86 ~~ REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
Trade associations.—There have been associations among manufacturers
 and employers of labor in Great Britain for the last
century, but it is doubtful if these bodies in general have developed
as varied activities as those in the United States and Germany. In
the newer industries, however, such as the electrical, and in industries
 particularly interested in foreign trade, some comprehensive
and active associations have been formed which have influenced
conditions in both domestic and foreign business.
In the iron and steel industry one of the most important associations
 is the British Iron Trade Association. It was established in
1876 for the purpose of securing a means of communication between
members of the iron and steel trades of Great Britain upon all matters
 bearing upon the commercial interests of these industries. It
circulates among its members detailed statistics of the trade at home
and abroad, and attends to matters connected with foreign tariffs,
commercial treaties, and home parliamentary business that may have
a bearing upon the position of the iron and steel trades, and looks
after all matters of general interest to those trades. It does not,
however, concern itself with questions of wages or purely local questions.

This association had in 1915 about 160 members, representing more
than 250 leading firms, and including a large part of the chief concerns
 in this business. Membership is open to persons, firms, and
corporations in the colonies or dependencies as well as in the Kingdom.
 It supplies its members with its annual report, reports of
special conferences, and weekly with the Iron and Coal Trades
Review, with which its bulletin is incorporated.
The Iron and Steel Institute also affords a means of communization
 among the members of this industry, but its attention is given
shiefly to technical rather than industrial or commercial subjects.
There are also a number of other associations in the iron and steel
industry, such as the Cleveland Iron Masters’ Association, the North
of England Iron &amp; Steel Manufacturers’ Association, and the Iron,
Steel &amp; Allied Trades Federation, but their activities are chiefly
with labor matters, legislation, and the circulation of information
of value to the trade.
In respect to foreign trade in machinery, the British Engineers’
Association (Inc.), is one of the most important associations in
Great Britain. Tt was organized in 1912 and now has a membership
of 300 engineering and allied firms, all entirely British ‘in their
character and representing about $500,000,000 in combined capital.
It is the policy of the association to encourage the development and
extension of the trade promotion activities of the Government,
especially the Board of Trade, the consular service, and the service
of commercial attachés. To aid export trade the association has