The border vidette., 1933-02-11
ECONOMIC t4lGHLlGHTS


dastrial activity, always an en-
couraging sign. Financial ob
serbers seem to be a triha more
optimistic. Even the high per
centage Of commercial failures
impresses many as having a
favcrao ole side - elimination of
weak units in the industrial ma
chine is essential to getting it
going again at full speed.
To many. one of the good
events of 1882 was decline in
the cost of living of 9 per cent
This, too, has its other side
the continued decline in com
modify costs is one of the most
stu ubborn influences in prolong
log depression. Another bar
rier to industrial rehabilitation
is the growing fear of heavier
taxation and the possibility of q
general sales tax that will fur
ther damage purchasing power.
The state of the public finances
continues to be unhappy, with
the deficit lowering around the
ST. 200, ,OCO, 900 mark. Federal re
ceipts are below expectations,
due principally to the lost po.
tency of the income tax.
Consumption of electricity,
like car loadings and bank clear
ings, always plays an important
part in making of business ba
rometers. 1t is, therefore, cheer
ing to know that since July sales
of power have been constantly
increasing and in greater pro.
portion than the normal seasonal
increase. The December ad
vance marked a greater percent
age gain than did the increase in
the same mouth in 193O-a year
of extraordinary electric con
sumption.
Latest reports on major
industries show:
Building - proved. with
contracts ahead OF same period
last year.
Lum Der - New business con
tinues to exceed production. and
in Southern pine distrit is l3 per
cent ahead of last year.
Steel - Fell off after moderate
expansion; consensus Of opinion
looks to Improvement in next few
months.
Copper - Profitless at present
5 cents price; best side is dom
estic consumption leades produc
ton.
Woo,-Sales close to- normal
so far this year.
Oi!-The drop in crude from
63 cents TO 38 cents barrel, in
the face Of proration agreements,
and because of overproduction,
is one of the most discouraging
of recent events.
4 Newsprint-Price- cutting has
lead to losses.
Shoes, Silk And Automobiles
show definite Improvement.
Employment declined 4 per
cent in December, with four out
of seventeen major industrial
groups marking increase. White
collar workers constitute % per
cent of those out of work. Even
slightest change upward in pur.
chasing power should be immedi.
ately reflected in employment
statistics, as stocks of finished
goods of all kinds are now at an
rreducible minimum and only
demand is needed to make factor
les hum,
While farm conditions show
little change, good sign is that
the fundamental supply and de
mand situation in regard to wheat
is steadily improving, thus war
ranting the opinion that price
Improvement will come in the
future. There have been some
farm price setbacks. with cattle
and hides holding tenaeiously to
the upward trend. Foreign de
maud for cotton has been moder
ately good.
OF national interest is the fact
that forced farm sales totaled 9 5
per cent of all the farms in the
country during the five years
ending March 1, 1882 Tax delin.
quencies were responsible for 3 3
per cent Of these.
A rise in brices-probably tenn:
porary - recently occurred IN
Bolivia, with but little change IN
the other South American coun.
| tries. Basic British Industries are