$2 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

chinery, $186,000,000; woolen and worsted yarns and fabrics, $189,
700,000; ships and boats, $54,000,000, etc.
One of the most significant features is the extent of the British resxport
 trade. In 1913 articles were imported for reexport to the
value of about $530,000,000, a striking indication of the manner in
which Great Britain acts as a merchant for other countries. THe
principal reexports were rubber, wool, cotton, and metals, but numerous
 other articles also entered into the total.
The Board of Trade. —The greater part of such supervision of
commerce and industry as the Government exercises in the United
Kingdom is in the hands of the Committee of the Privy Council for
Trade, which is usually called the Board of Trade. and the president
of which is a member of the British Cabinet. With one or two small
exceptions the legal constitution of the Board of Trade is regulated
by an order in council of 1786. Its duties originally were connected
mainly with commercial treaties, tariffs, customs duties, and prohibitions,
 but they have been continually extended by acts of Parliament.
The commercial department.—This department deals with a wide
range of subjects, including commercial questions generally, commercial
 treaties, sugar bounties, tariffs and tariff returns, commervial
 intelligence; a great variety of statistics, consular reports, patents,
 designs and trade-marks, merchandise marks, and international
axhibitions.
The commercial intelligence branch.—This subdepartment maintains
 a reading room, a sample room, and an inquiry room. In the
reading room the latest official publications and other important publications
 may be consulted. In the sample room are exhibited sgecimens
 of manufactured goods competing with British products in
foreign markets or the British possessions, and of raw materials
likely to be of interest to British manufacturers. In the inquiry
room personal inquiries may be made on the various subjects dealt
with by the branch.
The information collected from all available sources, part of it
furnished by commercial attachés, trade commissioners, and the excellent
 British consular service, is available to British manufacturers
 and merchants. It includes notices of foreign and colonial
contracts open to tender, and other openings for British trade, laws
of foreign countries affecting business transactions, etc. The branch
answers as far as possible all questions on commercial subjects addressed
 to it.
Information which can be given to the public without detriment
to the interest of British trade is published in the Board of Trade

1The description of the Board of Trade is taken chiefly from Commercial Organiza-Hons
 in the United Kingdom, by Archibald J. Wolfe, Special Agents Series, No, 102, Bureau
 of Forelgn and Domestic Commerce. See also Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed.,
Vel. XX VII pp. 127-128.