The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-24
UTILITY GROUP
POPULAR AFTER
IVA DECISION
Court Ruling Construed as
Disappointment to
Many.
Times Special

RANhlO NOhlb I'll Vic 4 v n NC
cision focused attention on the
outlook of utilities last week despite
the disappointment it contained by
leaving many pertinent questions
unanswered, Business Week de-
clared in it's current issues today.
The extensive expansion pro-
grams that many have planned may
be held down until the legality of
the holding company act and PWA's
financing of municipality operated
plants is decided. Non-ferrous mar
kets that have been counting on a
substantial volume Of business from
the utilities on the strength of a
decision against the government
were also disappointed. However,
they see orders ahead under the
pressure of increasing power de-
mands.
Business Actually Dips
Urban real estate again looks
good to life insurance companies.
Sine Jan. ! some as of them have
invested over $34,70O, 900 in city
mortgages against less than $780,
900 in the same period of 1885. Ur-
ban mortgages absorbed IA per
cent of life insurance funds in
vested this year against a mere 2.3
per cent in the same weeks last
year.
Largely because some cities OBJ
served Feb. II as a holiday, and
partly because continued cold
weather cut down sales volume,
check transactions took such
nose dive from the preceding week
that Business Weeks index of bust
ness activity dipped sharply.
Compared with year ago, how
ever, check transactions still show
a favorable margin in all sections
of the country with marked i'm
provement in the industrial East
and on the West coast.
Motor Output Rises
Motor production schedules we're
expanded las week following several
weeks of contraction. The month,
however. will fall short of both
January's estimated total of 100000
and last February'S output of $685.
781. Whether production will be
accelerated sufficiently in the next |
few weeks to lift March totals above
the 51,768 of last year will depend
largely on how the public takes to
cars next month. A 500,000-car
month, comparable to April, 1885,
seems unlikely this year under the
stabilized scheme of production.
1.-THE posted increase in copper
prices by leading producer a few
days prior to the IVA decision
brought heavy volume of buying
by forehanded customers at the
9A cent level. Observers believe
that, despite the temporary set
back caused by the court decision,
the market is strong enough to fol-
low the higher price in the not dis
tant future.
Tool Index Higher
1.-THE January machine tool index
reached 110.8 per cent of the 1926
level against 983 per cent in De-
cember. The first quarter of 1886
thust gets flying start, and should
exceed by wide margin the 60.3 per
cent average of the first quarter of
1885.
Though cotton consumption by |
domestic mills in January was the |
largest for the month since 1929, |
sales of textiles for future delivery
have fallen below trade expectations
this month.
In woolens, the situation is more
cheerful. Mills claim to have enough |
orders on hand to keep going at cur
rent levels for II weeks
Shoe production in 1895 reached |
a new all-time figure Of 1888, 761 ,499 |
pairs, a rs per cent increase over
1884.
Rubber consumption in January
reached level that has been at
tanned only three times since 1929.
1t was 10 per cent above December
n