TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 

A Monthly Summary of Business and Economic Conditions in Texas 
BUREAU OF BUSINESS RESEARCH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 
VOL. XXXI, NO. 12 TWENTY CENTS A COPY-TWO DOLLARS A YEAR DECEMBER 1957 

Informal management seminars, training businessmen to deal with human relations problems, are attracting great interest nationally and in Texas. 
The methods of instruction used in these seminars are tested by actual problems in the factory and office. For a report on the programs now offered in Texas, 
see Page 7. 
Human Relations Training 
•

in Texas Industries 
r---;._. 
-. 

-~--· 

The Business Situation in Texas 
By FRANCIS B. MAY 
Texas business activity is hovering at year-ago levels. The index of total activity rose more than seasonally in October to a rate of 195% of the 1947-49 average. Last year at this time the volume of transactions was the same. The October 1957 rate was 6% below the record high of 208 for this index, established in May of this year. At that time crude petroleum production was still at a high level because of the Suez crisis. This and other factors combined to push the Texas economy to its historical peak of activity. 
The index of total activity showed a more than seasonal rise from September; however, this increase was largely due to the counterseasonal drop in September which low­ered the index five percentage points. Nevertheless, the fact that there was a rise and not another drop is an en­couraging indication of underlying strength in the econ­omy of the state. 
One of the important causes of the more-than-seasonal 

rise from September to October was the upturn in retail 
sales. After adjustment for seasonal variation the Septem­
ber figure was 7% below August, a cyclical decline. In 
October seasonally-adjusted sales were up 1 % from Sep­
tember and 8% from October of 1956, a small but wel­
come reversal of direction from September. The increase 
was brought about by an improvement in sales of non· 
durable goods, which rose 3 % over the preceding month. 
This rise placed the index at 194% of the 1947-49 aver­age, a figure exceeded only by the exceptionally high level of 203 reached in August. A small percentage increase in retail sales has an important effect on the general level of activity because of the large money volume of sales. 
Production and refining of petroleum continued to show weakness. Production in October was down 4% from Sep­tember. It was 10% below the year-ago level. At 113% of the 1947-49 average, the index of crude production was at its lowest point since October 1954. The low level of that period was the result in good part of the decline in demand brought about by the 1954 recession. The 113% figure is only 76% of the March figure of 149%. In March, out· put was at a high as a result of the Suez incident. The con­tinued restriction on crude production is likely to have a very damaging effect on the state's economy because of the thousands of people who depend directly or indirectly on petroleum production for their livelihood. Production workers, royalty owners, independent operators, drilling contractors, and integrated oil companies alike will feel the effects. Texas cannot endure this condition indefinitely. 
Refining operations showed a heavier decline in Octo· ber than in September, dropping 2% below the preceding month in September and 5% below the preceding month in October. The October figure for crude oil runs to stills, at 136% of the 1947-49 average, was 1 % below the Oc­tober 1956 level. It was at its lowest point since December 
Texas Business Activity 

Index • Adjusted for seasonal variation • 1947-1949=100 
250 
250 
200
200 
150 
150 
100
100 
50
50 

'42 '43 '44 '45 '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '51 '52 '53 '54 '55 '56 '57 

Bank debits in twenty major Texas cities adjusted for prices changes with the 
U.S. 	Wholesale Price Index TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
1~\The.136% figure was 88% of the high point of 155 w i~ the index reached in April. MO~economists of the petroleum department of the Chase .an a~tan Bank predict an improvement in demand that 
WI~ bfm~ petroleum inventories into better balance by the eh ~. this re~~· T.his forecast is based on the assumption t at . restraint. will be ~xercised by the industry in in­cTreasm~ supplies. What IS needed is a larger market for 
exas 011. 
Bank debits showed increases of 2% over September as well as 2% growth since October of 1956 The 201. · 
· O b · · . · 10 mcrease 
m cto er is s1gmficant because prices were steady be­tween the two ?JOnths. Consumer prices increased only one­te~th ~f 1% m October over September, and wholesale pnces .mcreased only three-tenths of 1%. This means that the ?am reflects an increase in the volume of goods and servic.es ~old rather than an illusory gain brought about 
by pnce mcreases only. Ordinary life insurance sales continued to show gains. The October figure was up 18% from the previous month and was 27% above October 1956. This indicates that Texans are increasing their savings. Bu~lding activity continues to be an economic bright sp?t ~n the ~tate. Total value of residential building per­mits iss~ed in October showed a 9% gain over September aft.er adjustment for seasonal variation. There was a 25% gain over October of 1956. From the time that it became appa.rent that total i?vestment by industry was leveling off, it ~as been predicted that some of the savings freed from this demand would find their way into the market for funds to finance housing. The improvement in Texas coupled with the. n~tional improvement in housing starts: lends c~lor to this. idea. ~exas has a young and growing population that will continue to demand housing if the funds for financing the expansion are forthcoming. Only credit restrictions and excessive interest or other costs can inhibit this growth. Nonresidential building permits issued showed a strik­ing gain ~f 21 % over September. This improvement placed the index at 234% of the 1947-49 average, a gain of 4% from October of 1956. It is a continuation of the September rise and complements the national increase in new construction expenditures. Much of the increase has been due to an increase in private construction. Govern­ment expenditures on new construction have risen also. State and national highway construction plans are likely to be maintained despite renewed emphasis on armament ex­penditures and desires to check the rise in the federal bud· get as much as possible. The steady increase in the num­ber of automobiles on the road makes highway mileage expansion imperative. In summary it may be said that the economy of Texas is showing stability in the face of uncertainty. Most im­portant economic barometers in the nation are pointing toward a recession or at best a situation of no change in activity for better or worse. Since the most important areas of economic activity in the state, oil production and refin­ing, began their readjustment early in the year, Texas reached a point of stability earlier than the rest of the nation's economy. The most likely level of activity is one at about the present level with several factors pointing in the direction of improvement. What are these factors? Foremost among them is the change in the attitude of the 
SELECTED BAROMETERS OF TEXAS BUSINESS (Adjusted for aeaaonal variation, 19,749 =100) 
Percent cha nll'e  
Index  Oct 1957  Sept 1957  Oct 1956  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  
Texas business activity -------­--­Miscellaneous freight  195  191  195  +  2  ••  
carloadings in S.W. district..  82  86  96  5  -16  
Crude petroleum production ···­ 113  118  125  - '  -10  
Crude oil r uns to stills ···-·········  136  143  1S7  - 5  - l  
Total electric power  
consumption Industrial electrl~---;~~~;·· ·· ·······  348  380  335  8  +  4  
consumption ·-··--------·····--·-······ Ba nk debits ···········------------····-­Ordinary life insurance sales ... Total retail sales ······················  364 229 416 185  377 225 353 183  345 225 328 172  -3 + 2 + 18 + l  + 6 + 2 + 27 + 8  
Durable-goods sales ---·-··········  168  172  157  - 2  + 7  
Nondu rable-goods sales ........  194  189  179  +  3  + 8  
U rban building permits issued• Residential ··············­············· Nonresidential ···········-···········  219 213 234  190 196 194  191 170 226  + 15 + 9 + 21  + 15 + 25 + 4  
Farm cash income, unadjusted  139  100  141  + 89  - l  

*Includes additions, alterations, and repairs. 
••Change is less tban one-half of one percent. 

authority controlling the granting of credit by the com· mercial banks. 
On September 14, the Federal Reserve Board approved a reduction of the discount rate from 3%% to 3% by the Federal Reserve Banks in New York, Richmond, St. Louis, and Atlanta. By November 22, all Federal Reserve Banks except those in Dallas, Cleveland, Chicago, and San Fran· cisco had followed suit. The discount rate is the rate which the Federal Reserve Banks charge to member banks which wish to borrow money. Borrowing is usually resorted to by member banks which wish to strengthen their position with respect to reserves. The tight money policy which the Federal Reserve has followed in recent months has kept the banks strapped for reserves in the face of a strong de­mand for loans. Easing of the demand for loans in New York and relative stability of prices and production have apparently convinced the Federal Reserve that the forces of inflation which it wished to repress have abated. In fact, the danger seemed to be that a continuation of the tight money policy might aggravate the recession whose symp· toms became increasingly evident. The result was a reversal of policy. 
A second important factor which will operate in the di­rection of improvement in economic activity is the re­appraisal of defense expenditures necessitated by the Rus­sians' achievement in the field of artificial satellites. While the best evidence at present is that the increase in defense expenditures necessary to deal with this development is a modest $2 billion, the long-range implications indicate higher government spending. The change in emphasis in education in favor of more scientific and technological training will raise expenditures in the fields of scientific and engineering education, for these are fields in which per-student costs are high. Billions will need to he spent in order to provide the facilities with which to train the scientists and engineers needed to counter the Russian 
threat. 
DECEMBER 1957 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 


Editor......................................................John R. Stockton 
Managing Editor___ _ 
__ 
_ 
_ 
_ 
__ __
_____ Robert H. Drenner 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Human Relations Training in Texas Industries _ 

The Business Situation in Texas ------------------------------2 
Agriculture -------------------·------------------------------------------4 
Retail Trade ----·-------------------------------------------------------9 
Industrial Production ----------------------------------------------12 
Finance --------------------------------------------------------------------14 
Construction ----------------------------------------------------------16 
Local Business Conditions --------------------------------------18 
Barometers of Texas Business --------------------------------24 
BUSINESS RESEARCH COUNCIL 
William R. Spriegel, Dean of the College of Business Administration (e2' officio); L. G. Blackstock; C. P. Blair; E. W. Mumma; Eastin Nelson ; and G. H. Newlove. 
BUREAU OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 
John R. Stockton Stanley A. Arbingaat Florence Escott 
Dir•otor AaBist11nt Director Re..11rch Superviaor Reaourcea Specialiat 
Francis B. May Robert H. Drenner Anne K. Schuler 
St11tiaticia.n Research Associ<ite Rese11rch Associate 
Deirdre C. Handy Jacquie LeRoy Richard A. Wich 
Reae11rch Associate Rese11rch Associate Rese11rch Associate 
Tina Piedrahita Roberta Steele Joan N. Houston 
St11tiaticlll Assiat11nt C11rtoqr11pher St11tiatica.l Assist11nt 
Eloise N. Richardson Candler P. Cass Eva A. Arias 
St11tiatica.l Assist11nt St11tistica.l Assist<Znt St<Ztisticlll Technician 
Edrine Carson Mary Lou Hammack Crescencia M. Stanley 
Senior Clerk-T11pist Senior Secret<1T11 Senior Secret11r11 
Anna Merle Danz Marilyn C. Whites George E . Neel, Jr. 
Libr11T11 Assist11nt Public11tion AaBiat11nt Editorial Assist11nt 
Robert Dorsett 
Offset Press Oper11tor 
Cooperating Faculty 
James A. Byrd Buford A. Casey 

Asaiat11nt Pro/esscn-of Fi"4nce Aasist..nt Professor of M11rketinq 
Assistants 
Alice M. Baghdaasarian, Colleen Crawford, James Ma, Thomas J. 
Mueller, Donald G. Nix, Jackie R. Odiorne, Hiroshi Ohno, Sylvester 

D. Parsons, Candis R. Pattillo, Marie Payne, and Peggy Jo Sullivan. 
Published monthly by the Bureau of Busines1 Research, College of Business Administration, The University of Texas, Austin 12. Entered as second claas matter May 7, 1928 at the post office at Austin, Texas, under the act of August 24, 1912. Content of this publi­cation la not copyrighted and may be reproduced freely. Acknowledge­mf'nt of s<mrc.. will be appreciated. Subscription, $2.00 a year;individual copies, 20 cents. 
Agriculture: 

