The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-12-20
ROPER TELLS
TRADE GAINS
Drastic Reorganization Is
Made Within Commerce
Department

ness recovery mas been made in
the United States as result OF
decisive governmental action,
. Secretary Of Commerce Roper has
reported 20 President Roosevelt
IN MS departments annual re-
port.
Inc repor, covered the y
months ended June 80, 1888,
during which period Roper said
ina. definite signs Of business
revival appeared throughout the
world.
REORGANIZATION
Roper also reported drastic re-
organization within the depart
men: OF commerce and slash in
expenditures in line with the adj
win:scration'S economy program:
The daily increasing deficit OF
the fedora! treasury, Roper SAID,
and the mandate Of the people
( foy = reduction in the cost OF
government dictated that imme-
date attention be directed 10
drastic reduction in he ordinary
expenditures o: this department.
"Accord.ngly, an immediate
survey was Instituted with u view
to eliminating all unnecessary
OUTLAWS. As a consequence, while
the department had available for
expenditures during The year S+4,-
I gSl,4OS. Of which $39,42l ,4OS
was authorized in the regular an
nual appropriation acts, and So
100000 IN the emergency relief
and construction act, the tota!
expenditures for the year amount
ed 70 only $4O,038, 1928. The eX-
penditure for the fiscal year
1882 was S56.239,34O. Therefore,
our expenses for 1888 were II
per cent less than the funds avail
able and 28.8 per cent less than
the actual expenses Of the pre-
vious year"
BUREAUS CONSOLIDATED
In order 70 accc nplish these
savings important consultations
OF bureaus were effected. Among
the important changes were =
transfer Of the |. S. shipping
board 10 the commerce depart
ment fuel yards of the bureau OF
mines We're transferred to the
treasury; the bureau of naviga-
ton and the steamboat inspection
bureau were consolidated; radio
activities were transferred 70 the
( federal radio commission and
drastic reductions in personne!
and officials We're made by, the
bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce.
In his discussion of the eco
nomic situation Roper reported
substantial progress toward re-
covery in the final four months
of the fiscal year which ended
June 80, 1888
cat the beginning of the April
quarter" Roper said, activity
had reached extremely low levels
and had recently shown resistance
to further declines. Inventories
were abnormally small and in
need of replenishment. The re-
turn Of confidence following the
banking crisis, the possibility OF
direct and indirect inf!ationary
action, and the legislative accom-
plishments of the first session of
the seventy-third congress stimu-
lated natural forces working to-
ward recovery and thus contri-
buted to the sharpest advance in
business activity in any three
months period during the ma
tons history.
INDEXES TELL STORY
Indexes of activity" he con-
tinued, registered a strong and
consistent improvement after
March to the close of the fiscal
year, but in a few instances, as 3
result of speculative action, the
Improvement was more rapid than
the basic situation warranted.
This condition. however, was in
the process Of readjustment by
midsummer
For the fiscal var, as a whole,
factory employment was approx
mately II per cent less than in
the previous fiscal year. and 40
per cent below the fiscal year
1929. Payroll5 showed similar
but much sharper contraction.
The average for 1929 was 26
per cent below the previous fis-
cal year and 81 per cent below
the fiscal year 1929. Industrial
disputes continued to be relative
II few but with the increased ac-
tivity in the last quarter became
more numerous. Emigration con-
tinued to exceed immigration.
Notwithstanding the expansion
in the international movement of
goods which occurred in the lat
ter part Of the fiscal year, the
trade totals for the period under
review were considerably below,
those of the previous fiscal year.
Partly by reason of price declines
and partly because Of shrinking
volume total world exports of so
leading countries were valued on
a gold basis as only S10,241,374,-
900 and imports Of s11,20S,960,-
900, declines of approximately
% and 26 per cent from the pre-
ceding fiscal year"