New-York tribune., 1922-11-26

inS uoWHWATu plunge OF business int
1920 and 1921 focused attention on the
business cycle, which has now become
an almost unanimously accepted theory
in business circles. However, the prog
ress that has been made in furnishing
facts and figures to business in general
Is expected to have q powerful effect
in preventing the extremes of activity
and depression in industry in the
future.
The whole matter Of statistics in
business is becoming increasingly inn
portant at present, as the industrial
situation progresses along the business
cycle and shows some evidence Of bud.
ding into another infaticnary period
There is remarkably noticeable diff
terence between the attitude of busi-
ness men now and that shown in 1919
when the afterthe-war boom began 20
boil and bubble. Instead of blithely
accepting the rumor that goods are
scarce, bound to grow scarcer, and that
prices are sure to rise, as they did in
1919, business men now are endeavor-
ing, with the aid Of statistics to dis
cover if there is q solid reason for
price advances, If there is an actual
shortage Of goods.
Crosoth OF Work
l. The growth of statistical compila-
'tions in the last two years cannot be
measured, as almost every business
firm, from the little one-rnan retail
shop to gigantic industrial organiza-
tions, is engaged in statistical work
Tor It's own use to a greater or less
extent, The sale of statistical matter
to Business firms by organizations that
do nothing but gather and compile sta
tistics has increased greatly and sta
tlstlcai work has now become an i'm
portant adjunct in trade association
work. The government, through the
! Department of Commerce, is doing
| from ten TO twelve times the amount
of statistical work designed to aid bus
mess that it was three or four wears
ago, according to an official of that
| department, and is prevented doing
more only by the lack of trained work
ers and space in which TO put them.
ihe Federal Reserve banks also are
dolng a vast amount of such work in
cur leading industries, and the gath
ering and compelling of statistics have
been undertaken by numerous educa-
tioai institutions, notably Harvard and
New York universities, and several of
the state universitis in the middle
West.
Although considerable progress has
been made in the gathering and dis
semlnation of statistics tie application
OF these figures has not grown in d.
rect proportion. In every industry sts-
tlseieal work covering the broad scope
OF that particular trade is carried on
ny small minority, and generally
applied by that same minority.
Met Little Response
ST is discouraging," said the secre-
tary OF ore Of the large trade associa
tions that has reached a high point in
the collection of statistics pertaising
TO one industry, SO see how lfttie
Value many Of our members place on
the STATISTICS we gather. Some time
ego we undertook to gather figures on
the cost of doing business in our trade
we experienced great difficulty in get
ting our members to fill out the blanks
we sent them. That was bad enough
lor the report was expected to be a
sIeat help to the entire industry. hut
"hen the figures were collated. aver
aged ana prepared in several different
forms, including some interesting
chsrts, we found but Little Interest
manifested by those who had sent in
the ngures. 1t happened that at the
parelcuiar time the report was issued
business conditions in our trade were
lislihctly on the up grade. Recently
noweVer things have not been going
go wen and we have many calls Prom
cur membership for this series Of
charys and figures, which serve aa an
excellent basis for those who are at.
tempting to reduce their overhead
Statisticians all agree that There
need OF great amount Of educa-
!lohal work yet to be done in various
tanoustrleS TO reach point where ef.
ree'iye ,s heio can be given by the proper
use of statistics. pA0psA
What might be termed experience
meetings are now becoming fashiona
able in some trades. One such meet
ing was held in Boston recently. The
pres ;dent OF large New England cor
poration engaged in manufacturing aa-
serted at this meeting that he had