TEXAS LEADS IN GRAIN SORGHUM PRODUCTION 
By GEORGE E. NEEL, JR. 
This year Texas, the most important grain sorghum state in the nation, will produce approximately 40% of a record 
U. S. crop estimated at 514 million bushels and 21;2 times the 1956 output. Because of timely rains and large acreage expansion, Texas will almost double its sorghum yield from 124,202,000 bushels to an estimated 213,249,000 in 1957 and increase its production per acre from 26 bushels in 1956 to an indicated 31 bushels. 
Record increases are anticipated also throughout the other major sorghum-growing states of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Kansas, which ranks next to Texas in production, will have an estimated output of 119,­669,000 bushels, about 5 times its 1956 crop, and for the first time the nation's biggest wheat state will raise more sorghum than wheat. 
Sorghum, a member of the grass family believed to have originated in equatorial and temperate regions of Africa, was brought to the United States over a century ago. To­day, over 40 distinct varieties that differ in many charac· teristics-time of maturity, height, juiciness of stalk, size and color of grain, leafiness, color of chaff, beardedness, and shape and compactness of head-are grown in this country. 
Although grain sorghums were not introduced in Texas until the latter portion of the last century, the increase in planted acreage has been phenomenal. This acreage has risen from roughly a half-million in 1910 to a IO-year aver­age (1945-54) of 6,279,000 acres; so that only cotton, with an average of 8,874,000 acres during the same period, outranks sorghum in Texas. In terms of grain production by types, sorghum is ahead of all others. From 1941 to 1950 it represented about 30% of the total grain grown in the state. 
Numerous factors are responsible for the rapid expan· sion of sorghum in Texas and the Southwest, but perhaps the most important is that sorghum can thrive in a dry, semiarid climate where most other cereal grains cannot. Corn is sorghum's chief grain competitor, but because it cannot perform as well as sorghum in this type of climate, it has not been able to approach the latter's production figure in Texas. In dry periods, even though growth may stop, sorghum does not die, and with replenishing rains its growth continues. Some of the highest production figures are recorded in sections of the country where the annual rainfall is less than 30 inches and the soil is too shallow to retain sufficient moisture for corn. 
Almost as important as sorghum's adaptability to dry regions is its physical ability to be harvested entirely by machine. Because of this, fewer man hours are required to make a crop of sorghum today than almost any other grain. One man can handle 160 acres of grain sorghum from plowing time through harvest. Sorghum has not always been physically adapted to mechanical harvest, however. 
In the early part of this century Texas sorghum stalks grew from 10 to 12 feet tall. Harvesting was done with a pocket knife or corn knife and the grain heads thrown into a wagon box. But it was during this period that the me· 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
TRENDS IN SORGHUM PRODUCTION Mill io n FOR THE UNITED STATES AND TEXAS 
Mil lio n

bushels 
bushels 
1940 '41 '42 '43 '44 '45 '46 ·47 ·4~ '49 '50 '51 '52 ·53 ·54 '55 56 '57 

•Estimate d 
Source: United States Deportment of Agriculture 
chanical harvester arrived on the American farming scene, completely revolutionizing it-that is, all except sorghum harvest. Grain sorghums were faced with their biggest op­portunity, but stalks 10 feet high could never be combined. 
To take advantage of this opportunity, a different type of lower height had to be developed. In endeavoring to do this, the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Stations worked intensively de­veloping hybrids. From 1920 to 1930 plant breeders in these agencies altered considerably the tall, late type, but though this early alteration made sorghum more easily harvested by hand it did not cause sufficient change for adequate combine harvest. But in the 1940's, double-dwarf types were developed that were of suitable height for com­bine harvest. Merely developing sorghum of correct com­bine height did not satisfy these researchers. Work on hy­brids continued, and in 1957 seven new varieties, said to be the first practical sorghum hybrids, were made available to Texas farmers for planting. Approximately 12,000 acres were devoted in 1956 to production of seeds of these hy­brids, which are considered to be the best of several hun­dred produced by the Lubbock and Chillicothe Agricul­tural Experiment Stations. 
These hybrids are of excellent height for combine har­vest-from four to five feet-but they bring with them other characteristics that exceed by far earlier combine­size varieties and make expansion of sorghum acreage more desirable. Yields are 20% to 40% greater from these 
Prices Received by Farmers in Texas 
Index • Unadjusted for seasonal variation • 1909-1914·100 
00 350 
400 
-50 300 
!O250 20 0 
l 50
150 
00100 
0
50 

DECEMBER 1957 
SORGH UM HARVESTED FOR GRA IN, 1954 
l fGENO 
• I. 1,000 g,,.J,el1 
C=:J1.000 . 10.000 l911J..el1 

C::J 10,000 · S0,000 &uJ.eh 
C=:J 50,000 · 100,000 Su1hel1 
100,000 -.500,000 B•nheli 
~500,000 · 1,000,000 l•nht l1 

1,000.000 · S,000,000 l•nhels 
-S,000,000 . 10,000,000 B11J.el1 
-10,000,000 • J5,0CJ0,000 lu~I 


plants than from older varieties; they show rapid growth, are of uniform height, and reach early maturity. 
These factors of rapid growth and maturity, in addition to correct combine height, are of great importance in many sections of Texas where the rainfall is particularly scarce during summer months. Early maturing hybrids like Texas 601, which can be grown in about 60 days, can be planted, grown, and made in the rainy periods b~fo~e an~ after the dry summer months, and cold weather st11l 1s avoided (sor­ghum seeds do not germinate properly in cold weather)_ ­Moreover, because of this, double harvests are made possi­ble by planting one sorghum crop in late spr~ng.and an­other in the early fall-some late harvests contmumg even into October and November in western sections of the state. 
It is in some of these dry western sections-the North­ern High Plains (average yearly rainfall 20.38 ~nches) and the Southern High Plains (average yearly rainfall 18.31 inches )-that most of the sorghum growth and expansion has taken place. Hale County, which is in the Northern High Plains region, alone _accounted for 11,452,706 bu­shels of sorghum harvested m 195~, ~nd several surround­ing counties approached the l0-m1lhon-bush~I mark. Sor­ghum production will apparently be so great m these areas this year that many West Texas farmers ~ear that there will not be enough freight cars and gram elevators to take care of the crop. 
In order to accommodate such tremendous sorghum ex­pansions as that in the High Plains, the nm~ber of outlets and new kinds of usage are constantly bemg d~veloped. Whereas in the past sorghum was thought of stnctly as a crop for cattle forage, today approximately 80% of Texas 
production is raised for its grain, a large portion of which is used in domestic industry or exported. 
Due to similar composition of the two grains, industrial processing plants have found that virtually the same prod­ucts can he obtained in the milling of sorghum as are ob­tained from the processing of corn. Because of occasional corn shortages, plus the fact that sorghum can he produced and sold cheaper, industrial processing of sorghum grain is expanding-both in the number of plants engaged in sorghum processing and in the number of products ob­tained. 
One of these typical processing sites, the Corn Products Refining Company's Bluebonnet plant, was built in recent years at Corpus Christi. This plant is capable of processing 20,000 bushels of grain per day and 6,000,000 bushels in a 300-day season run. 
Products obtained from sorghum in this plant and others located in some of the midwestern states include starch, sugar, oil, and animal feeds. From these basic products, the number of subsequent usages is enormous. Starch, which represents about one-third of the original grain, is used in confections, bakery products, cosmetics, brewing, paper, textiles, pharmaceutical preparations, and in many other products. A little more than 30% of the grain ends up as sugar, used in such products as confections, carbo­nated beverages, canned and processed foods, and syn­thetic rubber. The oil, which is pressed from the germ, makes up about 2% of the original grain. It is used in the production of a variety of products, such as soaps, glycer­ine, margarine, mayonnaise, and pharmaceutical prepara­tions. The remaining material amounts to about 35% of the processed grain and is available as feed for farm ani­mals in the form of sorghum gluten feed and sorghum gluten meal. 
FARM CASH INCOME* 
J a nuary-October 
Percent Commodity 1957 1956 change 
Thouoand1 of dollaro 
TOTAL 1,296,717 1,887,869 -7
·----------··--·-------­
Cotton 290,632 403,490 -28
---------·························· 65,26() 88
Cottonseed ---------------..········· 40,364 ­Wheat 53,708 86,894 + 46
-----------·-············· ········ Oats 9,927 5,865 + 69
·······------------··················· 
···----·-····-···-·······----------­
Corn 13,308 15,372 -13 Grain sorghum .................. 81,763 70,692 + 16 
F laxseed ····---·-·············--------258 396 -35 P eanuts 10,731 7,951 + 35 
····--··-···-········--·-·-···-­Rice 52.75() 48,642 + 8
·-··-····-··-··········-------------­Cattle 270,25() 267,414
··--·-···-··-···············-······· + Calves 84,448 82,124 3
·········-··-··············-·----+ 
Hogs 62,767 53,672 + 17
·····--·--·························· Sheep and lambs 21,646 27,576 -22
·········-······ 
Wool 20,954 14,567 + 44
·····-·····························--· Mohair 12,099 10,098 + 20
·-···-·-········-················· Poultry 60,827 51,995 + 17
·····················-··-···-··· E'!'gs 41,104 46,347 -11
---······-··-·······-··-············-· Milk and milk products .... 110,001 102,461 + 7 Fruit and vegetables -······· 59,185 77,054 -23 
•Farm cash income as computed by the Bureau understates actual farm cash income by 6% to 10%. This situation results from the fact that means of securing complete local marketings, especially by truck, have not yet been fully developed. In addition, means have not yet been devel­oped for computing cash income from all agTicultural specialities of local importance in scattered areas. This situation does not impair the accuracy of the index shown on page 24. 

Another recently expanded outlet for sorghum has been · through grain exports. Europe and the Near East have been using the grain primarily for feed, but India and other Far Eastern countries use it largely in a home-ground meal for human consumption. 
Apparently, sorghum has attained considerable popu· larity in these overseas countries, since about one-third of recent U. S. crops have been sold as exports. In 1950 the United States exported about 75,000,000 bushels ·of sor­ghum grain-a considerable jump from the 1946 exporta­tion of only 23,978,000 bushels. 
However, there is still much room for improvement in sorghum grain utilization. At present, under its price sup­port program, the federal government holds about 75 mil­lion bushels, and some officials estimate that the record har­vest ahead will increase this amount by as much as 100 million bushels. While farmers seem inclined to leave the problem of surplus grain to the government, any drastic revision of the price support program might seriously af­fect sorghum production. If corn prices were to remain relatively high, however, much sorghum grain would sup­plant corn as livestock feed. 
CHANGES IN CONDITIO'.'i' OF WEEKLY REPORTING MEMBER 
BANKS IN THE DALLAS FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT 
Source : Board of Governors of the Federal R""erve Syatem 
Percent chanite• 
Oct 1967 Oct 1967 Oct 1956 f1 om from from Account Sept 1957 Oct 1956 Sept 1956 
TOTAL ASSETS -2 + 2 + 1 Loans and investments. less loans to banks and valuation reserves -·····-···· -1 + 2 + 1 Loans, less loans to banks and valuation reserves .... •• •• + 1 Commercial. industrial, a nd agricultural loans ................... . •• 1 + Loans for purchasing or carrying securities ................. . + 8 + 8 + Real estate loans ·-···-··············· ..... . 1 -12 •• Other loans ................................... . •• + 14. •• Total U. S. Government securities ........................... . -6 + 2 + 8 Treasury bills ................................. . -2() + 18 + 68 Treasury certificates of indebtedness ............................. . -17 + 66 -16 Treasury notes ............................... . -8 -16 + 1() 
Bonds ................................................. . •• + 2 •• Other securities ........................... . + 11 + 28 + 2 Loans to banks ··················-···· 9 + 76 +us 
Reserves with Federal 
Reserve banks ................. . 7 + 6 8 Cash in vaults ....................... . + 11 + 9 + Balance with domestic banks -4 -11 '6 
Other net assets •• + 3 + 8 TOTAL LIABILITIES . + Sl + 1 + 
Total adjusted deposits ............. . + 46 + 4 + 8 
Demand deposits ............................. . + 96 •• + 2 
Time deposits ................................... . •• + 17 •• 

U. S. Government deposits ........... . -48 + 5 8 

Total interbank deposits ........... . -s 7 
Domestic banks ............................... . -3 7 1 
Foreign banks ................................. . •• 5 + 6 

Borrowings ................................. . -50 -5() + 9 Other liabilities ................... . 1 + 2 + 11 CAPITAL ACCOUNTS . + 1 + 6 •• 
•Percentaite changes are based on the week neareet the end of the 
month. ..Change la leaa than one-half of one percent. 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 



Human Relations Training in Texas Industries 
By ROBERT L. SUTHERLAND* 
The idea. that human relations training would be of great value ma management program caught on quickly, as fads do. As a fad, however, it has had its heydey. It is important to Texas businessmen that the lasting value of the idea is now being appraised and those methods which stand the test retained. 
In its fad stage human relations training was thought of as something new which could be simply added. Its advo­cates discovered that things get done by people· therefore they asked, "How can people be made better?" ' ' 
Public speaking classes were popular. Human relations lecturers were invited to management meetings. They were expected to present applied psychology in an effective and forceful way, with a touch of humor, if possible. Human nature was analyzed apart from other management prob­lems, apparently with the idea, "Let us improve the hu­
-man nature of the individual and he will function more effectively wherever we put him." 
Just as the technical problems of production have a way of not staying solved, so human relations training turned out to he no simple potion. 
Old FaUacies and New Approaches 

Two fallacies appeared in the early methods just de­scribed: 
Human behavior is not governed by simple skills which can be heard or read and applied, and the emotional be­havior of the individual cannot be studied and changed in general but only in relation to the job, family, social status and other problems of the individual. His human nature develops in a social context, and any change needs to oc­cur in similar relationships. 
To offset the mistakes of the early approach, the new method: 
I. Avoids the teaching of human relations "gadgets." Instead, it is designed to help top management and all supervisors gain insight into the fundamentals (some call it the dynamics) of human behavior. This includes an un· derstanding of human motives, frustrations, compensatory ways and even pathological behavior. 
2. Helps management understand the soci~l roles which 
the individual plays in the work group and m other rela­tionships. . . 
3. Aids management in discovering methods which will 
help them, and other individuals as well, in natural change and growth. 
Examples from Industry 
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is one of the numerous companies which have taken a fundamental ap· proach to the problem. A description is contained in the brochure Southwestern Bell Management Seminar (South­western Bell Telephone Company, St. Louis l, Missouri). 
*Professor of Sociology, The University of Texas; Director, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. 

