DETAILS OF IMPORTS 187 



January 1915. Some points of interest can be derived 

 from the figures there given. 



In the first instance, each month of the war showed 

 a steady drop in the imports as compared with those 

 of the same month during the previous year ; and all 

 the countries from which the imports came participated 

 more or less in this decrease. German imports dis- 

 appear at once, as also, though not shown separately, 

 does Austrian oak. Russian imports drop from 

 222,000 loads valued at £522,000 to 99,000 loads at 

 £203,000, the latter figure being fully as much perhaps 

 as one could have expected from her under the circum- 

 stances. From Sweden the imports show a slight 

 decrease of 2,600 loads, whilst the price rises by £2,000 

 odd. Norway exhibits consistently rising imports for 

 the six-month period, the total being nearly double 

 that of the previous year, valued at £50,700 (as against 

 £25,200) — a most satisfactory state of affairs. From 

 the United States, as also Canada, the imports fiuctuate, 

 some months of the war showing a rise, notably August 

 and November for America, and August, September, 

 and October for Canada. America has a total decrease 

 of about £180,000 in values for the war period, whilst 

 Canada, with a slight total increase of imports, has a 

 corresponding slight increase in values. From British 

 India the chief export in timber is teak, and here the 

 market would appear to be recovering itself by January 

 1915, this latter month (with the exception of Septem- 

 ber) being the only one to show an increase of this 

 material over that of 1914. The totals exhibit a 

 small decrease (15,000 loads to 13,000, valued at 

 £280,000 and £249,000), there being an advance in 



