Evening star., 1935-02-26
JANUARY OUTPUT
AT 5YEAR MARK
Federal Reserve Reports
Industrial Activity 80 Per
Cent of 1923-25.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Industrial production last month,
the Federal Reserve Board says. was
the largest in any January since 1880.
The boards monthly summary of
business conditions, published today.
said the industrial output in January
amounted to 80 per cent of the 1929
Is average, compared to Sc per cent
IN December.
Sharply increased activity in the
steel and automobile industries was
credited for much of the gain. The
report said factory employment and
pay rolls rose somewhat during the
month, reversing usual seasonal
trends. Large increases in employ
ment at automobile factories and
substantial increases at steel mills,
foundries and woolen mills were re-
ported.
Jobless Put At ,S30,000.
Meanwhile, however, report issued
by the National Emergency Council
showed the unemployed in the United
States in December. 1884. numbered
10.830,0G0 This figure differed by
half a million from the American
Federation of Labor, which estimated
that 11.329,000 were out of work at
that time.
Although represented as being un-
official and released without comment
by the council, the figures were con-
tanned in 68-page report by Winfield
Refer. recently resigned economist OF
the council. and his associates.
The table in the report covered un-
employment month-by-month from
January, 1880, through December
1884. Such detailed figures have never
before been published by the Govern
ment, officials said
The Federal Reserve report noted
decreases in the number of persons
employed in the meat packing indus
try, at retail trade establishments and
on construction projects. The report
said the output of lumber continued
at a low level.
Food prices were shown to have ad-
vanced steadily. The board reported
the general level of wholesale COM
modify prices advanced from 77.9 per
cent of the 1926 average in the week
ended January 5 to 794 per cent in
the week ended February 16.
Substantial increases in cattle and
beet prices during January and in hog
prices during February were reported,
while prices of cotton, grains and silk
were shown to have declined in jan
uary and the first few days of this
month only to advance in mid-Feb-
ruary.
The board said the value OF con-
struction contracts awarded during
January was slightly larger than in
December. A considerable decline
from January, 1884. was attributed to
the declining volume of public prof.
ectS.
Figures Not ReconciIed.
AS for the National Emergency
Council report, no attempt was made
to reconcile its figures with those Of
the American Federation of Labor or
with other data published by the Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board, a
private economic research association.
Nor was there any explanation as to
the data on which the compilation
was based.
The council figures showed that
since December. 1850. the number of
persons in the United States available
for employment has increased l,678,-
900 to a total of sc, ,426, 600. The gain
resulted from the normal increase in
population.
The estimates showed a slight gain
in employment for December over No
vember.
January Federation of Labor figures
also show an improvement over De-
cember.