Evening star., 1934-12-02
1883 WHOLESALE
PAY S1,710,41,0O0
Survey DiscIoses 164,101
Firms Had 1,094,878
FuII.Time Workers.

A total Of 164,10l establishments
in all branches of wholesale trade
employed 1,094,878 full-time wage
earners and paid them a total Of
81 1887 900 in 1888, according to
a summary Of the census Of Ameri-
can business covering the wholesale
field.
The summary was made public
today by William l.. Austin, director
of the Bureau of the Census, and Is
the first complete tabulation made
since the census of distribution in
1929.
In addition to the full-time pay
roll, wholesale establishments paid
out S59,804,000 to part-time en-
ployes. making total pay roll for
the year of $l,7l0,44l 900.
At the same time the business
houses reported total net sales of
s32, 2,030. .504,O00 for the year, with
stocks on hand at the end of De-
cember, 1888, valued at $2,966, sos, 900.
$1,507 Average Salary.
Under this tabulation all the firms
had an average full-time pay roll of
Sl0,058 plus for the year, which ap-
pears small when it is pointed out
that the average salary of full-time
workers was $1,507 plus.
Compared to the 1929 census, the
number of wholesale establishments
decreased by 3.3 per cent, but the
dollar volume of business dropped
53.6 per cent, which means that the
average sales per establishment was
considerably less than four years be-
fore. The average last year was only
$195,187 plus per establishment
In taking sthe business census
wholesale establishments were di-
v1ded into six general classifications.
These groups and the percentages
OF the total volume of business for
each follows: Wholesalers proper,
4O.5 per cent: manufacturers sales
branches, 23.4 per cent; chain store
warehouses, As per cent: bulk tank
stations, So per cent; assemblers and
country buyers, 54 per cent, and
agents and brokers, 2O.3 per cent.
Classification by kinds of business
show that the value of groceries and
foods Except farm products) led all
other commodity groups in wholesale
trade in 1888, amounting to $685.
$4,000 or 23.5 per cent of the total
Second in order of dollar value were
farm products-raw materials. aegre-
eating s3,848, ,638, 900 or IL per cent of
the total. Next came farm products
consumer goods. with So, ,l6l ,675, 900 or
9.9 per cent; petroleum and its prod
ucts, with s2,288, ,929, 900 or ~ per
cent, and dry goods, with s2,242, ,392,-
600 or Z per cent.
Figures on employment show that
one full-time worker was kept on the
job for each $29,254 of sales. PART
time employment figures show a total
of 475,896 man months of work given
by wholesale establishments.
For the trade as a whole. So per
cent OF net sales was spent for wages.
Employment Gains Shown.
The largest employers of wage
earnerS were wholesalers proper, en-
ploying $780, or 581 per cent of
the total.
Figures by months show that en-
ployment improved steadily through
out the year, graduating upward
throughout the year from January to
December.
The census Of American business
was conducted under the direct super.
vision Of Fred A. Gosnell. chief sta
tistician, with funds provided by the
Civil Works Administration. In addi-
ton to whole sale trade, the enumera-
ton also covered retail trade, and serv-
ice, amusement and hotel establish
ments. The wholesale trade tabula-
tions were prepared by DR.. Theodore
N. Beckman. assisted by John Al
bright.