Behind the Scenes
IN
American Business
By JOHN CRADDOCK
(By John Craddock)
New York, Oct. 9—BUSINESS
—Rate of industrial production
last week neared the 1936-37
“boomlet” level. Much of this
rocketing activity arises from the
heavy purchase of manufactured
articles by wholesalers and retail
ers who fear price increases. A
note of warning sounded by a
few businessmen last week there
fore deserves mention. They said
that unless retail sales “keep
pace with the rise in industrial
output,” another slump like that
of September, 1937, might occur.
That trade upheaval was caused
chiefly by the building up of in
ventories in 1936 and early 1937.
Suddently the plug was pulled as
manufacturers and retailers found
themselves over-stocked with
products the public couldn’t buy
fast enough, and business swiftly
ran down to a lower level. It’s too
early to pass judgment on retail i
sales as there usually is some time
lag. They increased, though not
so fast as industry’s wheels, in
September. From now to Christ
mas, however, will be the import
ant period to watch.
WASHINGTON —* Businessmen
whose plans may be affected by
revision of the neutrality bill,
now being debated in the Senate,
may figure that Congressional
action will not be completed until
December, Capitol Hill observers
say. Meanwhile it is reported that
the Department of Commerce is
seriously considering the estab
lishment of a special division or
a new government agency which
would be devoted entirely to stim
ulation of trade with South
America, a wide-open market for
U. S. goods due to Europe’s war
embroilment. And in the Depart
ment of Agriculture, officials
frankly are predicting that thfe
problem of surpluses will be as
great next year as ever, despite
the war.
SCARE SUBSIDES—As far as
American consumers —as such
were concerned, chief effect of
European hostilities in this coun
try was the precipitate rise in
food prices in the week following
the invasion of Poland. Now that
domestic scare has subsided. In
New York City, whose population
consumes 10 per cent of the coun
try’s food output, the commission
er of markets reports retail prices
are back to normal and that any
effect of the war has almost en
tirely disappeared. Earlier the
commissioner had publicly absolv
ed retail grocers of any blame
for the sharp price increases
which pinched housewives’ pocket
books, although his department
currently is investigating charges
by grocers that wholesalers and
jobbers were at least responsible
for the rises. He lauded one chain,
the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea
company, for lowering egg prices
and urged other retailers to pass
along to consumers any possible
reductions.
BALANCE—Five or six years
ago Henry Ford said greater bal
ance between industry and agri
culture would help to end our eco
nomic troubles. As is well known,
the motor magnate has done much
aoy beans as a basic material in
research along this line utilizing
automoboile manufacture. Out in
Akron, Ohio, recently I found
plenty of evidence that the rubber
industry, too, is bringing the far
mer and manufacturer closer
together. Os all farm implements
built this year, 85 per cent roll
on pneumatic tires, which permit
great savings in time and costs of j
doing farm work. Ten years ago,
steel wheels were in universal 1
use. Even milk wagon horses now
walk on rubber horseshoes, al
though the cast iron variety is
still tops for pitching quoits be
hind the barn. New applications of
rubber in milking machines and
creamery hose are eliminating
hitches in diary production. The
DeKalb Agricultural Association
of Lafayette, Ind., reports suc
cess with rubber rollers, made by
the Akron-developed “vulcalock”
process, for removing excess
husks and silk from cobs of seed
com.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR—
Electric batons for traffic cops—
made of a lightransmitting du
Pont plastic for directing vehicles
at night or in a fog. . . .Christ
mas seals to help tuberculosis vic
tims; the design this year is by
Rockwell Kent, and 750,000,000
seals have been made. . . .Renewed
effort to get American youths to
wear hats —through an essay con
test, with S6OO in cash prizes,
sponsored by the Hat Style Coun
cil, for high school boys; subject—
‘‘the meaning of the word hat”. .
. .Trailers for bicycles. . . .New
radio of particular use to avia
tors’ families, because its four-
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J M CHEVROLET CO.
7.EBCLON. NORTH CAROLINA
THE ZEBULON RECORD
bank receiver covers radio chan
nels assigned to transport lines,
ground stations, itinerant air
planes and the government’s air
ways radio weather stations; any
one interested in weather condi
tions for flight and in the location
of planes can easily get the infor
mation by tuning in. . . .
HEADLINES IN NEW YORK—
Aviation Manufacturing Corp.
plans to build new factory in
Tennessee. . . .Gain of 13.8 per
cent expected in freight car load
ings for fourth quarter. . . .Chase
National bank total assets cross
three-billion-dollar mark, first
time for any bank in history. . . .
Interest rate on Commodity Cred
it Corporation loans to farmers
reduced to three per cent from
four, effective November 1. . . .
Utility companies geared to meet
any war emergency, industry of
ficial says. . . .Record consumption
of rayon expected for 1939. . . .
U. S. farmers growing flue-cured
tobacco vote for A. A. A. produc
tion control of their 1940 crops
. . . .Important reductions made
in war risk insurance rates for
ocean-going cargoes. . . .
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This, That, &
The Other
(Continued from front page)
sils were of iron, and were smut
ty from the open fireplace; while
today’s food may be cooked in
glass or in glazed pottery, enam
el ware, or aluminum, not to
speak of the more expensive
chromium; but the idea is the
same.
And I’m for it. I like food sup
posed to be hot scalding or blis
tering hot; just as I want iced
drinks near the freezing point.
And it does waste a lot of heat
to transfer food from its cooking
pan to a dish.
Them there’s the dishwashing
lightened by letting the bowl or
platter stay on the shelf and set
ting the roaster or baking pan on
the dining table. Let’s be stylish
—and save work.
CLUB NEWS
(Continued from front page)
of material suitable for making
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1939
holders, pictures and other mater
ial for donation towards this proj
ect.
It was voted to contribute to
ward expenses of the flower booth
at the Fair.
Mrs. H. C. Wade gave a help
ful talk on Planning Spring Bor
ders.
Delicious refreshments were
served by the hostesses.
CHURCH NEWS
(Continued from front page)
to meet with Rnightdale and
Wendell societies the latter part
of Oct. the date to be announced
at Knightdale. The fall study will
be “Through Tragedy to Tri
umph.”
Mrs. Boone presented Mrs. J.
M. Ormand of Durham, wife of a
teacher at Duke University. She
most graciously presented her top
ic, “World Peace.” Her trip to
the European Countries this past
summer was very inspiring. Those
who failed to attend really miss
ed something worthwhile.
Twenty one were present.
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