Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24
Washington Ticker
BY CLINTON COFFIN.
ASSocIHteu FFeSS FIHahCIaI WrIter.
It seems probable that the busine

Associated Press Financial Writer.
1t seems probable that the business
activity Of the United States during
1929. however high 1t may rise or low
1t may fall, will at least be recorded
and charted as a whole in fashion
more full than anything yet attempted
in this statistic ridden world. 1t will be
done by the national census of distribu-
ton, the plans for which, now nearing
completion, promise to come close to
tracing out every phase Of the produc-
ton and sale of commodities in the Ma
ton for the full II months.
At the simplest, the advisory commit
teemen, who have labored with w. M.
out methods for the enterprise, hope to
have a sum fixed for the total of sales
at retail in the country. possibly an
other sum for the total of sales at
wholesale and third for the total of
manufacturers sales. That won't quite
describe the result, either, for distribu-
ton is fairly complex matter in this
country, with back and forth transac-
tons. direct selling and other factors to
interfere with any simple finding.
ut does entail entering an unknown
field" said Frank M. Surface, who, as
Commerce Department specialist in dis
tribution has worked long at some of
the problems before the Census Bureau.
yet Congress has been convinced that
the knowledge Of the facts is worth the
expense. Most of the available calcula-
tons as to the forms and totals of the
Nations business hitherto have de-
pended upon estimates Of the total
national income. That is supposed to
be around $4,000, 000. 900 annually, and
the further supposition is that 1t is
all spent annually. Either it goes into
goods Immediately consumed, or it IS
directly or indirectly placed in COM
modities and structures intended for
production or transport.
with the present distribution census
plan, which Is to take stock of the
entire volume of business done for the
full year 1929, We may get body CT
ascertained facts to apply to national
economic policy for public and private
use. Tentatively, it is intended to ask
each business concern some time in
February of next year for the figures
OF its 1929 operation. Certainly. 1t will
be safe to say that a more nearly COM
plete record of Nations business for
a year will be built up by the census
than has ever been constructed any
where"
Another new Job Of interest to the
economic world is also going to be
tackled by the census next year, in the
estimate Of unemployment. AS far as
the scheme for accomplishing this has
been developed. 1t appears likely that
every individual in the country will be
asked, along with the other personal
questions, as to whether he or she was
the census taker came along. If the
answer is negative, the individual will
be asked to answer some further ques-
lions placed on a special form.
Since it cannot be assumed that
every non-working individual is "un-
employed" considerable brain twisting
is being applied to the shaping Of this
special form for non-workers. The
problem is to find the questions that
will classify non-workerS by choice from
non-workers who haven't been able to
get placed, and to define the degree and
duration of their applicability. This
Is another job that has never been done
before anywhere, for the European "un-
employment" estimates officially fur
nished deal only with workers who have
once gained an insurable employed
status under various government aid
schemes. The American figures which
1t Is hoped to evolve will show just
what proportion Of the population
wants work and can't get it next Spring.
Passenger bus operations, which have
been swiftly organized and extending
for some years, are being brought into
national cooperation rather rapidly. A
meeting in Chicago this week carried
some of the associational grouping fur
ther, and gave also some attention to
the prospects Of national legislation
touching passenger transport on the
highways.
Railroad policy toward the motor car
riers is still hesitant. While some OF
the great rail systems have taken large
interest in the motor concerns, it is
reported that the Great Northern sys-
tenn, one of the pioneers in linking
rails to motors, has recently, In part, re-