Their approach is fundamental because the management seminars were begun only after months of preparation and study of comparative methods; because adequate time was allowed to experiment with and develop new educational techniques; and because staff members were recruited from the basic studies of psychology and social science at the universities as well as from their own management group and from other industries. Their seminar is not even called "human relations." Nevertheless, an understanding of individuals, groups, and social problems is a part of their goal. The way the seminar is conducted reveals their interest in the human factor as much as does the content of the "curriculum." 
Getting away from the job for a period of time, living together in a hotel where the responsibilities of job or home could not follow them, were soon realized to be im· portant conditions of learning. The period decided upon was three weeks full-time study, and the location was the Galvez Hotel (Galveston) which, for most of the men, was located hundreds of miles from their jobs. 
Early in the program the lecture method was reduced in importance, but not entirely abandoned. Rather, the study of real cases, a discussion of them in small groups, and then the moderating of a still more penetrating analysis by one especially skilled in the process was found to be one of the most effective methods of identifying real human problems. Concentrating at first on the facts in the case, the groups inevitably discuss reasons for the behavior of the individuals and groups. Cases which looked simple in the beginning turn out to be difficult, illustrating the com· plicated emotional problems which occur at all levels of group relations in industry. 
Practice in conducting business conferences is another way in which Southwestern Bell helped men in the seminar to have actual experience. Each member of the small group has his chance to lead the discussion and then all members comment on what has taken place and how his methods could be improved. 
"Alumni" of the seminar are invited back to serve as 

assistants on the staff for a period of three months. They 
act as discussion leaders, help handle arrangements, do 
research. This rotation of staff is itself an important aid 
to management training. . . 
After the seminar members have tangled with typical 

problems through the case study and business conference 
methods, their curiosity is aroused about the way the 
human being is put together and why he ~ehav:es as he 
does. Standard books in psychology and social science are 
read with a purpose. They are discussed at ni_ght as ~e 
men gather informally in th~ roo~s. Out of this growmg 
inquisitiveness and mutual stimulation the case moderators 
and lecturers find an increasing interest among the _men 
in discussion of theoretical points and research findmgs. 
Pennsylvania Bell Telephone Company has gone the 

whole way in allowing time and opportumty for the study 
of fundamentals, not only about people but about all as· 
pects of our culture. Key personnel are selected for a ten 
DECEMBER 1957 months' liberal arts course sponsored by Pennsylvania Bell but conducted by the staff of the University of Penn­sylvania with many guest consultants. 

The Humble Oil Company tried a lecture symposium "off company time." The series of night meetings was well attended; lecturers from throughout the United States opened the session each time; and a period was reserved for questions from the floor. This method was followed for several years. 
The use of abridged feature movies has now been de­veloped by the training director of Humble Oil as a quick way of involving supervisors in the discussion of human relations problems. "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Les Mise· rabies," and "Naughty Marietta" might seem at first to have no direct connection with the management problems in a refinery, but during the numerous trial runs which the training director has given this method, he has found that a skilled moderator, working with a small discussion group, can easily encourage the men to spot the basic prob­lems which the films illustrate and to discuss comparable situations in their own jobs. 
The Harvard Business Review describes the demon­stration in these terms: 
"... In 1953 the training department of the Humble 
Oil and Refining Company decided to investigate the idea 
of using theatrical motion pictures as a basis of group dis­
cussion. The primary objective of the project was to deter· 
mine the feasibility of this technique as a means of ex­
ploring human relations. The whole field was to be ex­
amined, not just one aspect such as leadership, and specific 
areas to be covered were to be determined by the nature 
of the film selected."1 
". . . In general, discussion was directed as much as 
possible toward situations in the picture which were analo­
gous to those experienced in industry. Characters from 
different films were often compared; sometimes certain 
characters were taken out of context, and a question was 
posed as to how they might behave as industrial super­
visors or as industrial employers. On other occasions, how­
ever, class attention was deliberately focused on the area 
of general moral behavior."2 
". . . Members of the Humble Oil training program stressed not only their increased understanding of human nature, but also the help they received in sharpening their own thought processes and modifying their own patterns of behavior."3 
In its Administrative Management course the Humble 
Oil Company uses various educational methods, but "ex­
tensive use of the conference method is made in all of the 
discussions. The conference leader, however, often resorts 
to description and exposition in the interest of clarifica­
tion and understanding. Although the conferences are 
guided and controlled so as to secure reasonable conform­
ance to schedule and to get comprehensive treatment of 
each subject, no ideas or opinions are imposed on the 
group and acceptance or rejection is left to the individual. 
Charts, handouts, and other visual aids are used to make 
the sessions more effective. Free and frank participation 
1George W. Gibson, "The Filmed Case in Management Train­ing," Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35, No. 3, May-June 1957, p. 
125. 
2/bid, p. 126. 
8/bid, p. 127. 


by all members is encouraged. Minutes of meetings are not kept; however, members are invited to take notes on points that may be of particular interest and help to them."4 
Chance-Vought Aircraft Company has tried the one week retreat-type seminar. The fifty men live at a resort hotel some distance from their place of work and have no other responsibilities that week but the seminar. Role playing is one way of bringing the realism of a problem to the men in the seminar. Some of their own number are chosen in advance to portray important incidents in a case. Dr. Earl Planty of the University of Illinois, who has taken part in these seminars, tape records the role play­ing, then plays back the tape, giving the group ample time to react to everything that is done. "Why did the super­visor make this comment?" "What effect did it seem to have on the foreman who came in with a problem?" "Why did the foreman resent this approach?" "What did the supervisor do to regain good relations with the foreman as the discussion continued." Dr. Planty has led a group discussion for two hours on a ten-minute episode in a case which had been acted out by members of the group. 
In answer to my question, "What human relations train­ing is emphasized in your management program at the present time?", Mr. E. W. Morris, Assistant Director of Industrial Relations of Hughes Tool Company, replied: 
"The approach we are using is largely along the lines currently advocated by the American Management Asso­ciation and stresses the role and importance of the boss in strengthening the human relations between himself and those who report immediately to him. This, of course, in­volves an individualized approach rather than one involv­ing formal classes or general training programs." 
Mr. Morris added: "Sometimes we tend to overlook some ready-made op· portunities to strengthen human relations training. In this connection we hold monthly safety meetings with all super­visors, and we have found that these meetings readily and effectively lend themselves to the strengthening of all phases of human relations in the plant. We find, for ex· ample, that the promotion of safe practices in the plant is one important phase of human relations training and we, therefore, use these methods to emphasize this whole general area with special emphasis on safety." 
Universities in Management Training 

Southern Methodist University, Texas A. & M. College, Texas Christian University, the University of Houston, The University of Texas, as well as numerous other schools in the state, have either lent faculty members to help in the training programs of industry or have sponsored semi­nars themselves. S.M.U., in cooperation with the Texas Manufacturers Association, has specialized in one-week training courses for first line supervisors who have come to the campus from all kinds of businesses and industries. Lecture and discussion, case study and other methods have been used. 
The Executive Development Program of The University 
of Texas has been tried on both a one-week and a five-week 

basis. The seminars are held at a ranch lodge forty miles 
from the campus. Lecture and discussion, case analysis, 
4from Administrative Management, Training Division, Humble Oil Company, December 1955, pp. 3-4. 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 

role playing and skill practice in group relations have all been used. A steering committee of the men themselves helps the s~ff work out plans as the seminar progresses, and the entire group evaluates all methods and perform­ance of staff members at the close of each seminar as an aid ~o the planning of the next one. Participants in these ~em.m~rs come from all over the United States. Each group IS bm~te~ to twenty. The entire program is directed by Dr. Virgil James, who holds a joint appointment in the School of Business Administration and the Extension Di­v~sio~. A state-wide advisory committee from industry 
aids m the development of policies. 
Ru~nin& throu~h the.new approaches of industry and of umvers1ty semmars m management is the belief that acquiring specific skills does improve human relations. but that no simple "kit of human relations tools" can b~ given a person. He must see the need through some kind of real group experience and see his own nature revealed and changed through practice sessions in group situations. Any approach must reflect basic interest in and under­standing of the dynamics of behavior, of the "climate of work," the nature of the group, how natural leaders arise, why antagonisms develop, how cooperative action emerges, what roles individuals play in a group at a given time and why, what the basic needs and frustrations of people are, and, with a still broader view, what background fac­
tors of community, social, and economic relationships 
enter into the actions of individuals and groups on the job. 
Industry has discovered that human nature with its 

various manifestations and problems is one of the re­
sources with which it must reckon, and that community 
and national affairs are the setting in which economic 
enterprise operates. Humanizing and liberal education, 
therefore, has come into its own in modern business 

with the result that the factory and the classroom are closer 
together than ever before. Furthermore, the factory itself 
is making discoveries about human nature and methods 
of education which make its supervisors and training di­
rectors partners, in theory as well as in practice, with the 
professors and the research specialists. 
RETAIL SALES TRENDS BY KINDS OF BUSINESS 
Source: Bureau of Bwiineu Research in cooperation with the Bureau of the Census, U. S. Deparunent of Commerce 
Percent change in sales  
Group  Number of reporting establ ish­ments  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 fro m Oct 1956  

DURA BLE GOODS Automotive stores ···················-·······  263  - 2  +  4  
Furniture and h ousehold appliance stor es ............................  156  + 1()  + I  
Lumber, building material, and hardware stor es ..... ... .............  276  +  3  ••  
NONDURABLE GOODS Ap pa rel stores ................................ Drug stores ····································-·· E ating and dr in king places .......... Food stores ···························-··········· Gasoline and service stations ···-· General merchandise stores ............  207 157 87 239 530 178  + 7 + 8 + 14 + 4 -1 + 15  + 6 + 14•• + 7 + 10. 
 
Other retail stores ............................  201  +  3  - 6  

••Change is less t han one-half of one percent. 

