: Tf'-- 





-2- 



from Janue^y to June, 19^0, but tha^ earnings of labor were 17.5 P^r 



1^ cent greater. The earnings increased almost twice as rajjtdli'-^as the 



hours of employment. More of the hours worked were overtime, which - 



usually draws ij- times the usual rate of pay. This is indicated by the 



fact that the average work" week in the first half of this year was k-k.X 



hours, compared with ^0,5 hours in the first six months of 19^0. Of 



a S 

 course, the incomes of white-collar workers, paid in terms of /monthly 



salary, increase very slowly in war periods. 'The national income pay- 

 ments in July were 7, ^^2 million dollars, which is an annual rate of 

 almost 9^ billion dollars" a year. * ^ / 



In addition to this increased income and purchasing power on 

 the part of domestic consumers, the Surplus Marketing Administratllon 



r^ 



continues to buy^^large quantities of agricultural products. For the 

 most recent week, purchases were as follows: pork meat"^ products, canned, 

 ^.6 million pounds; lard, 1.6 million pounds; dried eggs,. 1,3 million 

 pounds; American cheese, 1,2 million pounds, and large quantities of 

 other manufactured dairy products, fruits and vegetables. It is also 

 announced that the Commodity Credit Corporation released 1,675*000 

 bushels of corn and 6o thousand bales of cotton for lend-lease purposes. 



Production and Stocks of Apcricultural Products . The agrl- 

 cultural statistician at Springfield has indicated that the corn yreld 

 in Illinois is likely to be the second highest on record, and that above- 

 average yields are expected for oats, wheat, barley, broomcorn and tame 

 hay. Fruit prospects are above averag^, and the recent rains have greatly 

 helped the soybean crop in northern and| central Illinois. A record pro- 

 duction of soybeans is £Lnticipated as a result of a record large acreage 

 and a yield of 22.5 bushels per acre as compared with 17.5 in 19^0, and 

 the 1930-39 average of 19.1. Storage stocks as of S.ept ember 1 of practi- 

 cally all perishable commodities are above the corresponding figure a 

 year ago. Frozen fruit holdings were up 27 per cent; frozen vegetable 



