Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1954-05-26
Facts Of State


ployment, and bank deebits, con-
tinued to decline during April, al
though the drop was a slight one.
Retail sales, as measured in terms
Of the retail sales tax collected,
ever down about per cent. and
unemployment stood at $4,000 to
IS 5000, which is slightly higher
than it was a month earlier and
about double what it was a year
earlier.
Although there were some
exemptions, the pattern in the
various counties Of the State
was the same as for the State as
a whole. In retail sales tax
collections. Columbus county
was an exception In that it
showed an increase. During
April Of this year these taxes
In Columbus amounted to $685.
008,, rs compared with $31,14
In April = year ago, an increase
Of 1888 per cent.
Unemployment in this area
also seems to to be less than for
the State as whole. As meas
ured In terms Of Job applica-
lions on file at the end Of the
month in the Lumberton office
of the Employment Security
Commission, which serves Blad-
counties, total unemployment
was 1,704 at the end Of April
as compared with 1,156 at the
end of April a year ago, an
increase Of 7.436 per cent. IN
employment insurance. as mea-
sured In terms of total weeks
claimed, was 1896 during April
Of this year as compared with
4,252 during April Of Last year,
an increase Of 1888 per cent.
The extent that Columbus coun-
ty varied from Statewide figures
in unemployment as measured by
Employment Security Commission
reports are illustrated in the fact
that the total number of unem-
ploymen insurance weeks claimed
in April was $4,000, which was an
increase of about S per cent over
March and 88 per cent above April
a year ago. The number of untitled
job applications on hand at the
end of the month was $4,000,
which was substantially the same
as in March but it was 90 per cent
above April year ago.
Retail sales tax collections for
the State as whole during April
were S4,283,0O0, which was a drop
of &c per cent as compared with
April of last year. The extent to
which this drop was Statewide
is illustrated by the fact that in
10 of the States LOG counties there
was a decrease as compared with
April of last year. If this means
that actual retail sales are down
proportionately, it means that
North Carolina has dropped slight
ly more than the country as a
whole, which remained almost at
the same level as year ago.
In the important economic indi-
Gator of bank debts, North Caro-
lima fell behind while the rest of
the country was improving. Total
bank debts in the United States,
as reported TO the Federal Reserve
Board from 345 reporting cities,
during April, amounted TO S155,-
900 million, which was an increase
of 6.24 per cent as compared with
April OF last year. By way of con-
trast, North Carolina showed a
decrease Bank debts from IL re-
porting North Carolina cities dur
ing April were Sl,032 million,
which was a decrease of 3.86 per
cent from April a year ago when
the total was S1,074 million.
Five Of the II reporting North
Carolina cities had larger bank
debts during April than during
April year ago - Burlington.
Durham. Kinston. Wilson, and
Winston-Salem. The six cities
which declined were Ashevoro.
Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro.
Raleigh and Wilmington. For the
second consecutive month, Raleigh
had the largest decline Of any of
the North Carolina reporting cities.
dropping from Sl9l million in
April of last year to Sl67 million
in April of this year, drop Of
1888 per cent.
A partial explanation of the
drop in bank debts in North
Carolina Is the fact that this is
the low point Of the year in so
far ss agricultural marketing is
concerned, and agriculture plays
o much more important role in