Retail Trade: 
MODERATE SALES UPTURN 
By BUFORD A. CASEY 

The preliminary October index of retail sales (1947­49=100; adjusted for seasonal variation) rose to 185 two points above September. This is 13 points above Oc;ober 1956 and 11 points below the revised record high of Au­gust 1957. The durable goods index of 168 for October was 11 points above October 1956, and the nondurable goods index of 194 was 15 points above October 1956. 
Retail Sales ia Texas 


19AO "Al "A2 "A3 "AA "A5 "Ab 'A7 "AS "A9 ·50 "51 "52 ·53 "5A ·55 "5b "Sl 

Estimates of total Texas retail sales for October were 4% above both September 1957 and October 1956. Sales for January-October were 4% higher than sales for the same ten months of last year. Durable goods showed no change from September, being 3% above October 1956 and 5% more than the comparable ten months of 1956. Nondurable goods were up 5% from September, 4% above October 1956, and 3% higher than January-October of last year. 
In contrast with the average increase of 4% in October 1957 over October 1956 by all retail stores, better-than· average increases were made by farm implement dealers (+26% ), drug stores (+ 147c) , gasoline and service sta· tions (+ 10%), food stores (+7%), and apparel stores (+67c) . Lumber and building materials dealers (-3%) continued below average, while liquor stores (+3%), fur· niture stores (+2%), and jewelry stores (same as Octo­ber 1956) reversed their significant declines of Septem· her 1957 compared with September 1956 (-6%, -6%, and-15%, respectively). 
Dollar volume of 266 Texas department and apparel stores in October was 11% above September and 4% above October 1956. For the ten months, sales were 1% 
ESTIMATES OF TOTAL RETAIL SALE5 
(Unadjusted for seasonal variation) 
Percent c.han~e 
Jan-Oct 1957 Oct 1957 Oct 1957 from Oct Jan-Oct from from 
Jan-Oct 1957 1957 Sept 1957 Oct 1956 1956
Type of store 
M illions of dollar11 TOTAL ·-···········-··· 1,002.5 9,507.6 + 4 + 4 + 4
.. + 3 + 6

Durable goods ··-·········-305.2 3,01 .4 Nondurable goods ······-697 .3 6,489.2 + 6 + 4 + 3 
••Change is less than one-half of one percent. 
DECEMBER 1957 ahead of 1956. Of the 27 cities reporting, 15 exceeded September, 16 were ahead of October 1956, and 20 showed gains for the year to date. Gains in the year-to-date figures ranged from 1 % to 12%, whereas declines varied from 1 % to 9%. Leading cities in October 1957 gains over October 1956 were Paris (+18%); Dallas (+14%); Lockhart ( +13% ) ; Port Arthur ( +11% ) ; Brownwood and Cleburne (each +7%); and Austin (+6%). Best gains for the ten months were at Cleburne ( + 12%); Lub­bock (+10%); Austin, Brownwood, and Paris (each +7%) ; and Amarillo and Marshall (each +6%). 

Of 26 cities reporting sales by store type in October, 13 exceeded September, 13 were ahead of last October, and 18 were ahead of January-October 1956. Leading in gains over last October were Sherman ( + 19%) ; Brownwood and Corpus Christi (each + 14%) ; Brownsville ( +9%) ; Dallas ( +8%) ; Beaumont ( +7%) ; and Austin, San An­gelo, and Temple (each +6%). For the ten months, those cities ahead of the state-wide gain of 4% over 1956 were Brownwood ( + 12%) ; Port Arthur ( + 11 % ) ; Cor­pus Christi (+10% ) ; Amarillo, Brownsville, and Sher­man (each +9%) ; Abilene, Beaumont, and El Paso (each +8%); Lubbock and Plainview (each +7%); and Hen· derson ( +5%) . The large retail trade centers of Houston 
(+3%), Dallas (+2%), Fort Worth (-1%), and San 

Antonio (-2%) tended to keep the state-wide increase 
in sales for the year to date at a moderate figure ( +4%). 
The October ratio of 69.7% for credit sales to total re­

tail sales in 61 Texas department and apparel stores was 
very close to the 71.4% of September and the 68.5% 
of last October. Cities with highest ratios were Dallas 
(78.1%), San Antonio (72.2% ), Fort Worth (69% ), 

Houston (68.4 % ) , and Galveston (66.2 % ) . By type of 
business, top ratios were shown by dry goods and apparel 
stores (72.1 % ) , department stores over $1 million in 
CREDIT RATIOS IN DEPARTMENT AND APPAREL STORES 
Credit ratios•  Collection ratiost  
Number of  
Classification  reporting stores  Oct 1957  Oct 1956  Oct 1957  Oct 1956  


ALL  STORES  ............................  61  69.7  68.5  36.1  36.7  
BY CITIES  
Austin  ............................................  6  65.8  66.7  50.7  52.6  
Bryan  ............................................  3  50.0  51.2  47 .3  44 .3  
Cleburne  ........................................  3  41.l  38.8  38.8  39.6  
Dallas  ............................................  6  78.1  77.6  37.9  36.3  
El Paso  ..........................................  3  68 .9  58.6  3(}.4  81.6  
Fort  Worth  ..................................  3  69.0  69.4  32.9  36.2  
Galveston  ......................................  6  66.2  56.0  44.6  47 .1  
Houston  ........................................  3  68.4  66.5  32.9  33.6  
San  Anton io  ................................  3  72.2  71.2  47.8  42.4  
Waco  .......... ....................................  4  60.8  61.6  43.0  49.7  
BY TYPE OF STORE  
Department stores  
(over Sl  million)  ................  18  70.4  69.2  34.6  35.0  
Department stores  
(under  $1  million)  .............  19  53.2  51.8  41.9  44.1  
Dry goods and apparel stores  6  72.1  72.9  64.7  65.6  
Women's  specialty  shops  ........  11  68.9  68.1  44.9  46.7  
Men's  clothin~  stores  8  68.1  66.7  44.7  67.9  
BY VOLUME OF NET SALES  
Over $1,500,000  . ..........................  22  70.6  69.3  35.8  36.3  
$500,000  to $1,600,000 ................  13  60.4  69.9  44.4  47 .8  
$250,000 to $500,000 ....................  10  56.8  67.4  45.5  47.3  
Less  than  $250,000  ....................  16  50.S  47.7  36.4  87.7  

*Credit sales as a percent of net sales. 

tCollections during the month as a percent of aecounts unpaid on the first o! the month. 
sales (70.4%), women's specialty shops ( 68.9%), and men's clothing stores (68.1%). The October ratio of col­le_ctions during the month to outstandings at the begin· mng of the month (36.1 % ) increased from September (34.8%) and stood a little below last October (36.7%). Dry goods and apparel stores ( 54.7%) led in collections, with women's specialty shops ( 44.9%) and men's cloth· ing stores (44.7%) following. Austin (50.7%), San An· tonio (47.8%), Bryan (47.3% ), Galveston (44.6%), and Waco (43% ) led in collections to outstandings during October. 
Secondary trade indicators. Total advertising linage in 25 Texas newspapers during October was 8% above September and 1 % above October 1956. Twenty-one pa-
POSTAL RECEIPTS 
Percent change  
City  Sept 21­Oct 18 1957  Dollars Aug 24­Sept 20 1957  Sept 22­Oct 19 1956  Sept 21· Oct 18 1967 from Aug 24­Sept 20 1957  Sept 21· Oct 18 1957 from Sept 22. Oct 19 1956  


Alice  --­--···--------·-·-·--­-12,896  10,760  11,608  + 20  + 12  
Bay City ....................  9,451  8,996  10,166  + 5  - 7  
Brady  ----------­------­--·-··  4,306  2,933  3,191  + 47  + 85  
Brownfield  ················  8,090  5,892  9,601  + 37  -16  
Cameron  ····-·····-·······  6,920  4,777  5,892  + 45  + 17  
Childress  --··-···-···--····  4,653  3,585  4,039  + so  + 15  
Cleburne ....................  10,099  9,002  9,134  + 12  + 11  
Coleman ····················  5,488  4,958  5,292  + 10  + s  
Crystal City ········-···  3,676  6,443  2,465  -43  + 49  
Cuero ··························  4,195  4,439  4,410  - 5  5  
Denton  ......................  22,376  21,888  20,705  + 2  + 8  
Eagle  P asa  ..............  6,697  4,911  5,414  + 16  + 6  
Edinburg  ..................  9,020  7,259  9,337  + 24  - s  
Edna  ························  4,482  4,107  + 9  
El  Campo  ................  8,465  8,679  7,658  - 2  + 11  
Gainesville  ................  9,649  . 11,314  -15  
Gatesville  ..................  4,225  2,932  4,600  + 44  - 8  
Gilmer  .................•...  3,864  3,778  S,546  + 2  + 9  
Graham  ············· ·······  8,006  5,762  7,228  + 39  + 11  
Granbury  ..................  3,555  S,181  2,638  + 12  + 35  
H ale Center ..............  1,669  1,081  2,056  + 54  -19  
Hillsboro  ..................  5,786  4,720  5,124  + 23  + 13  
Huntsville  ................  6,342  6,458  7,537  - 2  -16  
J acksonville  ............  13,175  10,946  15,327  + 20  -14  
Kenedy Ker mit  ······ ·········· ····· ......................  2,824 6,004  2,698 4,894  2,647 6,001  + 5 + 23  + 7 ••  
Kerrville  ··················  8,948  8,106  8,583  + 10  + 5  
Kingsville ··················  11,330  12,365  11,051  - 8  + 3  
Kirbyville ...............  3,022  2,295  1,638  + 32  + 84  
La Grange ................  3,938  8,053  S,537  + 29  + 11  
Levelland  ··················  7,003  5,299  7,119  + 82  - 2  
Littlefield  ..................  6,836  4,291  6,031  + 59  + 18  
Lockhart  ....................  S,533  2,586  3,438  + 37  + 3  
Luling ........................  3,000  2,836  3,543  + 6  -15  
McCamey  ..................  3,639  3,(}17  3,706  + 21  - 2  
Marlin ························  5,891  5,212  5,561  + 13  + 6  
Mission ......................  9,094  6,902  7,382  + 32  + 23  
Nacogdoches ............  10,872  7,683  12,267  + 42  -11  
N avasota  ··················  4,083  4,444  4,032  - 8  + 1  
Odessa  ······················  54,112  48,731  50,637  + 11  + 7  
P ecos ..........................  17,810  12,145  17,186  + 47  + 4  
Pittsburg ··················  2,435  2,414  2,726  + 1  -11  
P lainview  ················  15,659  13,729  14,083  + 14  + 11  
Raymondville  . ..... ....  4,946  4,842  4,775  + 2  + 4  
Sinton ........................  4,277  4,181  4.441  + 2  4  
Taft ····························  3,187  2,223  3,148  + 43  + 1  
Terrell  ......................  6,253  5.296  6,908  + 18  + 6  
W axahachie .............. W eatherford ............  8,803 7,375  9,558 7,859  8,990 6,453  - 8 ••  -2 + 14  
Yoakum  ....................  9,145  8,087  8,788  + 18  + 4  

**Change is less than one half of one percent. 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
pers increased linage since September, and 16 of the 25 were running more advertising linage than in October 1956. Among 119 Texas cities and towns, 94 increased postal receipts since September, and 86 had larger receipts than last October. 
THE NATIONAL PICTURE If all segments of retail trade had shown such healthy ~ctivity during recent. weeks as have apparel, food, farm implei_nents, automo~1les, drugs, and gasoline, we could say with some certamty that the fourth quarter will be a record breaker in both dollar and physical volume. With lags, however, in sales of furniture, appliances, lumber, and hardware, and the barely staying even with last year by other categories, the recent net advance has been a moderate one. The ~in point: direction is upward. The signifi­cant pomt may be that there is an upturn in retail sales while other economic indicators, such as steel production (-20% from a year ago), carloadings (-10% from last year), stock prices (-15% from 1956), and unemploy­ment (+.4 million to 2.5 million, or about 20% higher than last year) show disappointing reverses. 
Contraseasonal leveling-temporary or long· term? Contrary to usual fall increases, there have been decreases or leveling out by many important indicators of business activity. In addition to employment, steel produc­tion, and freight carloadings, noted above, income (slight decrease) and prices (no change) are among these. Most analysts view these reverses in trend as temporary-to last a few months, or, at most, a year. 

