Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-17
GAIN IN INDUSTRIAL
ACTIVITY REPORTED
Month of February Shows
Increase Over January in
Electrical Survey.


NEW YORK, March 17.-Based on
the consumption of electrical energy by
$500 manufacturing plants throughout
the country, industrial activity In the
United States last month increased IA
per cent over January, Electrical World
reports. The percentage of gain is ma
terially under the normal upswing in
industry for this season of the year, but
general manufacturing activity in Feb
ruary was slightly higher than for the
preceding month.
Seven industrial groups reported in
creases over January, as follows: Fer
rous and non-ferrous metal working
plants, 3 per cent; lumber and its prod
ucts, 80 per cent; automobiles and ac-
ceSsories, II per cent; paper and pulp,
I4.2 per cent; rubber products, 28.4 per
cent: chemicals and chemical products,
al per cent, and shipbuilding, 0.8 per
cent. On the other hand, four important
manufacturing groups reported the FOL
lowing decreases in rate of operations
as compared with January: Leather
cent: stone, clay and glass, per cent,
and food products, 2.3 per cent. Rolling
mills and steel plants reported the same
rate of operations as for January.
Manufacturing Gains.
Manufacturing in general reported
February rate of activity about ~ per
cent under February last year. All out
five manufacturing groups reporCeq
material drop in February operations
as compared with February last year.
The five industries reporting increases
over last year were paper and pulp, WIN
an increase of 9.8 per cent; rupper
nroducts. 1913 per cent; chemicals ana
Chemical products, 0.6 per cent; 1000
products, Is per cent, and shipoullolng'
3l.4 per cent.
Manufacturing groups reporting de.
creased rate of operations, as compared
with February last year are as iol!ow We.
Rolling mills and steel plants, ia pe,
cent: ferrous and non-terrous meCdI
working plants, ISL per cent; leather
products, 1873 per cent; textiles, zz:o
Der cent; lumber products, IL per cent,
automobiles and accessories, 27.8 per
cent. and stone, clay and glass, 2l.S
per cent. The average rate oil genera
manufacturing for the first two monCnS
of the current year is 10.l per cent UNI
der the same period last year. .t
Every section of the country except
New England reported an increase IN
the rate of operations for February as
compared with January. The western
states led in the amount OF increase
WITH 1914 per cent, followed by the
Southern States with rs per cent, the
North Central States, SO per cent ana
the Middle Atlantic States, OF per cent.
Due largely to a material crop IN tLe
activity of the textile mills OF tne sec
ton. New England manufacturing de-
creased 6 per cent.
Rubber Products Industry.
The outstanding increase in rate OF
operations was that recorded by the rup-
Der products industry. This nouStIy
descended to a comparatively low plane
of operations during November ana De
cember. In January, however, IL VIII
messed a distinct upward trend, and this
trend was accelerated during February,
when operations were 28.4 per cent
above January, II per cent above De
cember and 1913 per cent above Fepru-
AUTOMOBILES, including the manufac-
ture of parts and accessories, showed
II per cent increase in February oper-
ations as compared with January ana
a 468 per cent gain over DecemneI;
February operations, however, were Stlli
27.8 per cent under February last year.
The textiles industry appears to have
resumed a downward trend after small
increase in January. In the country as
a whole this industry was operating
during February on plane 81 per cent
under January and 1913 per cent under
February last year. The textiles in
dustry Of New England appears to have
been especially hard hit. February tex
tile manufacturing in that section, was
1876 per cent under January and 24.6
per cent under February last year. In
the South the February rate OF oper-
atoms appears to be about the same as
January, but still on a plane about 4O.5
per cent under February last year.
Rates Compared.
The rate of manufacturing activity In
February, compared with January, all
figures adjusted to 26 working days and
based on consumption of electrical en-
ergy as reported (monthly average 1928
"a equals 1000 follows:
Feb, Jan,
1890. 1880:
All industrial groups. 1913 121.S