Evening star., 1944-03-12
Business Briefs
Improved Steel Supplies are

pected by midyear, even though
current demand for sheets and plate
continues to be larger than pro-
ductive capacity. Some 1914 con-
tracts are likely to be Cancelled be-
fore material can be rolled because
orders were duplicated by customers
trying to make certain their sup
plies. New capacity will relieve the
plate situation.
General Business Activity was
maintained in the last week, ac-
cording to the index of Business
Week, which stood at 1885, un-
changed from the previous week, and
compared with 1890 a month ago,
1883 six months ago and 2279 a
year ago.
Locomotive Manufacturers face
one of their longest periods Of good
business in years, Standard & Poor S
Corp, reported. Demand for do
mestic railroads and lend-lease ex-
port will maintain close-to-capacity
Operations for the wars duration and
postwar orders for domestic and
foreign lines are expected to be
large.
Crude Petroleum Stocks totaled
237, ,763, 900 barrels on March a, a
net increase of $4,000 from a week
earlier, the Bureau of Mines dis
closed. Domestic crude increased
140, 900. while foreign crude increased
486, 900.
General American Transportation
Corp. may enter. the field of ali
transportation after the war, Chair
man Max Epstein said, if present
contracts with the Army for war
purpose gliders work out favorably
Youngstown Sheet g. Tube Co
earned $8,037, AL or $4.31 a share ir
1943, compared with 1912 profit OF
$40, ,305, ,705 or $3.50. Despite largest
production in its history, the firms
earnings were only about half those
for 1941. Higher labor, coal anc
transportation costs were blamed.
Abbott Laboratories reported 1874:
net income of $3,285, ,50S or S419 g
share against s2,2o8,653 or s2.76 ir
j 1912.
Thompson Products, Inc, and sub
lsidiaries, excluding Thompson Air.
craft PRODUCTS Co., earned So ,304, la
or $72l share in 1943, compared
i with $2,051,4l7 or S6.49A in 1912.
Thompson Aircraft Products Co
net was $780, ,694 VS.. 1890, 200 in the
previous year.
Lion Oil Refining Co. earned
$1,377, 1876 or $317 a share in 1943
compared with $904,553 or $2O8 or
a smaller number of shares in 1912
New petroleum reserves found BY
the firm in 1943 were estimated as
several times greater" than its
production for the year. This was
contrary to the national trend.
First National Stores Corp. net fol-
three months ended December 81
was $540,795 or 66 cents share
against $621, 1873 or rs cents in the
same 1912 period.
United Electric Corp. reported 194a
net of $338,043 or s226 a share
against $564,511 or S3.77 in the pre-
ceding year.
Great Northern Paper Co. earned
81 ,859 1895 or $186 a share in 1943
before renegotiation, compared with
81 ,686 ,528 or $1.69 in 1942.
Natomas Co. earned $163, $50 or 1e
cents a share in 1943, compared
with $742, ,724 or 80 cents in 1912.
Square ID Co. net for 1943 was
S2,177,030 or s497 a share against
$1,371, ,979 or $304 in the previous
year.
Chicago Great Western Railroad
reported 1943 net of $2,7O5, ,827 VS..
$2,617 ,491 in 1912.
Chicago, Indianapolis G. Louisville
Railroad net for January was S1O3,-
401 VS.. s1o4,9O4 in January of last
year.
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Rail-
read declared dividend of ST a
share on class A stock, payable
April Is to holders of record March
81. January net was S70,892 VS.,
S218,470 in January. lo43