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3
Trade Revival.
A substantial increase in both home and export trade is re-
corded in the monthly statistical report on wholesale textile
trading in May, compiled by the Wholesale Textile Association in
collaboration with the Bank of England. The index numbers for
May, 1938, compared with May, 1939, illustrate this. They are
respectively:- home trade, 98 last year and 105 this year; and ex-
port trade, 97 last year and 103 this year (on the basis of 100
for average monthly rates in 1937) These figures are confirmed
by those relating to activity in the spinning trade. During May
this year raw cotton was forwarded to British spinning mills in
larger quantities than in any month since November, 1937. The
weekly average for liay, 1939, was 59,842 bales, as against 55,791
bales in April, 1939, and 44,930 bales in May, 1938.
P
Another good example of the revival of British trade is the
position of the electrical engineering industry. The various
sections of this industry have been particularly successful in
developing their export trade, and in 1958 all previous records
in the volume and value of export business were beaten. The most
noteworthy increases, as compared with 1937, were in electrical
machinery (which rose from £12 millions to £13 millions),
electrical generators, motors and switchgear.
months of the present year exports of motors, switchgear and
other electrical machinery have been at practically the same
level as in 1938, but the value of exports of electrical gener-
ators rose from £694,000 in January-lay, 1938 to £845,000 in
January-May, 1939.
In the first five