Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

| of tremendous volume. In late months
II has exceeded that for the correspond
ing period of the last fiscal year and
has only now commenced to get into
full swing.
Perhaps the outstanding feature of
! the year was the development of the
! use of natural and manufactured gas.
! This in itself was part of the pro-
gram for the use of by-products. The
! petroleum industry has been in a de-
pressed condition. Production was in
excess of demand. Efforts to restrict
production were not thoroughly effected
but the petroleum companies turned to
defense. They built pipD lines for hun
dreds of miles FROM yhe oil fields Of
the Southwest and from some of the
California pools to the industrial centers
throughout the Nation. In many cases
this was done in conjunction with
pubic utilities, which already supplied
these centers with gas for cooking and
heating purposes. The orders for pipe
for these lines were the real stabilizing
factor in the steel industry in the first
three months of 1880.
Electric Power Progress.
The progress and profits Of the cleo
| trical utilities were impressive Over
one hundred billion kilowatt hours of
current was sold in the last fiscal year
IT was notable that the developments
of new central stations in this field
were largely along the lines of steam
generating plants, which also tended to
aid the coal and oil Industries. Both
coal and oil, however still remain in
an unsound statistical condition, with
prices unsatisfactory to producers and
production in excess of actual require
| mentS.
Another depressed industry showed
marked improvement as the fiscal year
| drew TO close. The awarding of
| ocean mail contracts assured the build
ing OF scores Of ocean-going vessels and
shipyardS which have been idle for
years again are humming with industry
and providing outlet for raw and semi
| finished materials from many other
! industries.
| The electrical equipment manufac-
turers have never been more busy than
they have during the present fiscal
year and the back logs on their books
todsy are fully as heavy as they were
before the stock market break.
The production of the agricultural
implement manufacturers is EQUALLY AS
impressive, while the producers of ma
chinery are finding excellent markets
not only at home but in foreign nations
| AcAdIe AnuuSI1eS.
The textile industries, which have
been In a depressed state. started put
ting themselves in a sound position two
years ago. The results of their efforts
are now apparent, for they are stand
ing the depression In a way which
many other industries have found i'm
possible. This Is especially true of the
cotton textiles, which have developed
scores fAa
and have added many by-products to
the line they have made for years.
The buying of railroad equipment
has kept pace with the progress OF
other industries. The carriers have had
the money to spend they agreed to
spend 1t and have kept their word. II
Is notable that the big roads of the
country are putting on improved pas
senger equipment and emphasizing ap-
peals for passenger trafic. The bus
lines are in better shape than they ever
have been because in most instances
the lines are now in strong and efficient
hands instead of being operated in
small units by inadequately financed
concerns.
Aviation Hits Air BUMPS.
Aviation struck the air bumps Incl
dent to the opposition to luxury buy.
ing and production has been curtaileo
materially so far as the smaller planes
are concerned, The development of all
lines, however. has put a premium or
the demand for the larger passenee,
and express carrying planes. The sue
ceSsful trips Of the Graf Zeppelin have
led to plans for dirigible lines center
ing in this country.
The radio manufacturers woke ur
the day after the stock market crash
with millions of receiving sets on their
hands and with strong buyer opposi-
ton. By the end of May they had
4 cleared these stocks and were again on
a sound production basis.
The demand for cigarettes has grown
at the same general pace which it has
maintained for the last few years. The
increase for the fiscal year amounted to
between ii and IL per cent in the sale
OF cigarettes. Sales of cigars improved
somewhat but not in like measure.
Prosperity marked the year for many
OF the amusement industries. The
talkie has proved a remarkable success
and has brought additional patrons and
additional profits to producers. dis
tributorS and exhibitors
Life insurance showed a marked gain
especially Immediately after the stock
market break.
Real estate was depressed throughout
the last nine months of the fiscal year,
although the trend toward skyscraper
production was unchecked. Rentals
were pretty well maintained and SUBJ
urban property showed some activity.
Non-ferrous metals suffered severely
throughout the fiscal year.
Foreign Trade.
The entire world was affected to a
| greater or less degree by the break in
stocks In the United States and the
following business depression. This re-
suited in a check to foreign trade along
some lines although others maintained
the standard they had set in previous
years without difficulty.
The price of rubber slumped dis
astrously for the producer, although it
allowed the tire manufacturers to Sc
cure raw materials at low levels.
Coffee slumped badly through over
production in the Central and South
American countries and those countries
were unfavorably affected as a result.
Sugar fell to the lowest levels known
in many years owing to inefficient
marketing on the part of the Cuban
producers and extremely heavy sto"|e
throughout the world.
Retail Trade Holds I'm.
Retail trade showed sustained
siStance to the general depression exec
in the luxury and semi-luxlry goods.
This was shown by the reports Of the
chain stores. A total of SO well man
aged and ef1ciently operated chains re-
ported a total Of $3.50, 653,76l in sales
Tor the month of May, an increase of
over per cent, as compared with May,
1929. For the first five months of
1890 the sales for these chain stores
showed 81 ,631 ,793, 974, as compared with
81 ,554, 631 ,507 for the corresponding
period of 1929.
The department stores quite naturally
DID not do quite so well since the