The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-02-13
IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS
CONDITIONS

The United States Chamber of Com
merce, which presents the conservative
business view of nationwide conditions,
states in the latest bulletin of that organ
ization that industrial production in the
country increased in 1884 over both 1888
and 1882; that 1882 was the low year IN
industry and while the increase in 1884
was small in comparison with the proceed
ing year, the country did make some prog
ress in the right direction.
So much ballyhoo and propaganda deal
ing with business is continually handed out
to the country, that it is enlightening ana
reassuring to get the views of an organlza-
ton composed of business men and in di-
rect contact with the country's business.
and one that cannot be rushed off it's bal
ance by the ballyhooers. The presentation
of business conditions as seen by the Cham
Der of Commerce is summarized in the
following paragraphs:
ga twenty-five per cent increase over the low
year of 1882 appears to have been attained
by industrial production in 1884. That is general
average for all cassse of production, and is estab-
lished by data which have gradually become avail
able since the end of the calendar year.
'fIf anyone should undertake to point out that
this general average but five per cent over the
rate for 1888 which was year of abnormal and
uneven stimulations he will at once be met by the
encouraging circumstance that the most pronounced
increases, about 25 percent in 1884 were in invest
ment goods as our foreign friends classify all
I'M G
ton.
''Among the durable goods, nothing like uni
formity was realized, to be expected. signifi-
cant feature was the increasing strength toward
the end of the year in the iron and steel industry,
with its wide influences. The increase in produc-
ton of iron and steel has continued with accel-
Grafton so far in 1885, giving good augury for
what is ahead unless untoward developments re-
verse the present evidences of gathering progress
This is obviously period when untoward events
would be very detrimental to the national public
interest.
''The increase in production has been accom-
panied by a corresponding Improvement in employ
ment. Our manufacturing industries alone in De-
cember, 1884, gave employment to 100000 more
wage earners than in December 1882. The manu-
featuring payrolls for last December were at least
S19O,OOO,OOO more than for the same month two
years before All of the statistics yet available in
dictate that, instead of showing moderate season
able recession which is normal, employment IL
manufacturing was maintained in January at the
December level, and perhaps rose higher.
Among the statistics appears remarkable use of
electric power, which in January this year exceed
ed use in January 1929. At the end of January
coal was moving by railroad in greater volume
than at this time of year since 1881. So far as
checks drawn on hank deposits supply an index of
general business activity, they were Is per cent
over the total for January, 1894.
"In period of recovery unevenness is usually
sign of progress This may be cold comfort for
those industries which do not at once share the
general improvement. The face of the statistical
record which we now have in behind for recent
years, however suggests that, barring the inter
vention of disturbing, artificial and arbitrary in
fuences there is ahead more Improvement in the
durable goods fields and renewed advance in the
industries that offer products for immediate con-
sumption