Survey of Current Business May 1924

39
TREND OP BUSINESS MOVEMENTS
The following table contains a summary of the monthly figures, designed to show the trend in important industrial and commercial
movements. The numerical data for the latest months are given and in addition index numbers for the last four months
and for two corresponding months of a year ago. In many lines the figures do not lend themselves readilv to statistical uniformity
due to lateness of their publication or publication at other than monthly intervals; therefore the following explanations of the
various headings are offered to make clear such distinctions and in general to facilitate the use of the table*
February, 19%.—This column gives the February figures corresponding to those for March shown in the next column—ia
other words, coyer the previous month.
March, 1924.—In this column are given the figures covering the month of March, or, as in the case of stocks, etc., the situation
on March 29 or April 1.
Cumulative total from January 1 through latest month.—These columns set forth, for those items that properly can be cumulated,
the cumulative totals for the three months ending March, 1923 and 1924, respectively, except where the March, 1924,
figures are lacking in which case the cumulative totals for the first two months of 1923 and 1924 arc given.
Percentage increase (-J-) or decrease (—) cumulative, 1923-24 from 1922-23.—This column shows the per cent by which the
cumulated total for the three months ending March, 1924, is greater (+) or less (-) than the total for the corresponding
period ended March, 1923.
Base year or period.—For purposes of comparison with a previous more or less normal period, all items, so far as possible, are
related to such a period by index numbers. The period taken for each item, called the base, is the monthly average of
the year or period stated in this column. Wherever possible, the year 1913 is taken as a ba.se, and if no pre-war figure*
are available, 1919 is usually taken to avoid using a war year as a basis. In some cases it will be noted that figures were
not available prior to 1920 or even 1921, and that sometimes a month, or an average of a few months, has to be used
rather than a year's average. Also, for some industries, 1919 would not be a proper base on account of extraordinary
conditions in the industry and therefore some more representative year has been chosen.
Index numbers.—In order to visualize the trend of each movement, index or relative numbers are given for the last four months
and for two corresponding months of a year ago. These index numbers are computed by allowing the monthly average
for the base period, usually 1913 or 1919, to equal 100. If the movement for a current month is greater than the base
the index number will be greater than 100. If the converse is true the index number will be less than 100. The difference
between 100 and any index number gives at once the per cent increase or decrease compared with the base period. Index
numbers may also be used to compute the approximate per cent increase or decrease from one month to the next.
Percentage increase (+) or decrease (—) March from February.—The last column shows the per cent increase or decrease of
the figure for the last month compared with the preceding month.
NOTE.—Detailed tables covering all items are
given in this number. Consult index at end
of bulletin.
In many cases April figures are now
available and may be found in the special
table on page 30
TEXTILES
Wool
Eeceipts at Boston:
Domestic thous. of lbs.
Foreign _._.thous. of lbs.
T Total _ _ thous. of lbs.,
Imports, unmanufactured. thous. of lbs.,
Consumption by textile mills,
grease equivalent... thous. of lbs.
Machinery activity hourly:
Looms, wide per ct. of hours active.,
• Looms, narrow per et. of hours active.,
Looms,
carpet and rug...per ct. of hours active..
Sets of cards per ct. of hours active-
Combs per ct. of hours active..
Spinning spindles-
Woolen. per ct. of hours active,,
T,, Worsted per ct. of hours active..
Machinery activity (percentage of total):
Woolen
spindles per ct. of active to total..
Vi orsted
spindles per ct. of active to total-.
vude looms......per ct. of active to total..
Jj arrow looms,..per ct. of active to total.,
. Carpet looms per ct. of active to total..
Prices:
Raw, Ohio,
1 blood, unwashed dolls, per lb..
Raw, territory fine,
scoured dolls, per lbi.
v\ orsted yarn dolls, per lb..
w ool, dress goods.. dolls, per yd..
Men s suitings _dolls. per yd..
Cotton
Receipts into sight. thous. of bales..
imports, unmanufactured bale
imports, unmanufactured
(including linters) bales..
Mmsmnption by textile mills bales..
Stocks, end of month:
Totnl. mill? and w'houses.thous. of bnles_
Mills. _ thous. of bales-.
JJ arohouses.. thous. of bales..
^ orld, visible,
American thous. of bales..
1924
Feb. Mar.
5,458
12,642
18,100
39,487
50,633
71.4
66.5
76.1
94.5
94.0
89.6
76.9
.54
1.41
1.700
1.035
3. 6G0
421
48, G01
4E2,146
507,876
4.063
1, 578
2,485
NUMERICAL DATA
12,342
25,643
37,985
41,058
47,630
71.4
66.3
72.7
98.9
90.6
92.0
73.5
Corresponding
month,
February
or March,
1923
2,785 2,365 2,335
'Overtime was reported sufficient to offset all idle hours and leave an excess.
.54
1.41
1.650
1.035
3. 690
49,832
332,168
483,928
3,482
1,408
1,984
9,337
55,200
64, 537
63, 706
62,859
92.9
85. 7
87.1
103.9
1117. 2
98.6
102.1
.53
1.44
1.750
1.035
3.510
453
53, 219
318,210
624, 264
4,414
2,034
2,380
CUMULATIVE TOTAL
FROM JANUARY* 1
THROUGH LATEST
MONTH
1023 1924
22,050
135,151
157,201
177,130
181,123
1,735
* 224,763
1,151,303
1,801,375
29,623
56,621
86,244
111,331
152,103
1,68'
146,126 j
1,360,567 ,
1,568, 448 !
Perct.
increase,
{ V
or decrease
(-)
cumulative
1924
from
1923
+34.3
-58.1
-45.1
-37.1
-17.4
-2.8
-35.0
+18.2
-12.9
BASE
TEAR
OR
PERIOD
1913
1913
1913
1913
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
1921
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1913
1013
1913
1913
1913
INDEX NUMBERS
Feb. Mar. Dec.! Jan. Feb. Mar.
44
775
2,50
451
131
116
116
160
133
105
132
117
212
253
225
170
227
34
49
122
156
149
162
38
212
253
225
184
227
38 |1
262 11
44
134
143
150
133
115
J09
93
103
103 !
103 '
122 |
U3 j
88
347
2i:J
122
106
105
146
122
101
112 i 120
91 !
105
142
175
116
9