Evening star., 1936-07-03
INDUSTRY FORCES
STEADILY AHEAD
Factory Output Maintains
Levels Equal to 1923.
1925 Average.
srecial Dispatch to The Star.

0TeCIal OlephtCu 70 Inc StAI.
NEW YORK, July Sit should be
with considerable satisfaction that
business reviews the first half of 1886,
according to Business Week today.
Manufacturing output has been main
tanned at high level averaging 100
per cent of the 1923-1925 average.
Mineral production has been equally
high. Both are at the best levels since
1880. Agriculture also is headed back
to 1880 levels.
Railroads stand a good chance to
beat the 1881 freight shipments and
earnings totals. The eagerness with
which new equipment is now being
purchased reflects the improved pros
poets Of the carriers.
Even the utilities which have
smarted under stringent regulations
have no doubt been surprised at the
unusual strength of electric power de-
mand this Summer. Nor have whole
sale and retail trade, advertising, and
financial centers reason to complain
of their lot this year. A number of
mail-order houses and other national
distributors have broken all records
in sales in the past six months.
Heavy Industries Recover.
The heavy industries hardest hit in
the late depression have evinced par
ticularly strong recuperative powers
this year. Agricultural implements,
machine-tool orders, rail equipment,
and construction have all made big
and pay rolls in the durable goods
industries have veered sharply up
ward.
The last-minute rush to get orders
on the books before third-quarter
prices went into effect and perhaps,
in some cases. to be prepared for any
strike eventualities. forced the steel
operating rate up to "A per cent of
capacity, a new high since May, 1880
This probably represents the peak of
the Spring season, and is at least 10
to Is points higher than most trade
observers expected earlier this year.
July may see a gradual decline in
steel operations as orders now on the
books are worked off.
Last weeks buying of railroad
equipment was the second best this
year Steel reports awards of 4720
freight cars, 1000 steel underframes,
and six passenger locomotives. On
June l, class roads had more
freight cars on order than on any
June l since 1880
Auto Pace Slows.
Motor assemblies have dipped below
the 100. 0.000-Cars-a-week line, and will
probably continue TO shrink slowly in
the next eight weeks. July output
may be on the par with year ago
when 350054 cars were produced in
United States and Canadian plants.
BY the end OF August, work on the
1886 line should be completed and
work on the 1887 line begun.
Pressure for the newest and fastest
mode of travel is taxing facilities Of
airlines. May domestic airline pas
sengers set a new high with 96,366.
Mileage flown also set a new record,
The Advertising Federation OF
America selected a period when all
advertising curves are upward to cele-
brate the silver jubilee of truth in
advertising this week. The bonus dis
tribution gave newspaper lineage a
special boost last week, and the first
five months were more than Z per
cent ahead of the same period OF
1885. Magazine lineage in the same
months was up over per cent, reach
ing the best levels since 1881. Radio
companies report diverse trends, with
net gain for the joint results.