Mr. Runciman on Definite Progress in the Right Direction: Home Market Saturated London, July 27.
In reviewing the Brilish trade situation in the House of Commons to-day, the President of the Board of Trade. Mr. Walter Runciman, said that in the first six months of this year exports totalled £190,000,000, which was an increase of £15,000,000 over the first six months of last. year.
The most notable increases in exports referred to the woollen and Worsted trades, which showed rise of £8,000,000 on the half year, and in machinery and iron and steel, teach of which showed a rise of £21 000,000, These Agures. he said, although not sensational, showed a tendency in the right direction.
Cotton Trade Unchanged improvement had occurred in the cotton trade, which remained one fof the most unfortunate of the great Industries. He was, however, hopeful that the schemes now being discussed in Lancashire might produce better results.
Unemployment figures in the engineering trade had decreased by about 88,000, and in the coal trade by 26,500 as compared with a year ago.
'There had been during the last. 18] months a remarkable change in the country's unemployment figures, bu' 4 further big reduction could not be expected from expansion of the home market alone, which had done so well as nearly to reach saturation point, Rellance on World Trade was necessary to rely on world trate for a further "substantial provement in the employinen: Hgures. World trade was unfortunately, still paralysed in many regions. The best they could say was that the decline was being arrested and that Britain's share' In. the restricted world trade
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