The Federal Reserve Board action on the discount rate (?ropp~d to 3% from 3%%) should help to determine if higher mterest rates have been delaying rate of sale for home:i, automobiles, and appliances. Although installment debt is at the record high of $33 billion, the pay-off rate of the past two years has been excellent, so that many cus­!omers who bought automobiles in 1955 and appliances m 1956 should be in the market again soon. Contra­seasonal indicators, particularly leveling employment and wages, may loom larger to prospects for large dollar value items than to small dollar value buyers. 
_It would seem that increased promotion and sales effort will be needed to get durables to a satisfactory volume in 1958. Merchants are being helped by manufacturers to get this volume by an increasing rate of introduction of new and improved products. At the same time, they are being delayed by a temporarily decreasing rate of new family formations. This means more effort is needed to replace durables owned by existing families, a job that requires better-than-average salesmanship. Next year, more retail­ers will be "going to the customer" with stepped-up adver­tising and personal selling. 
December hopes are firm. Although varying for dif­ferent regions, most merchants polled by trade associa· tions expect Christmas sales to exceed last year. Estimates of increases of 2% to 7% dominate. The pre-Thanksgiving upturn is encouraging, particularly when it appears that about 60% of the shoppers make no Christmas purchases until after Thanksgiving. Texas is one of several states in which retail sales are holding up best. 
HOURS AND EARNINGS 
Source: Texas Employment Commission in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

U. S. Department of Labor 
Average weekly earnings  Average weekly hours  Average hourly earning-a  
Industry ALL MANUFACTURING.................. Durable goods ································-··············· Primary metals .......................................... Machinery--except electrical................ _. Transportation equipment....................... Fabricated metal products..................... _. Lumber and wood products...................... Furniture and fixtures .............................. Stone, clay, and glass............................... -Nondurable goods --·· ·-·-----------------------------···· Textile mill products.......................... ·-····· Broad woven goods................................. Apparel and fabric products.................... Food ................. ............................................. Meat packing......... ~................................ Printing ······ ·-·····---·····-----·····--·-······--····-----­Paper and allied products...................... ... Chemical and allied products................... Vegetable oil mills .................... --·········· Petroleum and coal products.... -.............. Leather ···--·············--·······------···· -----­·-­NONMANUFACTURING Mining ..... ......................................................... Crude petroleum products..... ·-······-········· Sulfur..................... ---················· .. ··············· Public utilities.................... ---···-················-·· Retail trade ······················---····· ----············---­-­Wholesale trade .. .................... ................ _ ......  Oct 1957• $84.46 83.84 102.43 91.98 93.45 83.14 56.26 62.68 71.21 85.05 58.24 55.02 46.49 75.76 91.80 88.54 95.46 102.67 59.10 111.56 49.20 105.04 106.50 92.83 79.80 59.33 84.05  Sept 1957 $86.53 86.29 103.22 96.80 94.96 85.00 57.15 66.27 73.10 86.93 58.36 54.86 47.09 76.68 93.77 88.54 99.14 104.80 56.20 117.58 49.50 110.88 112.57 100.12 80.20 60.03 85.06  Oct 1956 $81.76 81.48 89.04 85.87 98.09 77.76 53.38 62.9 0 69.55 82.21 54.23 52.08 42.22 77.83 93.50 84.20 93.74 97.86 62.56 104.94 48.86 99.33 100.58 90.06 74.96 61.06 80.35  Oct 1957• 40.8 41.1 39.7 42.0 39.1 43.3 H .3 40.7 41.4 40.5 42 .2 42 .0 37.8 41.4 38.9 38.0 43.0 42.6 52.3 39.7 40.0 42.7 42.6 38.2 39.9 41.2 41.2  Sept 1957 41.8 42.3 40.8 44.2 39.9 44.5 45.0 43.6 42.5 41.2 42.6 42.2 38.6 41.9 89.9 38.0 45.9 42.6 49.3 41.4 39.6 44.0 43.8 40.7 39.9 41.4 41.9  Oct 1956 41.5 42.0 39.4 42.3 42.1 43.2 43.4 42.5 41.9 40 .9 42.7 42.0 36.4 43 .0 42.5 37.8 43.2 43.3 54.4 39.6 39.4 43 .0 42.8 39.5 40 .8 43.0 43.2  Oct 1957• $2.07 2.04 2.58 2.19 2.39 1.92 1.27 1.54 1.72 2.10 1.38 1.31 1.23 1.83 2.36 2.33 2.22 2.41 1.13 2.81 1.23 2.46 2.50 2.43 2.00 1.44 2.04  Sept 1957 $2.07 2.04 2.53 2.19 2.38 1.91 1.27 1.52 1.72 2.11 1.37 1.30 1.22 1.83 2.35 2.33 2.16 2.46 1.14 2.84 1.25 2.52 2.57 2.46 2.01 1.45 2.03  Oct 1956 $1.97 1.94 2.26 2.03 2.33 J.80 1.23 1.48 1.66 2.01 1.27 1.24 1.16 1.81 2.20 2.23 2.17 2.26 1.15 2.65 1.24 2.31 2.35 2.28 1.86 1.42 1.86  
Figures do not cover proprietors, firm members, other principal executives, or unpaid household workers. • Preliminary-subject to revision upon receipt of additional reports.  
DECEMBER 1957  11  

Industrial Production: 

TEXAS BOAT MANUFACTURING EXPANDS 
By RICHARD A. WICH 
An estimated 30,000,000 Americans participate to some extent in boating activities. A substantial portion of that total is found in Texas, which has a climate especially suited, and a population generally inclined, to outdoor sports. In point of fact, statistics reveal that Texans pur­chased more than their proportionate share of the boats and motors manufactured in recent years. With such a large market available in the area, it is un~erstandable that within the state there would develop an mdustry devoted to the manufacture of boats, and this has indeed been the case. Though among the firms there are many variations in size and types of production, in recent_ years there h~s ?e~n one trend which is a rather pervasive charactenstic m Texas boat manufacturing. This is a trend of expansion, often spectacular and at least substantial in numerous 
cases, with rates of growth above 400% recorded by 
some firms within a period of three years. Furthermore, 
in the past year a rec~rd nu.mber of new bo~t ~an~factur­
ing plants were estabhshed m Texas; a partial hst mcludes 
Standard Glass Products Company (Austin), Saf-T Boats, 
Incorporated (Dallas), Yellow Jacket Industries (Deni­
son), Corsair Marine Corporation (Fort W~rth), and Con­
tinental Boat Company (Greenville) . In view of the vast 
market which has been developing, as well as the notable 
expansions in production, the boating industry deserves 
attention as a factor in the state's economy and as a sup­
plier to needs which are becoming more and more impor­
tant to an ever-widening segment of the population. 
Among pleasure craft, a large preponderance of boats 
are powered by outboard motors, and the statistics on out­
boards are impressive. In 1956 there were 302,000 out­
board boats sold for $112,600,000; of this total Texans 
purchased 18,600 for $6,000,000. The estimates for 1957 
are even higher, with predictions of continued growth. It 
is expected that the popularity of outboards and other 
craft suitable for small and medium-sized bodies of water 
will continue unabated, for this popularity is related to the 
nature of the new mass market for boating products. 
Underlying this market is the growth in leisure time for 
the population in general, with a corresponding increase in 
disposable income. The adde? time and _income have be~n 
increasingly devoted to boatmg, and this has characteris­
tically taken the form of boating as a family sport whose 
Industrial Electric Power Use In Texas 
400 350 
250 200 
00 
1940 '41 '42 '43 '44 '45 '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '51 '52 '53 ·54 ·55 'S6 ·57 

12 participants consist of wage-earning and middle-.i~come families. But there is another factor in the composition of the mass market-the spread of boating to new geographi­cal regions. If formerly boating was regarded mainly as expensive yachting on large bodies of water, now, as less affiuent families explore nearby waters for weekend and holiday excursions, boating is possible for a greater geo­graphical spread of the population. Accordingly, not only do Texas manufacturers have a broadly based market, from a quantitative standpoint, but this market is not con­fined to the areas adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, and there is thus established the potential for even greater pro­ductive expansion across the state. 

There have emerged, in response to th~ fa~to~s cited as contributing to the present market, certam s1gmficant de­velopments in the manufacture of boats in Texas. That which is especially to be expected is indeed to be found; namely, the growth of mass production .. The small manu­facturers with their few employees are m most cases not able to absorb the expanding demand for their products. In the case of the larger companies, some of whose per­sonnel number well over 100, the rates of productive growth in the past few years have been such as to i~dic~te the appearance of another important mass production l?· dustry in Texas. These mass producers are able to plan m terms of the broad bases of the new mass market; thus they are not dependent upon specific orders from consum~-.4!5·, nor is their market geographically confined. Followmg from these considerations are variations in the patterns of distribution of large and small manufacturers. The prod­ucts of the former pass almost exclusively to wholesalers, jobbers, and retailers, whereas the small manu~acturer rather uniformly sells all or a substantial part of his prod­ducts directly to consumers. Furthermore, the products of the larger manufacturers are distribute_d not only th.rough many regions of the state, but a considerable port10n of these products, in the case of some manufacturers more than 75%, are distributed out of state. Thus, the Texas boat manufacturing industry can look to a large and grow­ing market within the state, and also important areas be­yond those borders, thereby creating the conditions for suc· cessful large-scale production. 
Another noteworthy development is to be found in the 
choice of materials out of which manufacturers are con­
structing their boats. Here again there is a distinction be­
tween the large and small producers. The latter continue 
mainly to construct wooden boats, with some tendency to· 
ward the use of fiberglass coating. The large producers, 
however, evidence in their production figures a heavy use 
of fiberglass and aluminum, which according to some na-
ELECTRIC POWER CONSUMPTION 
January-October 
Oct Percent Use 1957* 1957* 1956t change 
Thousands of kilowatt hours 
TOTAL 3,662,819 36,126,973 32,049,8i2 + 13 Commercial -------------····· 485,982 4,573,466 4,201,173 + 9 Industrial 2,372,74i 23,005,764 20,534,584 + 12
·············--------­Residential ----------·········· 687,218 + 14
7,144,117 6,265,364 116,878 1,039,426 1,048,691 -1
Other ·············--------------··· 
•Preliminary-based on reports of 10 electric power companies re­ported to the Bureau of Business Research and leveled to Federal Power Commission preliminary d'\ta. . . 
tRevised to preliminary Federal Power Comm1ss10n data. 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
Crude Oil Ruas to Stills in Texas 


1940 '41 '42 '43 """ '45 '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '51 '52 ·53 '54 ·55 '56 '57 

tional observers are destined to be the dominant materials in boat manufacturing. So important does the increasing use of aluminum appear to some interested parties that one major aluminum producer has engaged in an elabo­rate promotional program to stimulate the sale of alumi­num boats. This program is directed at a mass market, based of course on the belief that a sufficiently large num­ber of such boats will be sold to benefit substantially a com­pany which is connected with boating only as a supplier of materials. This belief is founded partly on the desirabil­ity of highly portable boats, a quality which, aluminum producers argue, is realized in the construction of alum­inum boats. The reason for this desirability is that many members of the mass market for boats wish to store their boats at home, thereby avoiding the expenses of storage and maintenance. What this indicates, in other words, is that the growth of a mass market not only provides the con­ditions for mass production, but it also prescribes certain demands which the manufacturer must recognize and satisfy in order to maintain a successful competitive posi­tion. 
Portability is related not only to the matter of storage, but also to the fact, already noted, that boating is now be­ing enjoyed on other than large bodies of water. This de­velopment is connected with the state's increasing water surface area through the construction of water reservoirs. The owner of an easily portable boat has access to a greater number of separate bodies of water, and thus his oppor­tunities for varied boating pleasures are expanded. But this creates another need on the part of the boating public, and that is for boats with great mobility, suitable to the differ­ent waters on which they may be taken. The latter desidera­tum is related also to the uses to which boats are being 
WELL COMPLETIONS 
Source : Tlus Oil <lnd Gll8 Journal 

Oct.ober 1957• Jan-0 L 
Region Oil Dry 1957
Gas Total 1956 
TEXAS 

1,165 82 791 2,03 1 .886 1 .816 Southwest -·-············· 101 11 116 22 2.227 2,656 Gulf Coast ----------------94 20 107 221 2,067 2,201 East ----------------------------96 0 60 156 1,149 937 
N orth Central .......... 355 14 366 735 6.504 6,546 W est 
--·----····--············ 446 4 123 573 5.1 8 4,843 Panhandle 
····---·-······· 73 33 19 125 1,206 1,133 
•For five weeks ending November 2, 1957. 

