30 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

number of undertakings rather than by taking over completely particular
 concerns, and the company is not limited by the articles of
association to the acquisition of distilling concerns, but may invade
the fields of related industries.*
Export policy.—By far the larger part of the production of spirits
in the United Kingdom is used for home consumption, although
this proportion is now materially less than formerly. A very small
part of the niethylic spirit produced is exported ; not as much as 5
per cent in any year. The exports of potable spirits, on the other
hand, sre quite important and are steadily increasing. The following
 state nent shows the exports of such spirits in proof gallons,
and the declared value in shillings per proof gallon.”

Tale 5.—Exports of potable spirits from the United Kingdom, by years,
1900-191}.

nna

fer

Proof gallons.


, 721,434
208, 975
'506, 775
i, 248) 736
622,832
1101, 237
1310, 836
2819 839

Shillings
mer proof
egllon.,

3.2€
3.48
8.62
8.48
8.19
7.4
8.17
7.97

nos...
ng
a

Yaar.

Proof gallons.


2,247,701
7, 846, 987
5799, 753
0,077, 197
(0; 194, 009
10, 089, 937
10.103. 096

Shillings
per proof
gallon,

7.31
7.93
7.08
7.51
8.32
8.30
7.91

There is apparently no organization in this industry for the promotion
 of the export trade as distinct from the domestic. The large
organizations seem to cooperate in maintaining a high standard of
quality and the distinct types of product peculiar to each producing
 locality; that is one of the reasons sometimes assigned for consolidation.
 The Distillers’ Co. (Ltd.) maintains offices and depots
in several of the large cities of North and South America and
Australia. Two-thirds of the exports are taken by the British possessions
 and about half the remainder by the United States.
Soap.—Lever Bros. (Ltd.) is the most important unit in the
manufacture and sale of soap in Great Britain. This company began
 business in 1886 with an output of 20 tons a week. It was
incorporated in 1894 and in 1899 had an output of 2,400 tons a week,
with profits in excess of £200,000. In that year it took over the
business of Benjamin Brooke &amp; Co. (Ltd.), and it has since absorbed
R. S. Hudson (Ltd.); Hodgson &amp; Simpson (Ltd.); Vinolia Co.
(Ltd.) ;* and A. and F. Pears (Ltd.) ; all large and well-established
concerns. The company has stockholdings, valued in 1914 at

1 The Times (London), June 14, 1913, p. 23f, and June 16, 1913, p. 18e.
1 Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom, 1914, pp. 180-181 and 272-278.
8 Macrosty, The Trust Movement in British Industry, London, 1907, p. 203.
t The Stock Exchange Official Intelligence, London, 1914, p. T42.