Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1936-02-28

ume is more than double year ago.
Costs are stable, rents are up five
per cent. and government financing is
doing it's bit. The real question about
1896 building is: Can people afford to
buy both new homes and new auto
mobiles?
4. RAILROADS. Carloadings have
been giving an excellent accoun,
themselves The total for the. past
week for instance is well above a
year ago and is the best figure for
this season in several years. Excep-
tionally cold weather with heavier
shipments of coal has had good eff
feet Although merchandise loadingsl
have fallen off, railroad net income is
showing signs of strength for the first
time in several years. Will this in
crease continue?
5. UTILITIES: Figures covering
the consumption of electric power are
I becoming one of the nations standard
'barometers of business activity. Week
~ reports show that consumers are
using more electricity today than ever
before in the history of the industry.
This is due to two factors: "a sharp
Improvement in industrial activity
since 1888 and (2) tremendous gains
in the sale of household appliances.
Does the record-breaking sale of cleo
trio power mean a new expansion pro-
gram for the utility industry in the
near future?
6. LABOR: Employment totals have
slipped backward recently, but are
still we'll above the 1885 level. Pay
roll totals, as has been the case thro-
ughout the recovery period, have been
increasing faster than employment.
Unemployment is still our most Sc
rious problem. Strikes are abnormal
ly low. Are labor troubles now due for
pickup with the rising cost of liv-
ing the main bone of contention?
7. RETAIL TRADE: 1895 Christ
mas business was the best since 1890
January clearance sales were also
brisk. Since then, however, retail
trade has been sagging. The combin-
alton of the AAA decision, storms,
and cold weather have taken their
toll. So retail trade has declined
roughly five per cent and is now only
slightly above a year ago. However,
orders are piling up. Can merchants
count upon an earlier Easter this year
to make up for the February quiet
ness?
8. BANKING: Commercial loans,
after a brief pickup last Fall, have
declined ever since, and are again at
their depression low. Deposits, on the
other hand, have maintained the
steady upward climb which started
after the bank holiday. AS a result,
credit reserves are at the highest level
in our history. Does not this mod
crate volume of loans mean less dan
ger from a sharp curtailment of
credit?
g. TEXTILES: There has been some
recession in cotton and silk mill ac-
tivity since Christmas, the uproar
over processing tax refunds being one
of the big factors. Within the past
fortnight some Improvement in cot
ton shipments has been noticeable
and the industry is ready for a sharp
seasonal pickup. Meanwhile, wooden
mills have been operating at peak
capacity and they still have a big
block of orders on hand to be filled
this Spring. In spite Of this spotty
situation, will the bonus payments
lead to general prosperity in the tex
tile field?
10. STOCKS AND COMMODITIES:
Commodity prices reached a new re-
covery high early in January but have
been sliding off since then due to the
AAA decision and receding business
activity. Stock prices, however, have
been moving ahead vigorously. Vol
une of stock trading is the highest