13 SEPTEMBER 1913, Page 2

The Board of Trade returns for August show a decline

of some three and a half millions in imports and an increase of 12332,000 in exports, the improvement being here due entirely to the advance under one head—that of new shipping built for abroad. As a set-off, however, it is pointed out that not only was there a working day less in August, 1913, but that August, 1912, was an altogether exceptional month, the imports in that month exceeding those of any previous August by £7,700,000, while the exports were L5,100,000 above the best previous total for that month. Lastly, we imported on balance no less than E4,000,000 in gold last month. Conclusive evidence that the boom in trade is over is not yet available.