In tabulations of this sort there is less danger of erroneous reading if the earliest year is shown at the top. Years are usually grouped in fives, including in one group years ending from one to five inclusive, and in the next group years ending from six to ten inclusive

In Fig. 46 also,

the latest year has been placed at the top of the column instead of at the bottom of the column. Though some precedent could probably be found for such an arrangement, the arrangement nevertheless seems

COMPARISONS INVOLVING TIME

VALUE, AMERICAN EXPORTS

$4,409,136

$21,636,661

$28,300,139

VALUE,

IMPORTS FROM ABROAD

$4,910,208

1911 $2,446,248

1912 $2,000,000

A MARVEL OF EXPORT TRADE

an unfortunate one which should not be copied. Note that in Fig. 46 the figures have been arranged in groups of four with a blank space to assist the eye in reading across the page. In general, it is customary to have such figures not in groups of four but in groups of five, the groups including years ending in 1 to 5 inclusive and 6 to 10 inclusive.

A rapid reader seeing Fig. 47 is likely to get a much exaggerated idea of the increase in the American exports of automobiles. The arrangement of the three horizontal bars for the three years is such that the reader is justified in assuming that the years are consecutive. He is not likely to notice that the upper bar represents the year 1906 and that four years are omitted between 1906 and the consecutive years 1911 and 1912. Since there is nothing to indicate that years have been left