May 25, 1916 
L A N 1) & \\A T \i R 
41 
British Empire Production and Trade 
By John Holt Schooling (Author of " The BrhUh Trade Book"). 
WHICH is the more valuable thing to a man, to 
a nation, to an Empire : the power of pro- 
duction, or the opportunity of a cheap con- 
sumption ? During recent generations, all 
fiscal legislation in England has been in the direction of 
securing cheap consumption, cheap for the time being that 
is to say, without any regard for efiicient production. 
But surely, and notably in the long run, production is of 
far more value than cheap consumption. Our ignis 
faiuus, cheap consumption at any cost, has caused us not 
only to neglect the full development of our power of pro- 
duction, and the co-ordination of the vast resources of our 
Empire, but it has also given to our rival in trade and 
enemy in war a great advantage. Namely, the advan- 
tage of the Double Market for sales as compared with our 
Single Market for sales. To illustrate this point, look at 
the free or open market for sales possessed before the war 
by the llnited Kingdom and by Germany. Germany 
had a free market for sales of seventy millions of people in 
(iermany, plus another free market for sales of forty-six 
millions of people in the United Kingdom. Namely, 
Germany had the Double Eree Market of 116 millions of 
buyers. But the United Kingdom had only a free or open 
market for sales among forty-six millions of people in the 
United Kingdom. Namely, the Single Market as com- 
pared with (lermany's Double Market. That fact has 
been for many years of enormous benefit to Germany, who 
has constantly fostered her power of production, while 
simultaneously, we have given to Germany great facilities 
for the sale of her production. When war came, we dis- 
covered that in many directions of our trade and finance 
we had allowed Germany to gain the control. Notable 
instances were finance in London, the production of 
certain necessary chemicals and dyes, and the control by 
(iermany of the metal production of Australia. 
We have also discovered that the laisser jaire methods of 
(iur economic blind men have been taken advantage of 
by r.ermany to further her brutal national aims in addi- 
tion to undermining our power of production. The time 
is ripe, and more than ripe, for us to take action to secure 
our future in all matters that concern British Empire 
production and trade. With this purpose in mind, I 
show some facts relating to the British Empire that may 
be useful. 
Table A. — Production of Staple Articles witiiin the British 
Empire. Yearly Average during three periods of five 
years each, covering the fifteen years 1890-1913. 
.Staplb Article. 
Averagf- Y»*aily Frotluctioii during each period of five years. 
1904-1908. 
19(19-1913. 
Ccial. Millions of Tons 
Coal. \'alue Millions of £ 
Iron-Ore. Millions of Toii^ 
I'ig-lron. Millions of Tons (a) 
J>lanion(is. Value — Millions of £ 
iJold. .Millions of Ors. 
fiold. Value — Millions of £ 
Silver. Value— Millions of £ (b) 
('opper. Value- Millions of £ 
Tin. Value — Millions of £ 
Wheat. .Millions of Bushels (e) 
Barley. Millions of Bushels fe) 
*>ats. Millions of Bushels (e) 
Maize. .Millions of Bushels (c) 
Wine. Millions of (iailons 
Tea. Millions .of J,iw. 
Coeoa. Millions of Lbs. 
Coftee. .Aliltions of Lbs. 
Raw Sugar. Millions of Lbs. 
Kubi)er. .Miliions of Li)S. 
('otton. Millions of Lbs, 
.lute. Millions of I.hs. (d) 
246.0 
28:i.l 
314.2 
10.-1.8 
110.8 
134.2 
1 4 . .'i 
16.2 
17.0 
0.(1 
10.0 
10..-. 
4.7 
7..<t 
8.9 
U.H 
11.8 
13.4 
28.. 1 
48.4 
&«.4 
1.0 
2.2 
4.5 
:i.2 
!).l 
.'i.li 
0.7 
il.:i 
11.1 
452.4 
.11.^.7 
702. 2 
loa.o 
II.-). :l 
124.2 
341. iP 
400.:! 
.-.36. 1 
:i6.:i 
41. « 
44.0 
11.8 
».!» 
8.11 
8SH.7 
410.1 
470.8 
bl.f, 
sft.y 
183. 3 
42.8 
4;). I 
41.0 
M;i;i.i) 
6091.0 
W40.0 
7.1 
10. :i 
47.0 
]0«fi.7 
1.V24.2 
17,14.0 
2«,'->«.0 
:!270.O 
3343.0 
EXAlM'l.K : The averagr^ yearly iiroduetion of Coal during the live years 1009.1B13. was 
314.2 million tons namely, 314,200.000 tons. Similarly, the average yearly pro- 
duetion of Rubber during 1909-1913 was 47.9 million l.h.s.— nanl.-ly, 47,900,000 Lbs. 
ia^ ln<-luding Pig Iron made from imported ores, 
'h) Kxeludiiig some .Australian silver. 
(e> The production of cereals includes British India for Wheat, but not for Barlev. 
flats and Maize as the latter returns are not available. The above returns of 
cereals produced in the Britisli Empire arc stated to be the approximate ligures. 
(d) Production in India only. 'J'he, returns are not available for some small Jut^ 
prf)duction elsewhere. 
[This Table ia a condensed summary of the ofHeial returns in pp. 231-234 of f.VI. 7827, 
Vear 1915.] 
Although the official records do not enable proof to be 
given that the British Empire is able to produce every- 
thing it needs for its own consumption, there is at the 
least a considerable degree of probability that if the power 
of production of the British Empire were wisely fostered 
and controlled, there would not remain many coni- 
modities for which we should have to rely upon foreign 
countries. In Table A is a summary of staple articles 
produced in the British Empire during the fifteen years 
1899-1913. The year 1913 is the latest that can be given, 
as the war has interfered with the records for later years. 
The grouping of the facts in Table A in three successive 
periods of five years enables us to see that an increase 
in production has occurred in most of the items. 
Wine and coffee, both minor articles, are the only' two 
where production declined. There are of course many 
articles produced in the British Empire other than 
those stated in Table A, but this table and Table B 
summarise all the available official facts. 
T.'\BLE R. — Yearly Production of Staple Articles witliin the 
British limpire. Supplementary to Tnble A. 
silver. Million o?.s. 
Copper. Thousand Tons 
Tin. Thousand Tons 
Wool. .Million Lbs. 
Horses. Millions 
Horned Cattle. Millions 
Sheep. Millions 
rigs. .Millions 
37.0 
1.V2..-. 
71.0 
12.'i7.9 
8.8 
146.0 
205.7 
8.3 
NoTF. -The above results are suinninrisc.d from pp. 242-274 of Cd. 7827. Year M913 
They, relate to the year 1913. or to tin* year 1912. As regards Horses, Cattle 
Sheep, and Pigs, these are the approximate numl)er of each in the British Kmpire 
in the year 1912 or 1913. Tlie tacts do not allow the above items to be stated Jor 
the jieriods shown in Table A. 
In addition to the above, the yearly production of Potatoes was 8.2 million tons 
plus 8-».7 million bushels. .\nd" of Tm-niiis and .Mangold-. 41.4 million toas jilus 
90. 7 nitllion bushels. 
As regards consumption of staple articles in the British 
Empire, no satisfactory records exist. The quantity of a 
few staple articles " available for consumption " in the 
British Empire is stated in the official records. But 
these official figures do not necessarily imply that the 
quantities were consumed. And they do not cover 
nearly the whole of the British Empire. For these reasons 
I am not able to give a table relating to the consumption 
of staple articles in the British Empire. In this con- 
nection, and also as regards production, some results ■ 
that may be useful relate to British Empire trade. 
T.-iBLE C. — British Empire Trade. Yearly Average during 
three periods of five years each, covering the fifteen 
years 1899- rgi 3. 
Descrii'iiox. 
1899-1903 
Yearly average d\iring each Period. 
1904-1908 1909-1913 
Million £ 
521 
180 
701 
361 
122 
483 
1184 
Million £. 
599 
233 
832 
492 
149 
641 
1473 
Million £. 
754 
291 
1043 
630 
195 
825 
1870 
Imports into British Empire 
From Foreign Countries 
From parts of British Empire 
Total Imports 
Exports from British Empire. 
To Foreign Countries 
To parts of British Empire 
Tot.al Exports 
Total Trapk or British Empire 
British Empire Trade with 
Hermasy. 
Imports from Germany 43 69 89 
Exports to Germany 52 71 97 
Total Trade with Germany 93 140 186 
Perokntaqk Proportion- op British Empire Trade with Oerkaxt to the Totak 
Trade of the British Empire. 
Per Cent. Per Cent Per Cent. 
Imports from German) 8.1 8.3 8.5 
Exports to Germany 10.9 11.0 ■ 11.8 
Total Trade with Germany 8.1 9.5 9.9 
This Table is based upon Cd. 7827. Year 1915. Pages 5—10. 
Example; — During 19<I9-1913. British Empire Imports from Germany were equal to 
8.5 per cent, of the Total Imports into the British Empire. 
Table C contains a much condensed summary of British 
Empire trade during the fifteen years 1899-1913. This 
trade is shown in two distinct groups. British Empire 
trade with All Foreign Countries, and British Empire 
trade with All Parts of the British Empire. The splitting 
up of the facts into three periods of five years each 
enables us to see that this trade has largely increased, 
both as regards imports and exports. Looking at British 
ICmpire imports. Table C shows that these entered the 
British Empire predominantly from Foreign Countries. 
During the first of the three periods, the facts in Table C 
will show that 74 per cent, of these imports came from 
I'oreign Countries and 26 per cent, came from the British 
Empire. During the latest period, 72 per cent, of the 
imports came from I'oreign Countries and 28 per cent, 
from other parts of the British Empire. 
As regards the British Empire exports in Table C, a 
