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Status of the Country''s Business 



111 tho August nuuibor of Aiiitricun Industries, published ill New 

 York, a synopsis is given of the replies of nearlj' three thousand 

 manufacturers in the United States whose opinion had been re- 

 quested on the subject of prospective business along manufacturing 

 lines. The tone of the replies, and the information furnished, are 

 not optimistic. The substance of the answers may be embodied in 

 these conclusions: 



unsatisfactory. 

 Sales are below normal. 

 Collections are hard to make. 



The outlouk fur the future is not encouragiug. 



There must be relief from too much law making. 



The last item is declared by many to be the principal cause of 

 the country's bad business condition. It is said that capital is 

 afraid to venture upon uncertainties where the element of risk is 

 so large, and the prospect of gain so dubious. 



The most instructive portion of the article is the figures which 

 represent the abridged opinion and the business prospects of 2,645 

 leading manufacturers in various lines. The reports upon which 

 the following table is based are on file at the office of the National 

 Association of Manufacturers, New York. 



Table showing conditions of trade and future probabilities in certain industries, based on statements made by 2,645 manufacturers 



PERCENTAGE OF REPLIES SHOWING 



INDUSTRY 



Improvement In 

 Sales .Tan. 1 to June 

 30, 1914, compared 



Improvement in 

 Collections Jan. 1 

 to June 30. 1914, 

 compared with Jan. 

 1 to June 30, 1913. 



Prospects of In- 

 dustry tor the 

 Current Year. 



Agricultural Implements 62 



Brewing and Distilling 



(a) Malt Liquors 58 



(b) Spirituous Liquors 7.3 



Cement Clay and Products 



(a) Builders ' Material 62 



(b) Cement 80 



(e) Crockery and Pottery 64 



(d) Paving "Material, etc 50 



Iron and Steel 



(a) Bridge Construction 56 



(b) Building Construction 65 



(c) Pig Iron 93 



(d) Railway 83 



(e) Steel billets 81 



(f ) Unfinished Machinery 76 



Leather and Manufactures 



(a) Automobile and General Vehicle 64 



(b) Belting 89 



(c) Boots and Shoes 46 



(d) Harness and Saddlery 43 



(e) Leather, Raw and Tanned 66 



Lumber and Manufactures 



(a) Boxes, Barrels, etc 76 



(b) Finished Furniture 70 



(c) Lumber for Building 63 



(d) Miscellaneous Uses 62 



Machinery 



(a) Boilers and Engines 69 



(b) Electrical 70 



(c) Iron Working 80 



(d) Milling 74 



(e) Mining, Excavating, etc 79 



(f ) Textile 84 



(g) Woodworking 92 



Metals (not iron or steel) 78 



Musical Instruments 65 



Vehicles 



(a) Horse Drawn 42 



(b) Motor 28 



(c) Vehicle Parts 63 



Miscellaneous 74 



