The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-08-22
Behind The Scenes
American Business
BY John Croddock

pOIGS 1OI C1le 1lTSG SIX ulO1lCliS
of the year are flooding the
mails to the millions of men
and women who own American
business. Many of these reports
make sad reading. The figures
reflect the economic conSe-
quences of the strikes earlier in
the year. It is the heavy indus
tries which disclose the deepest
red in their figures. Both the
electrical equipment and the
motor car industries operated
at substantial losses through
the first half of this year. So,
apparently, did the railroads.
The first IS Glass l roads to
report showed a net deficit for
the period of $40 million
against earnings of SPIT mil
lion last year. Though the steel
industry kept in the black, due
chiefly to tax adjustmentS, its
earnings, too, were off sharply.
So substantial were the losses
in the heavy industries that,
on the average, they more than
offset gains registered by some
If the consumer goods divisions.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Labor
Statistics figures reveal a AS
per cent gain in workers wages
and only a 10.5 per cent gain i'll
workers output since 1889.
WRITING AND SHAVING -
But not all business is below
par. One of the phenomena
that has grown out of the end
of the war is the tremendous
increase in sales of writing and
S shaving instruments. This
seems to be particularly true in
the case of Eversharp, which
recently introduced two prod
ucts under it's name-the CA
Capillary action) pen with z.
ball bearing point and the Ev-
ersharp Schick razor ana
blades. The company's business
is advancing at such a pace
that its prewar plants could
not carry the load. Recently,
Martin l.. Straus, president.
announced expansion into two
new plants. one each in Chica-
go and New York, and in an
effort to keep quality at the
highest level engineers and
production experts are flying
about the country to help sup
pliers located in dozens of
towns throughout the U. S.
This was a common practice
when industry in wartime
pushed for quality and produc-
ton, but in the postwar period
the role of the expert "eXpe-
otter" is becomino unique, ex-
cept in the growing writing
and shaving instrument in
dustry. Straus expects his COM
PAW will gross more than $50
600, 900 this wear. nearly double
the Eversharp business in 1915.
THINGS TO COME - Sales
talks in retail store~ that start
clackrng when customers pass
between two electric eyes . .
A weed killing machine that
travels over a field, electrocuLs
the root systems of weeds .
A battery operated light at
tached to any house door, that
throws a beam on the keyhole
Now they have sun-tan To-
lions that are said also to be
antiseptics Still another
soapless detergent will soon b.
offered housewives to make
dishwashing easier A cola
drink, in tablet form: you just
drop the tablet in a glass OF
ice water A new livestock
feed made from corn silk is at
least a possibility -. They say
there is a device described in
the Patent office as a protec-
ton for walking at night. Pc
destrians don the outfit and
carry lights all over them.
STATE FAIRS ~ Watch your
state fairs this year for more
things to come. You may see on
display the Chicken-of-Tomor-
row. All over the country Gll
a. states to be eXact) poultry
men are COMPETING with each
other in a chicken breeding
contest. Object of the contest,
in which federal and state ag-
ricultural experts as we'll as
poultrymen are participating,
and which will run for three
years, is to produce an I'M
proved meat-type chicken. Such
a bird could substantially add
to poultrymen's earnings, now