The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-20
UPWARD MOVEMENT
IN BUILDING WORK
NOTED AT CAPITAL
News Follows Marked Revival
In Business and Gains
In Employment
FOOD PRICE DROP SHOWN
General Average Of WhoIes ale
Commodity Prices, How
ever, Is Higher

Washington, May 20.-(R}-A sharp
upward movement in building con-
struction activity and a rise In whole
sale prices were reported Saturday by
the labor department.
This news followed reports Of reviv-
ing business and q slight increase In
employment which came during the
week from Secretaries Woodin ana
Perkins and the advisory council Of
the federal reserve board.
The labor departments survey was
based on April Is figures. At the
same time q decrease OF one-tenth Of
l per cent in retail food prices was
shown.
Indicated expenditures for building
construction during the month ended
April Is, based on reports from IT'S
cities, were 2l.2 per cent higher than
on March IS.
1.-THE 1888 increase Of April over
March was greater than the increases
shown In comparing these months In
any Of the previous three years." the
department said. Comparing April.
1888, with March, 1888, there was an
increase Of 294 per cent in the num-
Der and an increase Of 1913 per cent
In the estimated cost Of new residen-
tial buildings. New non-residential
buildings increased AT per cent in
number and 43.4 per cent in indicated
expenditures"
Index Number Rising
The index number Of wholesale
commodity prices showed an increase
from March to April. the second sue
cessive advance in recent months and
the first in the monthly index be-
tween the two months since 1928. This
index, which included 784 commodi-
ties weighted according to Importance
and based on the average prices for
the year 1925 as 100, averaged 60.4 for
April against 60.2 for March and 655
in April Of last year.
An even further gain was shown IN
the latest weekly report. The index
on May Is stood at 62.3 as compared
with 619 on May 9.
Railroad car loadings ana cotton
spinning figures were shown moving
upward In response to renewed busi-
ness activity. A weekly report of the
former for May and a monthly re-
port OF the latter for April both re-
corded gains over the preceding Pc
Rod and the same period Of last year.
Car loadings, taken generally as
one OF the sure indications OF busi-
ness trends, recorded freer move
ment Of grain, livestock and mate
rails going into the making OF steel.
Beer Is Playing Part
Beer also played It's part toward
lifting miscellaneous car loadings
above both the previous week and the
same week Of last year.
Cotton spinning saw an even Is
per cent more spindles in operation
than were functioning In April OF
last year and almost two per cent
more than were whirring last March.
The total Of 53l, 0o5 cars was an
increase Of 1885 over the same week
in 1882 although still 2l5,962 under
the same week in 1881. It was 7,276
cars above the week ended May 6
this year.
All commodities, with the exception
Of less-than-carlot freight, showed
increases over the corresponding
week last year.
The movement Of grain, livestock
and materials going into the making
Of steel which started several weeks
ago continued during the week OF
May Is, although there was q slight
dropping off Of grain and grain prod
ucts and livestock as compared to the
week ended May s.
The movement held up fairly well
in the western districts, grain and
grain products loading for the week
Of May Is totaling 26,36o cars In that
section alone, an increase Of 8,448
over the same week last year: and
livestock In the western districts to-
tailed 1887 cars, an increase Of 674
over the same week last year.