NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

FOURTH ZONE Total ± Quota due State Due Assign. ± Units ± % Ill . . 22.52 33.31 + 10.79 + 48 Mo . . 10.71 12.00 + 1.29 + 12 Ind . . 9.56 7.87 — 1.69 — 18 Wise . . 8.67 7.99 — 0.68 — 8 Minn . . 7.57 9.03 + 1.46 + 19 Iowa . . 7.30 11.60 + 4.30 + 59 Kans . . 5.55 6.05 + 0.50 + 9 Nebr . . 4.06 7.30 + 3.24 + 80 S. Dak . . 2.05 2.97 + 0.92 + 45 N. Dak . . 2.01 2.99 + 0.98 + 49 Total . . 80.00 101.11 + 21.11 + 26 FIFTH ZONE Calif . . 36.86 38.06 + 1.20 + 3 Wash . . 10.15 15.59 + 5.44 + 54 Colo . . 6.72 9.24 + 2.52 + 38 Ore . . 6.19 9.22 + 3.03 + 49 Mont . . 3.49 3.85 + 0.36 + 10 Utah . . 3.30 6.60 + 3.30 + 100 Idaho . . 2.89 3.00 + 0.11 + 4 Ariz . . 2.83 2.66 — 0.17 — 6 N. Mex . . 2.75 4.03 + 1.28 + 47 Hawaii . . 2.39 1.94 — 0.45 — 19 Wyo . . 1.46 0.60 — 0.86 — 59 Nev . . 0.59 0.70 + 0.11 + 19 Alaska . . 0.38 0.68 + 0.30 + 79 Total . . 80.00 96.17 + 16.17 + 20 STATUS OF STATE LEGISLATURES The number of state legislatures in session reached a low ebb in the middle of July when only six were still at work, although all but three have been in session at some time since January 1, 1933. Several special sessions have already been called, with the prospect that many more will be called, the need for revenue legislation being a crying one in nearly every state, and some states deeming it neces¬ sary to pass special legislation to facilitate cooperation with the President’s program under the Industrial Recovery Act. OKLAHOMA “RADIOCASTING” TAXED The First Special Session of the Oklahoma Legislature passed House Bill No. 2-X, which became law without approval on July 8, 1933. It is a broad sales tax, providing among other things a tax of one per cent “upon all sales of service in radiocasting, whether in the transmission of messages or otherwise, or in the leasing, hiring, or renting of radiocasting equipment or facilities.” Taxes are pay¬ able bv the vendor monthly, and the act became effective imme¬ diately. The act also levies one per cent upon sales of electricity to domestic or industrial consumers thereof ; and with reference to all taxes provides that “No vendor shall advertise or hold out to the public in any manner, directly or indirectly, that the tax herein imposed is not considered as an element in the price to the con¬ sumer.” MICHIGAN ACTS ON FALSE ADVERTISING Public Act No. 259, apDroved July 13, 1933, entitled an act providing for the protection of the public health and so forth, pro¬ hibits the sale, etc., in Michigan of sausage that is adulterated or not properly branded. After defining sausage, establishing the various grades, providing for licensing, labeling and so on, the act provides, in Section 11, that “Any person or persons, firm or cor¬ poration, who shall publicly advertise in newspapers, bulletins, bulle¬ tin boards, radio, or otherwise, falsely with reference to the com¬ position of grades of sausage manufactured or sold by him or them shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.” WAGES AND EMPLOYMENT INCREASE Wages and employment are increasing throughout most of industry according to figures just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in June, based on data collected from approximately 18,000 establishments in 89 different industries, was shown to be 7% higher than in May, while payrolls rose during the same period by 10.8%. Payrolls in June, 1933, were 9.7% above June, 1932, while employment showed an increase of 9.2%. Much of the increase seems to have occurred in the industries manufacturing producers goods. Increases in employment and payrolls in June, 1933, as against the previous month, for industries of especial interest to broad¬ casters are as follows: Percent increase over May, 1933 Industry Employment Payrolls General manufacturing . . 7.0 10.8 Foods and kindred products. . . . . 4.0 3.9 Beverages . . 18.1 14.8 Textiles . . 10.1 7.6 Wearing apparel . . 1.4 2.8 Agricultural implements . . 8.6 17.9 Radios and phonographs . . 13.3 5.1 Automobiles . . 7.9 7.1 Druggists’ preparations . . 3.0 4.7 Retail trade . . 1.7 1.8 The above figures are all the more encouraging since the normal trend at this season of the year is downward, the May to June decline in employment for the past ten years having averaged 1.4% and the payroll shrinkage 3%, It will be especially inter¬ esting to notice the changes brought about in employment and wage statistics which will occur in the next few months by reason of the codes adopted recently by many industries under the NIRA. GOVERNMENT’S PRICE RISE DRIVE TAKING EFFECT The Government’s attempt to set in reverse the drastic price declines of 1931-1932 is beginning to take marked effect, it is revealed in the index of wholesale prices published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the Bureau’s index which is based upon price quotations of 784 commodities, weighted accord¬ ing to their respective importance, prices during the week ending July 15 were 68.9% as high as in 1926. During the period June 15-July 15, prices of commodities rose 6.8%. Food prices in¬ creased 15.7%, textiles 10.4%, metals and metal products 2.2%, building materials 7.3%, and housefurnishing goods 1.6%. Chemicals and drugs were the only group to experience price declines, dropping 1.2% during the period in question. RADIO EMPLOYMENT UP AGAIN The June index number for employment in radio manufactur¬ ing plants was 92.1 compared with 81.3 for May and 63.9 for June of last year, taking 1926 at 100 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor. Payroll index number for the same industry for June was 65.5 compared with 62.3 for May and 54 for June of last year. AMERICA LEADS IN INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING America led the world in the amount of international broad¬ casting programs received from other parts of the world during the months of April and May of the current year. Hungary and Germany each received a program, the former country from the Vatican and the latter transmitting to German listeners a Hitler festival held in Rome. In May the British Broadcasting Corporation broadcast speeches by statesmen and other prominent personages on the occasion of the Anglo-Indian telephone service. This was the total rebroadcasting of foreign programs by leading European countries during the two months in question. During the same period listeners in the United States heard fifteen foreign programs, four from England, four from Germany, two each from Switzerland and Italy, and one each from France, Austria and Palestine. FOREIGN RECEIVING SET STATISTICS The following figures for receiving set registration in leading foreign countries have just been made public. Set registration given below is as of April, 1933: Number of receiving sets Austria . 481,000 Belgium . 383,000 Germany . 4.555,000 Great Britain . 5,536,000 Hungary . 322,000 Italy . 329,000 Japan . 1,420,000 Norway . 132,000 Switzerland . 256,000 Sweden . 633,000 Page 92