put, especially as a vehicle for the family activities of fishing, cruising, and water-skiing. 
The growth of boating as a family sport is reflected in the trend toward larger boats with greater horsepower. The prewar average of horsepower for outboards was 3.6; now the average is about 15 horsepower. This is predicted to be a continuing trend, and one of its concomitants will be a greater relative increase in dollar volume than in unit vol­ume. Such a development is, of course, a cause of optimism to boat manufacturers, who can reasonably expect a market for larger and more expensive boats. They must, however, be alert to other aspects of the trend toward family boating, and not the least of these is related to the design and gen­eral appearance of the boats. The effect of a wife's aesthetic preference may be decisive in the choice of a boat; es­pecially is this the case where the boat will be used in group cruises, in which family pride in the appearance of its boat is likely to be a matter of importance. Such considerations suggest that the manufacturer must be responsive to a my­riad of consumer desires, and hence it will be important for him to tailor his design and construction to meet those desires as they develop in the broadening context of boat· ing activities. 
The growth of a mass market affects the small manu· facturer who wishes to remain small mainly in its creation of more potential customers, though the mass production which it stimulates may also introduce new and keener competition. Since the small producer has much of his dealings directly with consumers, he is in a position to satisfy the specific needs of individual consumers. Unlike the automobile industry, between whose early stages and the boating industry some parallels have been drawn, boats can be economically produced on a small scale. Because of this, no alarm has been shown by the small manufac-
NEW publication 

Sales Compensation Methods and Policies of Texas Wholesalers: Grocery, Drug, Hardware 
(One Dollar} 

By Alfred L. Seelye and Frank M. Bass 
published by &available from: BUREAU OF BUSINESS RESEARCH • THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 
DECEMBER 1957 
Gasoline Consumption in Texas 
Index • Adjusted for seosonol variation • 1947-1949·100 
250

250 
I 
200

200 
I~ .h I 
I 
M 
"Wm iV\ ~ 
r 
Y\ 
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100

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1940 '41 '42 '43 '44 '45 '46 '47 '48 '49 '50 '51 '52 ·53 '54 ·55 '56 '57 

turers at the development of mass production, as it is felt that in an expanding market there are outlets for the products of both large and small producers, especially in view of the advantages each can claim. A problem does ap­pear, however, in the case of a small producer who wishes to expand his production to a substantial degree; in a perhaps lesser way, this problem also besets even the larger manufacturers. This problem is one of production finance to be distinguished from consumer finance, which itself i~ a subject of considerable discussion. Many small producers are eager to expand their production at very accelerated rates, and they report that a market exists for much more tha~ their present production. The problem, though, is findmg the money for producing and warehousing the greater number of boats. Without loan funds, the manu­facturer must rely primarily upon his past profits; but the greater the desired rate of expansion, the less sufficient will be the funds derived from past profits. The gap must be filled by funds obtained from loans, and to secure such loans is a major task confronting many producers. This is a pr~b~em inher~nt in the growing pains of a new industry. and it is one which tends to be surmounted as the industry becomes firmly established and the strength of its market becomes unquestioned. There are developments in both of these directions, so the problem becomes essentially one of communicating those facts to the lending agencies. 
Most of the factors which define the nature of the boat market are operative in related areas, such as those of boat trailers, accessories, service and maintenance, and fuel. These products will find an expanded market in proportion as the market for boats grows. In the case of boat trailers, however, certain developments are of special interest in that they tend to increase the sales potential of these prod­ucts at a relatively higher rate than the rate of increase in boating activities in general. These developments relate to th.e growing popularity of storing the family boat at home, with the attendant features of a wider range of accessibility to waters and a diminution of maintenance costs. The ef­fect on the boat trailer industry is obvious, for in order for the family to store its boat at home it must have the means for transporting it to the waters on which it is to be used. From these developments, therefore, the boat trailer manu­facturing industry has cause to be even more optimistic than other segments of the boating industry. In general, though, the industry in its many aspects has broadening opportunities for sharing in a new market of no small magnitude, and manufacturers and suppliers in Texas need not look far in search of a willing and expanding number of purchasers of their boating products. 
Finance: 
GAINS IN PERSONAL INCOME REFLECT RAPID BUT SLOWING TEXAS GROWTH 
Br JAMES A. BYRD 

Few economic magnitudes are more indicative of the growth of Texas than those of the state's aggregate and per capita personal incomes. Data released recently by the 
U. S. pepartment of Commerce show clearly that the per­~onal mcomes of Texans as a whole have increased rapidly m recent years. 
Total personal income received by Texans in 1956 was slightly over $15 billion, representing a gain of 6% over th.e 1955. figure. This an.nual gain compares favorably with an mcrease of 7% m total U. S. personal income (see table). Growth in Texas personal income of 45% over the six-year period 1950-56 compares favorably with an increase for the nation of 44%. 
TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME (millions of dollars) 
Source : U. S-Department of Commerce 

Percent change  
1956  1955  1950  1956 from 1955  1956 from 1950  
Texas ------­--------------­15,044 u. s. ···········-·······-·· 324,281  14,179 803,268  10,376 225,464  + 6 + 7  + 45 + 44  

Despite the parallel performance of the state's income total relative to the national figure for the 1950-56 period, the rate of growth in Texas personal income has shown a slowing tendency relative to that of the United States in recent years. This declining rate of increase can he ?emonstrated by the fact that total Texas personal income mcreased 447% between 1929 and 1956, while the corre· sponding income aggregate for the country was increas­~ng by 2_79%. In other words, although the percentage mcrease m total Texas personal income was almost twice the percentage increase for the country between 1929 and 1956, the increases for Texas in the 1950-56 and 1955-56 periods only equalled the national performance. 
E.vei: more revealing are comparisons of changes in per c~p1!a mcomes. The data (see table) reveal the following s1gmficant facts: (1) Texas per capita income in 1956 was $1,686 compared with a United States per capita income of $1,940; (2) the 1956 Texas per capita income increased 4% over the 1955 figure compared with a 5% increase for the nation; and (3) the percentage increase in Texas per capita income between 1950 and 1956 was less than that of the l!nited States, the increases being 26% and 30%, respectively. Although not shown in the table it is worth pointing out that Texas per capita income incr~ased 
PER CAPITA INCOME 
Source: U. S. Department of Commerce 

Percent change  
1956  1956  1950  1956 from 1966  1956 from 1960  
Texas u. s. ____ __ __ 
__ _________________ ,_ $1,686 -------------------------···· 1,940  $1,621 1,846  $1,840 1,491  + 4 + 6  + 26 + 80  

TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 


253% between 1929 and 1956. This reflects a rate of gro_wth for Texas approximately 50% higher than the national rate, which resulted in an increase of 176% be­tween the two dates for the United States. . 
Of co!1rse, neither the Texas nor the United States in­creases m t_?tal and per capita personal incomes represent corres~ondmgly large real income gains. Consumer prices have rise~ approximately 14% over the last five years and have mcreased bet~een 3% and 4% in the last year ?lone. But, ev~n after mcome totals are "deflated"-that 1s, expressed m dollars of constant purchasina power­'!e1:ans on the whole have realized striking gains in real mc-0mes over the last two decades. 
FEDERAL INTERNAL REVENUE COLLECTIONS 
Source: Internal Revenue Service, U. S. Treasury Department 
J uly 1-0ctober 31 
Percen t
District 1957 
1956 change 

TEXAS  -----­---­----------------­----­-------­$714, 704,208t  $617,342,735  + 16  
Income  -------------------------------------------­ 261,595,143  233,785,234  + 12  
Employment  -----------­------­--------------­ 3, 7 58,082  4,169,259  -10  
Withholding  -----­-­-------------------------­ 378,478,453  316,403,558  + 20  
Other  _----­------­--­-----­---­-----­-­------------­ 70,872,532  62,984,684  + 13  
SOUTHERN  DISTRICT  -----­ 382,889,506t  329,971,158  + 16  
Income  -----------­----------------­--------------­ 144,015,949  121,520,145  + 19  
Employm ent  -­---------------------­-­------­- 53,485  69,059  -23  
Withholding  --­------------­-------------------­ 194,789,962  171,332,210  + 14  
Other  --···-----­-·--·---·-···--·--·-·--·-­--···-­---­ 44,030,109  37,049,744  + 19  
NORTHERN  DISTRICT  ......  331,814,702t  287 ,371,577  + 15  
Income ---------------------­-···--------····-------·  117 ,579,194  112,265,089  + 5  
Employment  --------·-··------------­-------­ 3,704,597  4,100,200  -10  
W ithholding  -­------------------···--··---­----­ 183,688,491  145,071,348  + 27  
Other  -­-­---·-·-----------------------------···-----­ 26,842,418  25,934,940  + 3  

t Detaila do not add to totala due to rounding. 

Othe~ conclusions drawn from the Department of Com­mei;ce mco.me data can be summarized as follows: 
lhe ma1or source of Texas incomes in 1956 was the tra0Je and serv_ices group, with manufacturing, govern­ment, construclion, farming, and mining following in that 
order. 
~~ri~cipal types of personal incomes in Texas during 19.16, m o_rder of relative income contribution, were wages and s~lanes, 66.0%;. proprieto~'.income, 14.4%; prop­erty mcome _from mterest, d1v1dends, and royalties, 11.5%; and miscellaneous sources, 8.1 %. 
Texas farm income, which reached record levels in the early postwar per.iod, slumped a dramatic 40% during the five years precedmg 1957. Clearly, total personal income for T_exas for these years was dragged downward by de­pressmg drought and demand-adjustment factors in the ~arm .s~gment. of the state's economy. Some improvement is anlic1pated m farm-sector incomes this year. 
Construction generated personal income at a below­~verage growth rate in _the 1951-56 period, especially dur­1~g t~e ~953-54 recession. Upward movement in construc­lion md1cators resumed in 1955. 
Among the smaller Texas income-generating sources the finance, insurance, and real estate group led all othe; sources in relative rate of growth after 1950. 
There has been an upgrading of wage levels in the state in the postwar period as a greater concentration of skilled workers in manufacturing began to exert its effects. Total employment in the state has expanded. 
An interesting sidelight on the growth of personal in· comes in the state is a recent announcement by the Dallas field office of the U. S. Department of Commerce that Tex-
BANK FIGURES AT HIGH STABLE LEVELS 
BANK DEPOSITS IN SELECTED TEXAS CITIES AND CO NTIES
Figures compiled from the October 11 call on all com­

mercial banks in Texas tend to confirm the belief that the Source : Houston Post, October 20. 1957 state's economy remains on a plateau of a high level of City Oct. 11 , 1957 Sept. 26. 1956 activity. 
Ho~ton --------····-··----···-··········----·-·-· $1,845.192,656. 92 $1,83 ,669,907.40 
Mixed trends can be noted among individual banks in 

Dallas ----------------------------·--···-····-··-··· 1, 900,315,625.82 1,901,671,584.63 the same cities and between geographical areas of the San Antonio ---------------------------··---·-612,515,287.94 536,853,718.00 state. Implications of the recent call are that Texas busi­Fort Worth -······-··-··----------------------·· 648,653,276.25 684,854 ,847. 90 Corpus Christi ·--·····-··-··-····------------144.346,843.00 139,346,843.00t
ness activity is paralleling the "sidewise" or "rolling" re­
Amarillo --------------·--·-·····----····----------154,384,804.00 n.a. 
adjustment which the U. S. economy has been undergoing Taylor County (Abilene) ·······----84,952,227.00 82,200.000.00t in 1957. Wichita Falls ···········----------------···-136,699,136.82 136,673,215.25 Deposits in major Texas cities as of October 11, 1957, Orange County ---·-···-·------------------·· 30.012,565.42• n.a. Big Spring -------------------·-··-------------27,466,121.00 n.&..
showed little change on the average from the totals as of 
Kilgore __ --·--····-··---····---------··---····-----17,375,623.31 17,093,651.32 September 26, 1956, bank call. For example, Houston Denton County ----·-··------------···-·-·-----26,211,335.13 26,083,496.38 bank deposits increased approximately $8 million be­Sweetwater -----------·---·-·------------·-····--12,346,837 .92 11.632,2 9.43 
Tyler _--···-·---------.-·-··· ----······--··--------·· 77,509,732.57 
74,766,028.80

tween the two call dates---an increase of less than one­
Grayson County (Sherman­
half of one per cent. In Dallas, on the other hand, deposits 63.579,716.00 
Denison) --··-··-··------·-···--···-----·--------63,075,063.46declined less than one-tenth of one per cent during the Cooke County (Gainesville) ---····· 16,590.456.59 16,139,195.58 period, but with 18 of the city's 22 commercial banks Vernon ---·····------·--·····-···---····-···------··· 18,313,825.94 20, 60,469.15 Victoria -------···-···----··-····-----------------91, 942,203.63• 
81.700,263.23

showing slight deposit gains. San Antonio and Fort Worth 
banks showed diverse experiences. Alamo City banks regis­•Record level. 
tered increases totalling $76 million, while Fort Worth tEstimated. 

