Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

eliminating lines. In one case O line
| was cut, in one conference between
| maker and seller, from 66 styles and
varieties to IL.
The present census Of distribution is
not entered into blindly, but represents
| business men and Government during
the past eight years for definite OBJ
| jective.
It Is perhaps the greatest piece of
! team work between business and Gov
eminent that has been organized since
the War Industries. Board was formed.
For the first time, In our commercial
life, every business man in practically
every line Of trade and industry viii be
asked to take part. Facts and figures
will be gathered which will have a far
reaching effect on the future prosperity
OF every business man In our country.
Questions Asked to Help.
When you receive a tabulated state
ment Of queries about your business,
or when some day in early Spring next
year our enumerator from the Bureau
Of the Census calls at your place of
business to ask what may seem like
lot Of impairment question, remember
that he is your representative in the
Government. He is asking these ques-
lions for your information and not Just
for the sake Of satisfying curiosity.
AS business men, we have asked the
Bureau of the Census to count the num-
Der of men engaged In various classes of
wholeSaling and retailing; to inquire
into the capital invested in each of
these businesses: to supply information
as to the volume of sales of different
classes Of commodities. We have asked
the Bureau Of the Census to make this
master analysis of our great sales and
distributing machine, because through
that bureau every piece of these data is
confidential, every man engaged in the
task of collecting the figures Is sworn to
secrecy, and no figures are published
which reveal the individual business of
any enterprise or establishment.
PreOent Views Are Tentative.
Secretary Lamont mentioned. at the
beginning of his talk. the conference of
the advisory committee on the census
Of distribution which were held in
Washington last week. I had the
privilege of serving as chairman Of the
committee. Various thoughts were
brought out which may be of interest
to you. Naturally. the views presented
were merely tentative, since the project
Is still in too early stage for definite
recommendations. will tell you. how
ever, about some of the matters on
which there seemed to be a meeting
Of minds"
It was the consensus Of the experts
present that the census of distribution
ought to be limited to the handling of
commodities. In other words, it should
be strictly merchandising census. It
had been suggested, at various times,
that 1t might be advisable to ascertain
the facts about the so-called Service
industries "-such activities as those of
bankers, insurance agents. realtors. Sc
curity exchanges and tin a different
fleld) beauty parlors, barber shops, au-
tomobile service stations and the like.
1t would appear however, that it is
not yet feasible to undertake so CON-
prehenSive an enumeration. and that
1t Is better to concentrate on the task
OF obtaining the facts about what hap
pens to actual merchandise as 1t passes
from producer to consumer.
The census of distribution is to include
both wholesale and retail establish
ments. AS regards the distribution of
consumer goods" (that is, those ready
for flnal consumption by the individual
consumer as against those destined for
use by industries or for further proc
essing), the census will probably omit
commission agents, manufacturers
agents, and merchandising brokers. 1t
OF firms in these latter classes Is q
deficiency which we should try to
remedy in later censuses.
Two Schedules to BE Used.
In taking the census Of retail mer-
chandiSing, two different schedules of
questions will be employed, according
to our present plans, The first will be
a short form. which all retailers will
Tbn
schedule, calling for the presentation of
considerable detail as to the business
transacted. will be submitted to the
larger retailers. 1t must be borne in
mind, in this connection. that about
10 to Is per cent OF the retail estab-
lishmcnts account for something like
so to IS per cent of the retail business
so we feel that the value of this mer-
redistribution census will not be
seriously impaired by the fact that We
cannot absolutely complete details con-
corning the business of the smaller re-
tailerS. These smaller merchants will
be requested to supply details, If they
keep such records as will enable them
to do so-but we know, from our ex-
perience in previous investigations, that
very large proportion of the retail
merchants regrettably do not keep de-
tailed records. Many of them can give,
az 0CoI, OlAly ClAC bAOdoCot ScLlcIdl ldCIS
about the conduct Of their business.
Besides this study Of the manner in
which consumer commodities" are
handled, there is to be a census Of in
dustrial distribution, in which we shall
endeavor to obtain the facts about
manufacturers purchases of raw ma
terials, semi-manufactured articles, ma
chinery and other equipment, and sup
plies for the maintenance Of the plant.
Since the data about these operations
are in the possession of manufacturers,
it is believed that they should be OBJ
the regular census of manufactures.
With respect to such dealings there is a
deplorable lack of information at the
present time, and the facts to be
brought out still undoubtedly prove ex-
tremely valuable and enlightening. They