The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-05-30
Behind The Scenes
American Business
By John Cruddock

BY John Crdddock
Business men today, from the
owner of the little crossroads
general store to the operator of
the huge city merchandising
mart have more untitled orders
on their books than ever before.
It is a pleasant situation for
any business, but some key mel
chandisTng executives are Won
dering how long it will last.
They know that the housewife,
anxious to obtain a h~ard-to-get
washing machine. is likely to
place duplicate orders in sev-
eral stores. They know thai
prospective automobile buyers
have listed their names WITH
several agencies. They knO"
that wholesalers have ordered
more goods than they need IL
the hope of filling requirements
from minimum allOtmentS. All
Of these Implications paint a
rosy picture for the manulac-
turer and the retailer. They
stem out of the fact that pro-
duction since VI day has not
been sufficient to meet demand
and build up retail stocks. This
situation has one serious weak
ness. 1t is likely to encourage
manufacturers to expand pro-
Guction we'll beyond normal re-
quirementS. The smarter eXecu-
tives know that when produc-
ton begins to outdiStance de-
demand, production will have to
be Curtailed. They are making
plans accordingly, hoping that
their estimates of actual and
present demand are somewhere
near correct.
PEACHES - Americas peach
industry, with a total produc-
ton of approximately 10000
900 bushels in 1945. may have
a much bigger market for its
product in the future if it can
send fully ripened fruit to mar
ket. At least that is the con-
clusion of DR.. Charles w. Hauck.
professor of rural economics at
Ohio state university. who bases
his belief On preliminary tests
made last season with small lots
of tree-ripened peaches shipped
more than 900 miles by rail
from Spartanburg, S. c., to Co.
lumbus, Ohio, as part of the
Columbus experiment. The eN-
pertinent, which seeks through
consumer p%ackaging and refrig-
Grafton in the retail store, to
reduce the present estimated 25
per cent waste and spoilage of
the nations fresh fruits and
vegetables, is conducted by the
Ohio agricultural experiment
station, A & P food stores and
several packaging suppliers. Dr..
Hauck, the experiment station
representative in the study. re-
ported recently that sales of
tree-ripened peaches in Colum-
bus stores last season were
much greater than those OF
hard fruit, even at a premluni
in price, and that customers
showed a decided preference for
the ripe fruit. Up to now, he
said. growers and shippers had
not been enthusiastic about
shipping the ripe fruit because
of the heavy losses from bruis-
ing. However, several expert
ments in recent years with diff
ferent types of shipping con-
tanners have shown that the
use of a package, resembling
an egg box, will permit ship
ment of the ripe fruit long dis
tances without an increase III
spoilage.
THINGs TO COME An au-
tomato release which opens
parachutes at certain attitudes.
It is a barometer-like instru-
ment which will pull the rip
cord on a parachute at any Sc
lected altitude between 500 ana
10000 feet A new light ray
which will enable more accu-
rate optical lenses. 1t can make
measurements ten times more
accurate than the cadmium
ray which measures down to
600. 0OOths of a centimeter -.
A knife rack which automati-
cally homes the blade when the
knife is pulled out A new
two-row cotton picker which its
makers estimate will do the
work of 100 men. picking about
IS acres a day An auto
matte valve for the garden hose.
It consists of a short end Sec
ton containing an automatic
valve which releases water only
when the user bends the section
Vestpocket orange juice. 1t
is a tablet which will turn d
glass of water into the same
amount of fruit juice Re-
chargeable batteries which can
be charged simply by plugging
into any 110-watt AC circuit.
PEN RENAISSANCE - The
once staid, conservative pen in
dustry has burst upon the
peacetime scene with all the re-
straint of a Hollywood preview.
Last week pace-setting Reynolds
xI~