n.a.Not available.

banks posted decreases in deposits of about $36 million. 
Corpus Christi banks, as a whole, showed a $5-million de­
posit increase. tivity has neither surged ahead nor dropped h8:ck marked­

The October 11 call totals were near year-end 1956 fig­ly from the high 1956 year-end levels. Deposit totals for ures. This fact, along with only slight changes in recent larger Texas cities and counties are listed in the accom­deposit turnover data, indicates that Texas business ac-panying table. -JAB 
DECEMBER 1957 ans are spending more abroad this year than in 1956. An increase in the number of passports issued and renewed by Texans over the 21,491 total of 1956 is anticipated this year. 
Texas vs. neighboring states. Closer-to-home com­parisons are of greater interest to some Texans than are more distantly oriented statistics. The following items are presented to satisfy these special interests: 
Absolute levels of 1956 total personal incomes, by states, listed in descending order: Texas, $15,044 million; Louisi­ana, $4,338 million ; Oklahoma, $3,491 million ; Arkansas, $1,974 million; and New Mexico, $1,218 million. 
Percentage increases in total personal incomes, by states, for the 1955-56 period: Louisiana, 10% ; New Mexico, 8%; Texas, 6%; Oklahoma, 5%; and Arkansas, 2%. 
(U.S., 7%.) 
Percentage increases in total personal incomes, by states, for the 1950-56 period: New Mexico, 53% ; Louisiana, 48%; Texas, 45%; Oklahoma, 39%; and Arkansas, 28%. 
(U.S., 44%.) 
Absolute levels of 1956 per capita incomes, by states, 
listed in descending order: Texas, $1,686; Oklahoma, 
$1,561; New Mexico, $1,494; Louisiana, $1,444; and Ar­
kansas, $1,088. (U.S., $1,940.) 
Percentage increases in per capita incomes by states, 
for the 1955-56 period: Louisiana, 7% ; New Mexico, 
5%; Texas, 4%; Oklahoma, 4%; and Arkansas, 2%. 
(U. S., 5%.) 
Percentage increases in per capita incomes by states for the 1950-56 period: Oklahoma, 38% ; Arkansas, 35% ; Louisiana, 33%; New Mexico, 28%; and Texas, 26%. 
(U.S., 30%.) It is important to note that both Arkansas and Okla­homa registered population losses between 1950 and 1956. 
REVENUE RECEIPTS OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 
Sou rce: State Comptroller of Public Accounts 
September 1-0ctober 31 
P ercent Account 1957 1956 change 
TOTAL -----------------------------·------____ $158,993,931 $132,193,185 + 20 Ad valorem, inheritance, and poll taxes ___ 
------·----------------------1,189,573 1,004,177 + 18 Natural and casinghead gas 
pr oduction taxes ------------------------------6,633,221 6,056,579 + 10 Cr ude oil production taxes ----------------22,643,649 23,309,038 -3 Other gross receipts and 
production taxes 2,808,087 2,467,368 + 14 Insurance companies and other 
occupation taxes ----------------------------71,164 113,597 -37 Motor fuel taxes (net) --------···---------28,421,450 27,260,404 + 4 Cigarette tax and licenses ----------------8,035,671 7,513,164 + 7 Alcoholic beverage t axes 
and licenses --------------------7,003,806 6,416,350 + 9 
Automobile and other sales taxes ____ 3,769,123 3,466,296 + 9 Licenses and fees ------------------------------7,479,072 5,260,644 + 42 Franchise taxes ------------------------------------498,400 273,740 + 82 Mineral leases, la nd sales, 
rentals, and bonuses -·-------------·.... 3,402,995 788,219 +332 Oil and gas royalties -------------------------­4,610,331 4,416,715 + 4 Interest earned ·-----------------------------------6,217,616 3,666,780 + 70 
Unclas•ified receipts _
_
______ 7,729,675 6,322,298 + 22 Other miscellaneous revenue ............ 2,053,954 4,164,417 -51 Federal aid for highways ----------·----­20,450,644 4,267,707 +379 Federal aid for public welfare -------­21,312,448 20,120,352 + 6 Other federal aid ·------------------------------­4,316,546 5,217,074 -17 
Donations and grants ------------------------346,506 88,266 +293 
Construction: 
METROPOLITAN BUILDING MOVES UPWARD 
By ROBERT H. DRENNER 
The index of building construction authorized in Texas (adjusted for seasonal variation) rose to 219 in October from 190 in September. With the exception of October 1954, when a record 233 was reached, the index for the corresponding month this year was at a higher level than for any preceding October. 
Building authorized in the state in October was up 5% (unadjusted) from September. Authorizations for the first 10 months of 1957 were 10% above those for the same period last year. New construction authorized (excluding additions, alterations, and repairs) in the 10-month pe­riod was 8% over that for the comparable 1956 period. Despite building cost increases (estimated at about 4% this year) the real value of building construction author· ized has improved significantly from 1956. Furthermore, virtually all the improvement over last year has occurred since June. At mid-year, new building construction au­thorized was up only 3% in absolute value from 1956; its real value was thus no greater than (and perhaps slight­ly below) the value of January-June 1956 authorizations. 
October building authorizations in Texas metropolitan areas were up 8% (unadjusted) from September, and for the year to date were 14% above those for January­October 1956. As in past months, these increases were effected by improvements in central city building rather than in the remainder of the metropolitan areas. Authori­zations in the central cities were up 13% over September, and 16% over last year's first 10 months; outside the central cities, however, building authorized fell 25% from the preceding month, and for the year to date was only 1% (in absolute value) above that for the same period in 1956. 
Total nonmetropolitan building authorized in October declined 5% from September, and for January-October was 3% below the same period last year. The decline has been partly the result of the especially poor showing made by building in nonmetropolitan areas of less than 10,000 population; authorizations in these areas fell 30% from September, and so far this year were 8% below those for the 10-month period in 1956. However, the nonmetropoli­tan area as a whole is evidently not participating in the building upturn observed in the metropolitan areas; and since nonmetropolitan authorizations are normally about one-fourth of the state total, depressed activity in this sec­tor operates as a sizable drag on the upward movement of the index of Texas building construction authorized. 
RESIDENTIAL 
Texas residential building continues the improvement noted last month. The October index (seasonally ad­justed) rose to 213 from 196 in September ; only October 1955 (243) and October 1954 (234) exceeded this level for the comparable month. In absolute values, residential authorizations were down 6% from September; a much larger drop is normal. For January-October 1957, resi· dential building was 13% ahead of the same period last 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
Building Construction in Texas• 

Index• Adjusted for seasonal variation • 1947-1949,100 

1940 '41 '42 '43 '44 '4S '46 '47 '48 '49 ·so 'St 'S2 'S3 '54 'SS 'S6 'S7 
•value of building construction outhorizad. 

year. If November and December authorizations hold up well, residential building authorized in Texas in 1957 will be substantially higher than many observers had predicted. 
Residential authorizations through the winter months will be watched carefully, for they will soon begin to re· fleet plans for construction activity in the spring, which in turn is regarded as largely determinative of 1958 con· struction in the residential sector. Some of the recent im­provement in residential building is probably the result of a slightly increased supply of money available for in­vestment in home mortgages. The recent lf2% decrease in the Federal Reserve rediscount rate is evidence of a gen­erally decreasing demand for mortgage loans outside the homebuilding area, and will help to make FHA-guaranteed mortgages more attractive to investors. It should be re­membered that both these conditions-an increased sup­ply of available mortgage money, at lower interest rates­have been assumed as necessary for a significantly im· proved showing in residential construction next year. 
NONRESIDENTIAL 
Nonresidential building authorizations in Texas in Oc· tober were 9% (unadjusted) above those for September. However, the significant rise was somewhat greater. The seasonally-adjusted index rose to 234 from I94 in Sep­tember, and only in October I954 was the index at a higher level (265). For the January-October period, non­residential authorizations this year (after adjustment for price changes) were about the same as in I956. 
For the first six months of this year new factory con­struction in Texas was up 88% from January-June I956; for the IO-month period the increase was 48%. The evi­dent downward trend in this area parallels that on the na­tional scene· however, this 48% increase over last year in Texas au~horizations compared with an actual decline in approved U. S. industrial construction plans over the same IO-month period. 
U. S. CONSTRUCTION 
Data from the Departments of Labor and Commerce indicate that construction in progress declined seasonally from September to about $4.5 billion-a 3% gain in dol­lar value from the previous October record of $4.3 bil­lion set in I956. For the IO-month period, expenditures on new construction were approximately 2% higher than in I956; with $46 billion expended last year, about $47 billion is indicated for I957. Total private construction 
DECEMBER 1957 so far this year ($27.6 billion) about equalled last year's record for the first 10 months. 
Work put in place on new private dwelling units de­clined 2% in value from September and was 6% under <?ctober 1956; for the January-October period construc­tion was 11 % belo~ similar building in the same period last year. After adjustment for price increases, physical vol~me _was ~o~n about 15%. Although the upturn in res1dent1al bmldmg that began last June continued in Oc· tober, construction in 1957 will apparently lag substan­tially behind 1956. 
All other categories of construction showed considerable s~rength in O~tober, with private outlays for public utili­ties construction and expenditures for offices and ware­hous~s at record monthly levels. Highway construction, pubhc school and church building, conservation and de­velopment work (chiefly dams and irrigation projects), residential additions and alterations, and construction of sewer facilities were all at higher rates than in any pre­vious October. 
ESTIMATE D VALUE OF BUILDING AUTHORIZED 
Source: BuretLu o! BuaineH Reeearcb in c90perali011 w ith the Boreao o! Labor Statiltics. U. S. Departmenl ol Labor 
J nnuary-October  
Oct  P ercent  
Classification  1957  1957  1966  chan1te  


Thousands of dollars  
CONSTRUCTION CLASS  
ALL PERMITS  88.645  872,990  795 ,658  + 10  
New construction  76,556  764 .323  705.635  + 8  
R esidentia l  (h ousekeeping) __  41,731  440,097  389,983  + 13  
One-family  dwellings  39,344  420,149  369,797  + 14  
Multip le-fami ly  dwellings _  2,387  17 ,635  30,186  -13  
Nomesidential  buildings  34 .825  324 ,226  312,086  + 4  
N onhousekeeping buildings  
( residentia l)  128  5,709  3,466  + 65  
Amusement buildin gs ---·-··· Ch urches  28 9 3,122  5,084 28.507  7,666 24,662  -33 + 16  
Factories and workshops __ _  3,283  33,604  22,644.  + 48  
Garai.;es {com mercial and  
p rivate) -----------­Service stations ··········------­ 2.344 921  6,764 10,874  5,226 10,803  + 29 + 1  
Instit utional buildings -----­ 5,242  17,628  9.920  + 78  
Office-bank bu ildings• -----­ 2,487  44,387  64,781  -Sl  
Public build in'!st --······-------­ 0  11 ,893  4,712  + 152  
W orks and utilities -----------­ 1,726  15,269  8,501  + 80  
Educational buildin:;-s .  9,430  79,039  90,514  -13  
Stores and mercantile  
bu ildings  --­--­------------------­- 4,456  57,888  68,808  - 2  
Other buildings and structurest -------­--­----------­ 1,397  7,680  3,959  + 91  
Additions, a lterations, and r epairs§ . -----····--·········------­ 12,089  108,667  90.123  + 21  
METROPOLITAN vs. NON­ 
M E T ROPOLITA N ll  
Total m etropolitan ------­------------­Central cit ies ---·--­----------­---­---­ 70,855 63,662  674,036 591,822  589,787 508,568  + 14 + 16  
Outs ide central cities ---­-------­ 7,193  82 ,214  81.219  + 1  
T otal  nonmetropolitan  ---------­-­ 17 ,790  198,952  205,871  8  
10,000 to 50,000 population  -­ 13.963  146,497  147.847  2  
L ess than 10,000 population ­ 3,827  63,455  68.024  8  

•Includes public (non!ederal) administr ation buildings bell'inning July 

1957 . tPublic (non fe<leral) building authorized is reported as office buildinll'• or other nonresidential buildings beginning July 1957. tinciudes government (nonfederal) service buildinll'• beginning J uly 1957_ §I ncludes additions and alterations to public buildinll'• beginninll' J uly 
1957. II As define<l in 1950 Census. 





