The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-28
Trends
Business Men Study
Recent Uptrend
In Outlook.
, BY VINCENT :. LYONS
Times financial Editor


IIOW genuine Is the improve
Il Il ment which has taken place
In the business situation during the
last feV weeks2 That is the ques-
ton that executives throughout The
country are asking themselves and
each other. For months they have
been told that the illusOTy figure OF
prosperity mas been Just around the
corner. Just around the corner. "
however. has proven 10 be a little
farther away than It is indicated.
on several occasions in the last
twenty months the view has been
nurtured that general trade and
industry vas emerging from the
doldrums. Scattered economic
barometers would point 70 consider
cradle betteTment. But the changed
conditions which have arisen IN
DER national recovery legislation
was lost sight 81 for the moment by
the over-zealOus. Consequently.
the spurts in certain lines devel-
oped 10 be adjustments to new sit
Uations.
Eschewing their Poliyanna atti-
tude Of several years ago for a
"shOW-me' front. business exCcu-
tives today are weighing the pros
and cons carefully and method
icallv 70 determine whether the
recent gains made along the ecO-
nomic front Will stand the test Of
keen analysis. Their Warlae IS
natural when It is remembered that
this IS the sixth year Of the slump
for some lines and the CRY that re-
vivsI is here has been heard nu-
merous times during that period.
NTATIONAL elections are no
~ longer a factor. The New
Deal received a sweeping vote of
confidence. The view that radical
sentiment might be strong in the
next congress and that reckless in
fatiOn Will be TosoTted 10 has been
tempered by the conviction in
some quarters that the President
m AAa NNNAANF Aa.A aNE AAAo fAADA 10 lAA
Warding of such an eventuality.
In fact. only this week We have
an indication that this latter will
develop. Senator Elmer Thomas
Dem, Okla. lieutenant Of the
infiationary forces. advised those
in MS contingent 10 proceed
cautiously and not TO seek an early
showdown. The senator granted
that inflationary schemes Will stand
little change Of passage If, in the
interim. material improvement
ensucS IN business conditions.
Furthermore, business undOubted-
" has been heartened by the
seemingly changed administration
attitude toward labor. Extension
of the automobile code without the
changes that workers had de-
manded. was a blow 10 the labor
group. Industry IS beginning 10 re-
alize that the administration does
not aim 10 improve the position
of the workers at the entire eX-
pense Of itself.
II ORGANIZATION of the ma
N tional recovery administration
has played an important part in
helping TO bolster confidence. The
threat Of one individual with a big
stick standing over the head of
business has been supplanted by
the less scary picture OF a board
ready TO cOnCiliate.
Within recent weeks steel pro-
duction and electric power output,
two important business barometerS,
have moved up sharply; car load
ings continued to exceed the to-
tails Of year ago; several corpora
tons decided to chance the Sc
act by issuing new SecurI-
ties to the public; Henry Ford COM
pleted plans for the production OF
one million cars next year; large
inCuS- ~ial enterprises made OUTLAWS
for improvements to plants and
stockholders Of companies we're re-
wardcd with substantial dividend
Even the lowly stock market has
begun to perk up. Accusing itself
from its lethargic state this branch
of commerce. ever since election
dav. has found an increased pop
ularity. The turnover on several
DAYS has been well above one mil
lion shares. contraSted with average
sessions OF 100000 and 500. 900
shares for months previous. More
over. values. with the exception OF
public utility stocks. have pa
raded impreSSively forward.
MARION cOunty'S upSwing Is
WI attcSted TO by figures on life
insurance sales for October Of COM
panies which transact about IS per
cent Of all the life business in the
county. Writings last month aggre-
gated $685. .S42. an increase Of ia
per cent over the S3.261.3 1928 reported
in the preceding month.
A further indication Of the bet
terment is afforded by the an
nouncement from the Prudential
Insurance Company that the three
local offices Of the company wrote
more than Sl.5OO.OOO Of business
from Nov. 5 10 Nov. II. This show
Ing was made following the launch
Ing Of an advertising campaign.
In recent years" the General
AGENTS Association Of indianapolis
declares large volumes Of business
life insurance are written so the
new business each month not only
- E--,,-s,1 n~rfFrs-1 IF