Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-07
BUSINESS TRENDS
Many Factors Show
Economic Upsurqe
BY CHARLES COVELL
Star Business Writer

With hardly cloud on the economic horizon the United
States economy steamed along at high speed during the last
Reports were good Preliminary Census Bureau estimates
SIS billion Is per cent than the estimates for April
seasonal increase of II per cent normally expected between
the two months
May 1852 while construction the first five months of 1868
was up per cent over the same period in 1862.
Seasonal factors and virtual end to strike hedge buying
expected slow steel production this summer but it
edged higher last week despite the Memorial Day holiday
Steel magazine estimated production at 2S000 tons about
Production this week is expected to be about the
1000 tons above the previous week.
compared with only 1853 million tons in the same week
Aluminium also has been much in demand. The Aluminium
Association reports that net shipments of sheet and plate in
April toaled an increase Of II per cent over the
900 pounds shipped in April of last year.
Shipments of aluminium foil totaed 24607,S78 pounds,
10 cent more than the 227sSOSs pounds shipped in
April. 1862
Among other factors business failures nosedved 2S5
in the week ended May 80 from their l0-week high OF 1888
in the preceding week. Dun Bradstreet Incr reported
Freight lcadngs in the week ended May rs toaed 5Ssl9
81 per cent from the corresponding week IN 1862
and "a above the same week in 1861 the Association OF Ame
can Railroads said.
Domestic arnes were able to trim their in the
first quarter Of this compared with the period
year ago.
operating expenses 1854 100000 and
Grating loss $3910000 This compared with operating
of $53376OO operating expenses of and
operating loss of $2 million for the quarter in 1852
Max Hess, Allentown tPa) retailer is starting out early
to WOO Christmas trade with bonuses an incentive
Mr. Hess has introduced savings plan something like
the Christmas clubs operated by banks throughout the Nation
The difference lies in the bonus. Customers who COM
plete $1a-week plan for the 23week period from June
through November will receive merchandise certificate for
SIS he $23 they have paid in and bonus Of $ Plans are
available in multipes Of 81.
Continental Oil Co. claims major breakthrough in the
to develop soft deergen that will the water
pollution problem
L. F. McCollum, president says his company has deve-
oped chemical Intermediates from petroleum which suit
able for in soft detergentS.
The chemicals made from petroleum, will be available to
detergent manufacturers by September 1864, the COM
pany adds.
Soft deergens be broken down by bacteria instead
Of continuing to foam like the hard deergens in use.
These have created foam residue problems in streams
plants, septic tanks and wells
The company it plans start work Immediately
two mumion- dollar plants at Lake Charles La, and
the other at Baltimore, to manufacture the chemicals
In brief
Once each hour the 2400 who work for electric
company in Tokyo take 90second yawn break the
magazine American Machn The break reported to have
raised the attendance record Of workers assembly lines
Data processing machines being used create almost
million family for Swedes the magazine Elec-
oncs notes. Hundreds of thousands Andrsons Carsons
Petersons Svenons and Johansons end of conf
sion and the government encouraging them to choose new