Evening star., 1932-10-30

"HE automobile industry may be
down, but, in the words OF the
Salvation Army. it is never out.
i While still awaiting the begin
ming Cf the looked-fof replace
nent period, the motor vehicle manu-
facturers managed to sell l,loI,029 cars
trucks and taXicabS during the three
quarter year period ended october l,
according to Census Bureau reports.
That total is far below the number
sold in preceding years, but at that
more than a million cars is at least
something. If this depression really
can be spoken of in terms OF the past.
the producers will have something to
lock forward to. Transportation must
go on.
Speaking Of transportation and auto
mobiles another factor comes to the
fore. That is roads. And very i'm
portant in its relation-road building.
Volume of Business.
1t is an industry which, under nor
NAL conditions, does a business volume
of more than $6,OOO,OoO,OOO annually
and which gives direct and indirect en-.
ployment to more than 2.650,000 persons
that will be mobilized in the Highway
and Building Congress to be held III
Detroit the week of January l6 These
figures are contained in statement
issued by the general committe of the
congress in which are set forth facts
showing the economic significance OF
the highway and construction industry.
An understanding Of the scope of
the industry represented fOrcefully eS-
tablisheS the Importance of the con-
pNprply fhp nlZ9tlOnS
participating but to the Nation at
large" says the statement Similarly
there can be no doubt that this mobili
zation of the highway and building in
duStry is the greatest in the countryS
history, unequaled even by those of
wartime"
Analyzing 1929 FederaA census fig
ureS, the last data available, TO show
the normal economic stature of the
I; construction industry, the committee
arranging the congress points cut that;
:. Average Employment.
The industrys average direct employ
ment on the basis of the most recent
figures covering its full scope is 828,772
men. with a peak of 1,C3l.0C0 during
the season of greatest activity.
On the basis of two men 2mploved
equipment used in construction for
every one engaged in actual building
activity, the industry gives direct and
indirect employment 10 more than B.
$4,000 in normal times.
Further. estimating at leaSl two ron-
workers dependent upon each worker,
the average number of persons whose
welfare rests upon construction actlvl-
ties is as great as 1850 000-almost g.
600, ,000-or l out of every IS persons
in the United States. Due to the di-
versity of construction and the wide
spread sources Of materials and equip
ment which must be prepared fer its
operations, these workers and their
families are located at every end of the
Nation and their welfare is of concern
to the entire population.
The direct pay roll. exclusive of sal
aried workers tOtaled Sl.467 ,54l 900,
counting only that of 30,507 operating
organizations whose annual business
volume exceeded S25 900.
Materials consumed in the last nor
NAL year by contracting firms doing
aggregated S2055 100000 in value. In
the cost of these raw materials. the
labor expense is the largest single item,
establishing this one of the largest and
most important sources of indirect en-
ployment provided by highway and con-
struction enterprise.
Equipment owned By 26718 of the
firms with an annual volume Of $4,000
or more, is valued in the Government
tables at more than S407 039 600, with