Kingdom contains over onoeighlh of tue Empire's population, bub its square mileage is on'y as 1 to 94, compared to the whole territory over which King Edward reigns. Our world trade* in 1937 totalled £1,667,334 000, but J-c&s than 20 per-cent, of tin's wns done inter-imperially, whilst ovor 74 per cont. was done with "the we rid without." Still the inter-imperial figures were not to be despised. " Between the various parts of the Empire trade was done to the value of £430,537,000. In the ten years up to 1907, the Em- ; piro'.s trade with foreign countries in ■ creased.by £432,000,000, and the.■ inter-• imperial tradeincreased- by;''£-168;Q06>-': 000. The largest ind'yid'ial trade is don:) be woe:i:th^ Empire atfii- the United States <f .A-iiicritfa,.froiu-7.whitt¥;t}fe> Empit* in ,190? V £^,O4;7:000 -

wcri-h of goods, and to which the Em-r-iro sold £120,065,003 worth of goods. Every year the Empire produces vast wealth in the shape of agricultural products and minerals. In 1907 united coal output amounted to nearly 305 million tons, and over.. 17 million tons of iron were-won from.mother earth in the Kind's dominions. Of wheat the

Empire produced 412| million bushels, of oats 372£ million bushels, of barley 11*4 million bushels, and of maize nearly 33 million busliels. The tea" production of the Empire,amounted to nrarly 4"/ l million pounds, of cotton 1235 million pounds, of coffee over 45 million pounds, and of rubber nearly 10 million pounds. The greater part of all ifiis produce, of course, is consumed within the Empire. f