The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-10-20
LIVING COST
GAINS, TRADE
=. -. IS DECLINING
September -, Figures Are
Revealed by Conference
Of Statisticians

NEW YORR, Oct. 20.-tUP).
The cost Of living increased and
business activity declined in Sep
te'nber, the conference of stats
ticians in industry of the National
Industrial Conference board an
rounccd hast night.
The succession of downward
movements in recent months wiped
out advances made since last No
vemher, and brought the general
level OF production to where it
was IN the second quarter of
l""",' the conference monthly re-
port said.
production in major industries
declined more than seaSonally in
September. General distribution
end retail trade advanced over
August by amounts less than sea-
sonally usual. The cost Of living
continued to advance.
automobile production was
sharply curtailed in September
the decline being greater than
seasonal under August. Steel and
IRON output was similarly contract
ell. Building and engineering con-
Structlon awards. as a whole, fell
oil more than usual for the month
although publicly-fnanced awards
showed slight advance over the
August total. Electric power pro-
duction declined by more-than-
seasonal amount. Bitminous coal
output advanced slightly in Sep
TENDER but less than expected for
the time of the year. Textile pro-
ductlon declined to a new depres-
sion low because of the strike, but
activity in the opening. weeks of
October showed measurable i'm
provement.
production Of passenger cars
and trucks in the United States
and Canada in September, was es-
tlmated at $4,000 units, or "a
per cent under production of the
preceding month and 6 1-2 per
cent under that of September last
year. During the first nine months
this year, production totaled =
$4,000 units, or AZ per cent more
than the total for the correspond
Ing period last year, and 26 per
cent over that for the entire year
1888.
Retail sales of new passenger
cars in the United States in Sep
TENDER were estimated at l35,000
units, or 80 per cent under those
Of August and "a per cent under
those of September, 1888. In the
first eight months of this year, re-
tail sales were 80 per cent over
those of the corresponding period
last year and nearly equalled re-
tail sales for all Of 1888. Retail
sales of trucks in August were
the largest since April, 1880, and
the largest of any August on rec
ord with the single exception of
August, 1929.
"Steel production continued to
decline in September. Total out
put for the month was 1852, 900
gross tons, 81 per cent below the
total for August and 1872 per cent
under that Of September, 1888.
Average daily production was So
065 gross tons, a decline of 90
per cent under the August aver
age Of 58,495 gross tons. The
usual seasonal movement between
August and September in recent
years has been an average rise of
OF per cent. Steel output for Sep
TENDER was the lowest since March
Of 1883.
Steel operations in September
fell to 22.7 per cent Of capacity
as against 22.9 per cent for Au-
gust, and 40.4 per cent for Sep
TENDER, 1883. Pig iron production
showed its fourth consecutive de-
cline. Average daily output of
29,935 tons in September was 1910
per cent below the rate of 34,102
tons in August and 41.0 per cent
under the September, 1888, daily
average. Bookings of fabricated
structural steel were less than half
the average monthly bookings in
the first six months of 1884, and
nearly 40 per cent less for Sep
TENDER, 1888, according to pre-
reports to the American
Institute Of Steel Construction
from &c per cent of the industry.
Shipments, however, were. 26
per cent larger this month than in