The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1948-02-26
Behind the Scenes in
American Business
By KNIGHT

1900 ANH5A|=
Industry's spending for plants
and equipment to expand pro-
duction and improve manufac-
turing efficiency is still an inn
portant part of the nations
economic foundation.
The argument that new and
more efficient production equip
ment cuts down jobs and pay
rolls has been pretty well dis
proved during tthe past few
years. Industry right now is
spending at record levels for
plant and equipment expansion.
Yet labor has been obtainino
an increasingly large share Of
corporate revenues. In 1929
workers received about "a per
cent of the total sales dollar.
That share jumped to 27.6 per
cent in 1947. During the same
comparable period the share of
the sales dollar paid to stock
holders in dividends slid from
40 per cent of corporate sales
in 1929 to 81 per cent in 1947.
AGE-M n
technology is rapidly maxine
the pushbutton era "old-fash-
ioned," according to Harold w.
Sweat, president of the Mime
apoliS- Honeywell Regulator Co.
The next stage is going to be
completely automatic operation
of home and factory.
The day of the wholly auto
matte factory is still far off, MIR.
Sweat said, but there is a
marked trend in that direction,
particularly in the chemical and
petroleum products fields. He
added that the last few years
had seen a greatly accelerated
use of automatic instruments
also in the food, textile, tobacco
and ceramic industries because
of the demand for greater pro-
duction efficiency. Because mo
one wants to bother with push
ing a button anymore" home
owners and apartment jewellers
are demanding more automatic
controls for everything from
dish washers to heating plants,
he said.
THINGS TO COME-Taking a
cue from bubble gum, a plasticS
company has developed inflat-
able manikins for window dis
play of dresses. The forms can
be inflated and debated like
balloons. You can give your
customers cash awards a la "a
dio give-aWays through a new
device which can be attached to
cash registers to turn up gift
jackpotS every 200 to- 600 sales.
Plastic kitchen cabinet
doors that operate like window
shades are now available in a
variety of colors. =. A pagoda-
like device which may solve the
problem of, } protecting crops
from early frost heats vegeta-
ton in a 100-foot radius
through infra-red rays. >. Elev-
en- Indiana and Illinois news
papers have Joined to build a
new paper mill for retaining
neWSprint from de-inked used
paper. -. A hardwood bicycle
trailer is being marketed by a
Chicago firm. Newly engi-
nsered trolling propeller for
cupboard motors is said to
bounce over underwater rocks
and elIlde weeds. !
ENDORSEMENTS-The fact
that "the customers ALWAYS
write. sparks many a success
full merchandising idea, partic-
ularly when the customers writ
ing is right" Unsolicited own
er endorsements provided the
basis for a major advertising
theme of Crosley Motors, Inc.
the nations sole producers OF
lightweight, loW-cost auttomo-
biles and trucks. The customers
letters highlight in realistic
fashion the company'S princina.
| sales meSSage-economical auto
mobile transportation, at low
first cost and low operating cost
Correspondence received by
the company from Crosley own
ers has produced not only ar
| impressive array of economy
performance records, but also
hundreds of suggestions fol
broadening the utility of the
cars. Many of these owner sug-
gestions have been Incorporated
in the company's new passenger
commercial and general utility
vehicles.
BITS o. BUSINESS-America'
life insurance companies have
invested 400 million dollars in
rental housing projects, COM
pleted or under way, which are
designed to take care of about
100000 persons. Fifty of the
biggest American companies
earned a total average profit oil
| less than So billion during the
years between 1926 and re-
quired assets of SAT billion tt
do so. Hence their war yeal
earnings averaged only four pei
cent of the total money involved
in conducting these businesses
T.. Under current condition.
it requires capital Of about $10,'
| 600 to start a leadership fol
much in demand farm imple'
mentS. The mario word free
will have to be used more care.
fully in advertising "A recen'
Federal Trade Commission rult
ing permits the use of the wore
only when free goods are Offered
with no strings attached, sucl