The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-07-24
"BEHIND THE SCENES IN
AMERICAN BUSINESS"
By John Croddock


NEW YORK, July 21.-STANDARDIZA-
Nv to buy a wheelbarrow? Not
many folks. do, of course, but just to illustrate
the standardization and simplification trend
which is due to be speeded up now under
measure of the defense prOgram-lts point
cd out that wheelbarrOws now come IN only
al different sizes; there used to be 10. Don
aid M. Nelson, purchasing director OF JPN
has announced a government program design
Cd m save scarce defense materials by SIM
~nI;fving hundreds of non-defense consumer
goods. This has been going on, In milo way
for some Is years, but from now on therc
will be much greater restrlction on stocKlng
Of odd sizes and styles. 1t should be one oil
the least of the hardshlps OF clvllan CO.
oneration for defense. Other Examples O!
Standardization during the last Is years, that
tho average customer hasn't even noticed;
Sbotoup shells have been reduced from az
array of 4,6G0 different types to less than
35O. more than 5000 sizes and varieties OF
abrasive paper and cloth have been reduced
ia less than 1000; and where there USED
to be 5000 kinds of spades and shoveis' thefe
are now only about 100.
THE WOMAN BUYS-The female OF the
species is weather. than tne male. women
in the United States CONTROL 10 per UT o.
all private wealth, and they spend more
than a thousand dollars every second. Ihey
buy 80 per cent of all food, 50 per cent
of all food, 95 per cent OF all 1urnlture, 70
per cent of all clothing. They even purchase
az per cent of all mems ties! But, as a lead
mo woman's educator point out, they own
the money, they spend the money, and yet
thew never learn much about money. Since
money is so clearly womans responsiDlilty
declares James Madison Wood. president OF
Stephens College, "she must be educated Tor
~ - - TLn hooI IF the GOlnmDl9. MO.
women's Junior college has long been re-
copnized for the "practical-minded' prepar-
alton his school gives it's girls, teaching them
sound budgeting principles, home manage
ment, personal finances. But there are 81
OOO. 900 adult able-bodied women in Amer
lea, and their estimated collective holdings
exceed 500, 600, 900 900.
BITS O. BUSINESS = Electric output for
the nation last week ran 1875 per cent ahead
of a year ago The nations machine too
manufacturers are almost doubling their l94o
production rate-shipments for the first SIX
months being S348, OO0, 900 worth, or 1913 per
cent more than in first half of 1910; almost
all workers in that trade are in companies on
a two-or three-shift basis Sales OF
General Electric in three months ending June
80 were 62 per cent higher than for the same
period last year, but net income after all
charges and taxes gained only about per
Cenl 4. . AAAS 49, oS
doing fine, with sales for week end June Il
mp 10 per cent over corresponding week OF
year before the gain for four-weeks period
was 81 per cent Apparently British
housewives are as brand-cOnscious as Ameri-
cans-and for American brands; they object
to getting spec~ially-packed shipments that
don't show the brand names.
-oOo-
SHORTER WEEK - The first five-day
week in the history of the grocery business,
given last May to 1000 retail employees o.
the A & Ps eastern division, has worked out
well enough that the five-day, 48-hour week
is now being extended throughout the com
pany's whole chain "as far and as fast as
possible" John A. Hartford, president of
the company, noted that in some localities
adoption may be delayed or even prevented
by state and local labor regulations and To-
cal agreements. Company officials pointed
out, in connection with the move, that low
prices and good working conditions can and
do go hand in hand" and cited A & P's
annual report to stockholders They said "it
shows that our customers are currently en-
joying the lowest retail prices in relation to
our costs in the history of the grocery in
dustry; that during 1910 our growers and
shippers received Is per cent more of the
consumers food dollar than in 1887; and
thai we were still able last year to give our
compensation totaling more than 50, 0OO,-
OOO." Stores will continue to be open six
days a week, and salaries will remain the
same as for the six-day week.
Mrs. Franklin ID. Roosevelt has a full page
in each issue of the Ladies Home Journal in
which she answers questions sent her in care