| 
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 
in British metal manufacture are as follows :— 
NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES UNEMPLOYED; 
METAL MANUFACTURE. 
(Ministry of Labour Statistics). 
Monthly Average 
1927 ... a a, 
1928 ... ..- 
1929 ... es 
1930 — 
January 
February 
March 
April 
Hay... 
June 
July ve 
August... 
September ... 
October 
Total Unemploved. 
SR =e 
> wi? 
5d 799 
64,413 
53,470 
76,306 
33,028 
31,623 
83,296 
89,848 
102,377 
109,794 
119 466 
Percentage. 
17-1 
18-4 
16-8 
19-9 
19-6 
23-6 
25-6 
25-2 
25-5 
27-5 
31-3 
23:6 
‘Bf 
TRANSPORT INDUSTRY. 
Transport is by land, water or air. 
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 figures are available to show Low far this is the case.