It is understood that the Federation of British Industries' Business Barometer and Trade Forecast for the coming quarter, which will be published in "British Industries" (the new form of the "F-HI. Bul tin") is of a reassuring nature. The compilers, in fact, hold that there fare faint' but unmistakable indica tions of the coming of a world-wide expansion of trade next yea The forecast given last July of a ull in trade expansion has been amply borne out. The F.BL. analysis lof the present situation is still that outlined in the forecast of April last, namely, that the second quarter of the year marked the final emlergence from the trade-cycle depression of 1921-23, since when there has been the reaction which normally follows an upward movement. This reaction, however, has been inten-sifed by the coincidence of similar movements in other countries, notably America, but the Federation believe that these reactions are only temporary, and thet since the upward movements which preceded them were almost wholly "home-trade" movements, they are rela tively unimportant. They were not on a sufficient scale to lift the industries of this country out of their depression, which can only be done by a world-wide revival in trade.
So far anything in the nature of an international movement towards better trade has been prevented not only by the disorganization of world exchanges and the lack of stability in Burope, but also by the lack of balance between the products of agriculture and industry. Speaking broadly, there has been since the war a' relative over-production of agricultural produce, with the result that producers have been foreed to accept uneconomic prices for their crops, and consequently have been unable to buy their normal quota of manufactured goods.
The recent rapid increase in prices of certain foods and. textile raw materials seems to. indicate, it is jergued, that the tide -has turned and, that: prosperity is about to return to agricultural countries. While [with the consolidation of the inland markets, the development of the export trade in high class Swiss goods and,-in a general sense, the. restoration of international com-relations in the fullest possible measure. No other institution is capable of presenting foreign buyers with such full and convincing evidence of the nature and extent of Swiss production, A. visit to the Fair can also be made the occasion of excursions to vi The office of the Swiss Industries Fair in Basle furnishes information throughout the whole year either in writing or verbally and free of fall charge to those interested in Swiss goods and sources of supply. The various goods exhibited at the Swiss Industries Fair are grouped in the following classes snd Pharmaceutical Peo-is
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.