Local Business 

Percent change 	Percent change 
Oct 1957 Oct 1957 Oct 1957 Oct 1967 Oct from from Oct from from City and Item 1967 Sept 1957 Oct 1956 City and Item 1967 Sept 1957 Oct 1966 
ABILENE (pop. 55,000r) BAYTOWN (pop. 22,983)
Retail sales -----------------------------------------------­-11 -6 
8 -4 Postal receipts* ---------------------------------------·$ 21,094 + 22 + 21
Apparel stores -------------------------------------­
Building permits, less federal contracts$ 279,930 -81 + 8
General merchandise stores 6 -12 Bank debits (thousands) ----------------------$ 21,709 + 7
Lumber, building material, and 
End-of-month deposits (thousands) t $ 21,286 + 3
8 -12 Postal receipts• --·--------·-·-------·---·------·-------$ 78,634 + 9 + 6 Employment (area) -----------·--------------------439,900 •• + 6 
hardware stores -------------------------------­
Manufacturing employment (area) 95,275
Building permits, less federal contracts $ 1,098,087 -16 -28 + 3 Percent unemployed (area) ------------------3.5 + 6 + 8
Bank debits (thousands) ------------···-··-·-·--$ 89,698 + 7 + 12 End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ....$ 57,934 2 -1 Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------18.4 + 10 + 12 
BEAUMONT (pop. 104,416r)
Employment -···-·----------------·-----------------------80,850 ** + 1 Retail sales -------------------------------------------------1 + 7 
Manufacturing employment -------------­8,820 •• + 7 
Apparel stores -------------------------------------­10 -11 
Percent unemployed -·-·----------------·-------··--4.6 -4 •• 
Automotive stores -------------------------------­-1 + 21 
Eating and drinking places ---------------­-1 + 4 ALPINE (pop. 5,261) Food stores -------------------------------------­-11 -16 Postal receipts• -·--···---------·----------------------·$ 3,802 + 14 -2 Furniture and household Building permits, less federal contracts$ 20,000 +1900 appliance stores 4 -15 Bank debits (thousands) ---------·--·-·-··--· $ 2,723 + 10 + 6 Gasoline and service stations -----------­9 + 11 End-of-month deposits (thousands ) t. $ 3,799 -12 -16 
General merchandise stores ---------------­+ 9 4 
Annual rate of deposit turnover ---··-·-·-8.1 + 16 + 17 Lumber, building material, and 
hardware stores -------------------------------­6 8 
AMARILLO (pop.125,049r) Postal receipts• ----------------------------------------$ 99,943 + 17 + 7 
Retail sales ----------------------------·-----·------·-·----z -8 Building permits, less federal contracts $ 1,359,148 + 43 43

-Apparel stores ----------------------------------------4 •• Bank debits (thousands) ---------------------·-$ 158,216 + 5 + 7 Automotive stores ---------------------------------­
6 -32 End-of-month deposits (thousands)t $ 112,169 + 6 + 8 Eating and drinking places ---------------­6 Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------17.4 + 2 + 8 Furniture and household Employment (area) __ 
_____ -----------------------89,700 •• + 5 
appliance stores -------------------------------+ 17 + 3 Manufacturing employment (area) ____ 29,640 + 1 + 
Gasoline and service stations ------------16 -16 Percent unemployed (area) ----------------3.7 + 6 + 23 Liquor stores ----------------------------------------+ 3 -16 Lumber, building material, and 
-BEEVILLE (pop. 10,500r)
hardware stores -------------------------------­12 + 16 
Postal receipts• ----·-----------------------------------$ 8,710 + 16
Postal receipts* -----------------------------------....$ 148,266 + 21 + 8 	+ 6 
1,864,572 	Building permits, less federal contracts$ 55,325 -64 +
Building permits, less federal contracts $ + 5 + 32 
Bank debits (thousands) -----------------------$ 8,638 + 3 + 8

Bank debits (thousands) --------------------$ 181,064 + 7 + 3 
End-of-month deposits (thousands) t $ 106,656 1 1 	End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ..$ 12,704 •• 1 
Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------8.1 + 4 + 9

Annual rate of deposit turnover -----------­20.6 + 7 + 8 
Employment ---------------------------------------------­
49,100 .. + 4 
Manufacturing employment -------------­6,470 + 1 + 8 

BIG SPRING (pop. 24,442r)
Percent unemployed --------------------------------4.2 + 8 + 5 	-5
Retail sales ---------------------------------------------------3 Apparel stores -14 + 4
ARLINGTON (pop. 27,550r) Automotive stores ·············-·-·----------------­-11 -12 
Postal receipts• -----------------------·-----------...$ 21,94Z -7 + 19 Lumber, building material, and 
Building permits, less federal contracts $ 1,061,649 -63 +143 

hardware stores ···············-····-------------­+ 8 -1
..
193,700 -s
Employment (area) --·--·-------------------------Postal receipts• ---------------------------------------$ 20,767 1 -14 
Manufacturing employment (area) __ 56,000 -16 Building permits, less federal contracts $ 832,765 +273 +254 
Percent unemployed (area) ___________________ _ 6.2 + 2 + 61 

Bank debits (thousands) ----------------------.$ 36,456 + 15 + 30 End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ....$ 29,220 + 7 -11 
AUSTIN (pop. 168,SOOr) 
Retail sales ------------------------------------------------+ 4 + 6 
BRENHAM (pop. 6,941)
Apparel stores 	+ 20 + 4 
Postal receipts --------------------------------------.....$ 6,038 + 5 + 13Automotive stores -------------------------------­+ 6 + 16 
Building permits, less federal contracts$ 126,675 +138 +310
Eating and drinking places --------------+ 7 + 8 
Bank debits (thousands) -----------------------$ 8,197 + 5 + 810
Food stores --------	-8 End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ....$ 12,690 + 6 + 6
Furniture and household 
Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------8.0 •• + 3
appliance stores ··---·-·----·············------­+ 2 + 12 
Gasoline and service stations -----------­+ 5 + 2 
Lumber, building material, and BROWNWOOD (pop. 20,181) 

hardware stores --------------------------------6 + 4 Retail sales --------------------------------------------------6 + 14 
Postal receipts• ------_------------------------------$ 279,224 + 9 + 4 Apparel stores -------------------------------------­7 + 4 
Building permits, less federal contracts $ 2,970,293 -31 -39 Furniture and household 
Bank debits (thousands) -----·· $ 160,712 6 •• appliance stores -----------·----···· + 1 6 
End-of-month deposits (thousands) t $ 118,680 2 + 4 Building permits, less federal contracts $ 409,685 +664 +1637 
Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------16.l 6 6 Bank debits (thousands) --------------·--------$ 11,301 + 7 + 2 

Employment ---------------------------------------------71,500 + + 2 End-of-month deposits (thousands) i ...$ 11,749 3 1 
Manufacturing employment --------------5,280 •• •• Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------11.4 + 9 + 3 
Percent unemployed ----------------------'---------3.7 •• + 6 

For explanation of symbols, see page 23. 
TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW
18 

Conditions 

Percent change Percent change 
City a nd Item  Oct 1967  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1967 from Oct 1956  City and Item  Oct 1967  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 f rom Oct 1956  
BRYAN (pop. 23,883r)  DEL RIO (pop. 14,211) P ostal receipts• ..................................  $ 9,980  ••  - 5  
Retail sales  ·····························-···················  +  4  - 7  Building permits, less federal contract~ $  9,111  -91  -~3  
Apparel stores ~~!~~~!~:::~::~~~i~:::::: ::::~:::: ::::::::  +  3 5  + 1 + 14  Bank debits (thousands ) .. .............. $ End-of-month deposits (thousands ) t ...$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . 8,498 10,202 9.8  + 6 s + 5  -10 10 -8  
appliance stores Lumber, building ~~t~;i~i:·· ~;;-d··· · ······ hardware stores . Postal receipts• ......:::::::::::::::.~::::::::::::::$  18,006  -15 -3 + 8  -26 -20 -1  DENISON (pop. 17,504) P ostal receipts• ..................................... $  15,266  + 10  + 19  
Building permits, less federal contracts $  134,771  -48  -63  Building permits, less federal contracts $  105.064  2  -54  
Bank debits (thousands) ................... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ...$ 16,027 17,831  + 3..  + 10 + 4  
CISCO (pop. 5,230)  Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  10.8  + 3  + 5  
Postal receipts• ........................................$ Bank debits (thousands) ....................... $ E nd-of-month deposits (thousands) t .... $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  4,112 2,777 3,703 9.0  + 21 + 14 •• + 14  + 13 + 5 5 + 7  EL PASO (pop. 244,400r) Retail sales ................................................. . Apparel stores General mercha~d-i~~--~~~-~~--~:~:::::::::~::  + 2 + 5 10  + + 16  
CORPUS CHRISTI (pop. 165,458u) Retail sales ................................................. . Apparel stores ....................................... . Automotive stores Lumber, building ~~t~;i-~i:··;;~d· ······· ··· hardware stores ................................. . Postal receipts• ........................................$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ...... ....... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ..$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment ........................... . Manufacturing employment ............... . 134,088 1,610,988 186,477 112,863 19.8 65,000 8,400  + 15 + 4 + 4 + 22 + 9 + 17 + •• + ••••  + 14 7 + 8 + 24 + 4 -36 + 7 + 4 + 3 + + 1  Lumber, building material, and hardware stores P ostal receipts• ....... ·::.-:.-:::.-:.-.-::::::.-::.-::::.-.-::::·$ Building permits, Jess federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) . ................... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t .. $ Annual rate of deposit turnover Employment ................................... ············ Manufacturing employment ............. . Percent unemployed ............................... . 196,871 2,998,875 297,944 141,509 25.1 79,800 13,520 3.5 FORT WORTH (pop. 315,578u) Retail sales .......... ...................................... . Apparel stores ...................................... .  -11 + 1 11 + 9 + 10 •• + 3 + ..  + + + 9 + 7 + 2 + + 4 + 3 -6 +  
Percent  unemployed  ............................... .  4.6  +  16  + 2  Automotive stores --············-················--­ -12  
Drug stores  __ ................................... .  + 4  + 12  
CORSICANA (pop. 19,211)  Eating and drinking places ............... . F ood stores .......................................... .  2 + 8  10 8  
Postal receipts• ......................................... $ Building permits, less federal contraets $ Bank debits (thousands) .. $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . 16,314 35,825 18,165 21,340 10.1  + 7 -57 + 16 -2 + 15  -3 -71 + 11 •• + 11  Furniture and household appliance stores ............................... . Gasoline a nd service stations ............. . Genera l merchandise stores Lumber, building material, and hardware stores ................................. .  + + 16 + 17  4 + 4 8 +  
DALLAS (pop. 538,924u ) Retail sales ................................................. . Apparel stores ....................................... . Automotive stores -···---·······­-·-······---­···· Eating and drinking places ............. . Florists .................. ..................... .  + 12 + 13 •• + 15 + 33  + 8 + 14 + 12 + 7 + 8  P ostal receipts• .................................. $ Building permits, Jess federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ................ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment (area) ........................... . Manufacturing employment (area) .. Percent unemployed (area) ................... . 600,030 8,480,178 693,643 357,966 23.3 193,700 56,000 6.2  + 10 +165 + 5.. + •• +  + 10 + 160 a 4 + -15 + 51  
Food stores  ...  +  3  4  
F urniture and household appliance stores ................................. . J ewelry stores ....................................... . Liquor stores ......................................... . Lumber, building material, and and hardware stores ....................... . Office, store, and school supply dealers .................................. . Building permits, less federal contracts $14,229,634 Bank debits (thousands) .................... $ 2,269,264 E nd-of-month deposits (thousands) t ... $ 1,000,008 Annual rate of deposit turnover ............ 27.4 Employment (area) .................................. 347,100 Manufacturing employment (area) .... 90,700 Percent unemployed (area) .................. 2.5  + 19 + 32 + 36 -1 + 18 + 6 + 7 + 1 + 6 •• + 4  + 1 + 8 + 20 + 21 + 6 + 113 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 6 + 19  GALVESTON (pop. 71,52711 ) Retail sales ............................................... . Apparel stores Lumber, building material, a nd hard ware stores ............................... . P ostal receipts• ..................................... . Building permits, Jess federal cont racts $ Bank debits (thousands ) ... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands)t $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ......... . