The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-05-28
TRADE OUTLOOK Is
SAID TO BE BETTER
Statement Issued From White
House, Following Inten-
sive Survey Hopeful
RECOVERY TO BE SLOW
All Branches of Business
Slightly Below Is Months
Ago, Chart Shows

Washinton, May 90 Expert
statisticians, who have pored over
complicated masses of figures,
watching for a point where there
was sign of business improv-
ment, today enabled the administra-
ton to make its first pronouce-
ment in many months on the eco
nomic situation -
The statement, regarded as Of
considerable significance since it
could be aimed only at pointing to
improvement, came from the
White House. It said:
1.-THE President and his advisors
have been going over the economic
situation and have found many
factors that are favorable"
The statement was issued after
a cabinet meeting in place of Presi-
dent Hoover's Tuesday press con-
ference. Most administration lead
ers went into the silence at once
and refused to amplify it.
It was learned that the statement
was issued only after study over a
period of months of statistics
which were sufficiently important
in the minds of administration
leaders to warrant of administra-
laeders to warrant the I'M
doubted risk of their terse "hand-
OUT.
There was a simple explanation
of the brevity of the statement.
Previous administration statements
in the economic situation had been
the signal to stock market opera
tors to depress prices
President Hoover is understood
to feel strongly on this practice
now so familiar as to have crept
into the joke books in connection
with optimistic economic state
ments.
President Hoover's personal
chart on business shows a stable
condition during the past six
weeks, twas learned.
/. The plane of presumable stabil-
ity, according to his chart, was
reached at about 30 per cent below
what it was Is months ago.
This chart has played big part
in recent cabinet meetings. Presi-
dent Hoover is following it's every
move. It is based on general trends.
Figures from which it is compiled
are more specific.
Statistics told the President the
federal reserve production figures
reached a presumable low in De-
cember. Another authoritative COM
pilation. whose source is confident
iaI reached low in January. For
several months there has been a
slow betterment Factory. produc-
ton figures for. April were II. per
cent above those for January Is,
allowing for expected seasonal i'm
provement.
Figurers for the heavy indus
tries like steel and iron" remain
bad. The statisticians relied on fig
ures for other industries-finished
products such as prepared foods,
textiles, leather goods, shoes and
automobiles.
In 1921 shoes and textiles led the
way out of depression. It was true
also that in 1921 foreign trade and
building activities followed them.
That is not true now.
Automobile production has been
improving for several months, and
at the end of April was up to that
of year ago. Leather and shoes
showed a z per cent rise for April;
food products 10 per cent. Depart
ment stores sales showed an to 9
per cent Improvement the
fact that the early Easter caused
most of the Easter buying to be
done in March. In dollars the sales
were per cent under those for
April, 1880. Because of the dollars
increased buying poweri bulk sales
undoubtedly were greater.
Senator Dwight w Morrow has
said he believed the worst would be
over three months before the ex-
perts knew it, Administration men
will not say that this prediction is
about to materialize. They empha-
size one thing-that when the bot
tom is reached recovery will not be
regular and will be painfully slow,
extending perhaps over a two year
period. -:
Marie Fish, Of Muskogee, Okla,
filed suit for divorce because her,
husband persisted In playing the
radio all night, -, x,