The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-19

:, The trend Of business in the first
month Of the new year has strength
ened the feeling of confidence which
developed in the last two months of
1923. In midsummer there were
widespread misgivings that the state
Of industrial activity would not last
through the year, but as the Fall
season passed it became evident that
business was well-sustained and pos
sessed OF staying-power able to carry
It very much farther. The volume
Of Fall business was somewhat d.
minished by the unusually mild
weather. which affected the sale of
elothipg and shoes and played havoc
Nth the bituminous coal industry. but
Notwithstanding this influence rail-
road traffic was heavy up to the holi-
days and, excepting the seasonal in
t1stTles, employment was but slight.
y Affected. The average weekly
.arnin&S Of factory workers in New
York State In December was $27.o7.
: gam Of IS cents over November
- of $1-58 over December, 1922.
Tins waGe-aver7ge includes part-time
waees, bat does not include names
hupped from the pay rolls. How.
va. there was no general reduction
i working forces. The Illinois De-
!aHfmenf Of Labor reports a consid-
a7bSe influx of unemployed at Chi
71O NOM seasonal jobs outside, such
= road construction, but says that
'ID employers having on their pay
rolls more than 40 Der cent of all
actnsy workers show a reduction in
Deoembd Of less than per cent
Tho Bureau of Labor at Washington.
Eatherng reports from all parts of
ne eountry for December. calculated
reduction IN number of EMPLOYEES
q & manufacturing industries of is
!!er cent from November and AZ
rom June.
Tbs steel industry, after depicting
Is order books over a period Of
seven q eight months, turned the
nrnE m December, receiving orders
n excess of shipments, and since
hen has been operating at 80 to 90
'T cent of capacity with satisfactory
prospects for the first half of the
year: The Matthew Addy Company
1T Cincinnati, reporting upon Dig
ron. frst week in January, said.
In the past fortnight we have gone
over business prospects with several
hundred foundrymen, nalleabIe
s,akers and large users of iron. They
AZ agree that the prospects for this
year are good. Even the makers of
agricultural implements feel that the
time of their long depression is over.
The makers of railroad supplies have
been unusually prosperous and they
look tor even more business this
year. The automobile makers are
preparing for larger season than
ever.
The United States Steel Corpora
ton in 1928 had the year of largest
output and earnings since the war.
and after adding rs cents a share to
the last quarterly dividend for that
year ventured to add 50 cents for
the first quarter of 1924 Both are
,classcd as extras, but there is q good
deal OF confidence that they signify
permanent advance over the reg
uar 5 per cent per annum heretofore
maintained. and that the additional
distribution would not have been
made if the management had not be-
heved the general business outlook
to be good.
Outlook for Building Operations
1t has been recognized by every
body that one of the chief factors
in the industrial revival from its be-
ginning in 1922 has been the great
amount of building construction
under way, tha explanation for which
is to be found in the restriction of
such work during The war, and high
costs in the years Immediately fol-
lowing. The Copper and Brass Re-
search Association has completed a
,urvey of such construction in 1923,
md sums up the result. divided
.mong the different classes OF build
ugs. (see table,