Page:The empire and the century.djvu/118

 have shown a heavy decline. This result will be most clearly shown as follows:

The point may be clinched by putting together two sets of figures compiled by the Board of Trade officials, appearing in the second of the famous Blue-books. In column A the compilers deduct not only coal, but all other articles not wholly or mainly manufactured.

It is a contrast for thought. To all the chief continental countries and the United States we are exporting products of British manufacture to a less amount than we did more than a generation ago. Their exports of finished articles to us have risen by leaps and bounds.