The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-29
100000 BUSINESS
PLACES TOuNDERGO
VIDE RANGE QUIZ
Emphasis to Be Laid on Data Of
Wholesalers as More
Useful Statistics
WILL STUDY THE CHAIN IDEA
All information to Be Held in
Confidence, Even From
Other Departments
WILL STUDY THE CHAIN IDEA

OInet. O0P6TIUUetlIS
It Is the aim Of the 1880 census Of
distrihution-initial and pioneering
attempt along this line-to give the
nation as complete a picture as pos
sible Of its distributing mechanism
and It's component parts. First OF all
we shall know from this census how
many wholesalers, retailers, commits
sion merchants, and all other types
Of middlemen. including manufac-
turcrs' agents and manufacturers
sales branches, there " In this
country. This information will be
available not only for tho country as
a whole but by geographic divisions
and . number Of other classifications.
Second, We shall for the first time
have . comprehensive view on q large
scale OF the approximate movement
Of the commodities from producer to
consumer. Third, we shall discover
smoothing Of the cost OF operation on
the part OF the various distributing
agencies. arranged by types, size OF
establishment, etc.
Every business concern In the
country will be canvassed. Each
dealer will be asked a number Of
questions that will tend to reveal es-
Sential data. No attempt, however,
will be made to discover the amount
OF profit.
Answers to the questions are re-
CURED by law. but the census bureau
Is compelled to hold all information
In strict confidence even from other
departments Of the government. Fur.
thermore, the data gathered will be
published In such form that indivtd-
ual operations are not revealed. Each
wholesaler or retailer becomes but a
unit OF so many wholesalers or re-
tailers Of q given classification.
Approximately 100000 establish
ments will be covered BY the census
a distribution. Besides, q number Of
question regarding the distribution Of
their sales will be asked Of all manu-
facturers. the answer to which Will
reveal the extent to which they are
engaging in wholesaling and retailing
ON their own account. All attempt
viii also be made to secure data re-
lating to the more important pur-
chases made by manufacturers, TOR
the manufacturers, In the aggregate,
probably buy more than is sold by
oil the retail stores put together.
Information to Be Sought
The following information will be
secured from the retailers:
/. Data covering the description OF
the establishment, including name,
location, character Of organization,
degree Of service, namely, whether 1t
is q self-service store, a cash-and-
carry store or q store rendering de-
livery service, and the number Of
stores owned by. the organization re-
porting. .
2. A description of the kind Of
business and the principal lines OF
goods handled.
3. The number Of persons en-
ployed and the aggregate wages paid
for the year.
4. Total inventories OH hand.
S. Sales Of merchandise. The sales
will be divided into cash and credit,
and In many cases they will be brok-
en- down by commodities or group OF
commodities.
8. Valuable supplementary data
will b obtained In as many cases as
conditions will permit.
Wholesalers' Data
The information gathered from re-
tailers should enable all to know just
how many retail outlets there are for
each class Of product, whether these
xetail outlets are single-unit estab-
lishmeuts or chains, and how many OF
than are operated by individuals,
partnerships and corporation. It
should also chow the relative size Of
each retail establishment based on
il volume Of business. It should re-
veal some Of the specific commodity
groups which are handled by differ
eut kinds Of retailers and what pro-
portion the sales Of such commodities
bar 70 the total. All Of this tnfor-
nation, q well as the costs OF oper-
alton, viii be available by geographic
divisions such q states. counties and
etttea.
Yrom the wholesalers. an attempt
win b made to secure somewhat more
comprehensive data. partly because
wholesalers ore In q better position te
uupply such information (many re-
tallers DO not even keep books OF 90
couut), and partly because Of thu
ereater usefulness Of such statistics q
industry IN general. Briefly. the fol-
1oW1ng basic statistical information
VIII 81 secured from Ill wholesalers
/. "A description Of the establish'
ment, tnciuding ~ location and tn
chnxactor Of the organization, AK
Whoehee Il u operated - . single
NIT eGtablishmsnt o. - . part Of I
enain. $50.
/. The type q wholesale distrib.
uAeg-whether wholesale merchant
ec0nission merchant, broker. sellin,
ut, manusactursrs' agent, M
The principal Lines Of merchan
- handled md The soles tefrttof'
1ndtps oovseed Esgnlafiy ~ ~
~ nussssr of proprissora. I'm
an6 eaaplcyees, ana "
aIas1os rscsiysd N tas1
Szpsnsss, divsSsd ~
ctn1nafiplt1ong.
,% rNchan6Ioe inventories % .
n. ~, q neArest isiyen
Al x mershsndiss, includin,
s2f2 i'f VIZ Y22t0fnD and allcuencel