+ 4 
Comparable figures in this country are not easily ascertained, 
but it may be assumed that for similar work the rates in this 
country for the respective grades of labour would, on a fair estima- 
tion be about £6, £4, £2 10s., and £3 10s. 
Here, at least, is one clear reason why these foreign countries 
can, and do, produce iron and steel more cheaply than Britain and 
why, accordingly, their engineering trades can produce machinery 
cheaper and thus throw men in the British trade out of employment. 
The results are equally clear. The statistics of unemployment 
yy» British metal manufacture are as follows :— 
NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES UNEMPLOYED. 
METAL MANUFACTURE. 
(Ministry of Labour Statistics). 
Monthly Average 
1927 ... - ys 
1928... i 
1929 ... a 
1930 :— 
January ... 
February 
March 
April vee 
May... es 
June pig 
July se 
August  ... 
September... 
October ... 
Total Unemployed. 
56,573 
59,247 
54,532 
64,413 
63,470 
76,306 
83,028 
81,623 
83,296 
89,848 
102,377 
09,794 
119.466 
Percentage. 
17-1 
18-4 
16-8 
19-9 
19-6 
23:6 
25-6 
25-2 
25: 
27-5 
31-3 
33-6 
26-6 
TRANSPORT INDUSTRY. 
Transport is by land, water or alr. 
Air-carrying is not yet of great importance as regards bulk, 
though it gives employment to engineering by the machinery 
and other material used. 
Transport can therefore be divided for present purposes into 
land and water, and land transport in turn into road and rail. 
Road transport for heavy material is probably not as yet a 
grave competitor of the railways except in general merchandise, 
but no ficures are available to show how far this is the case.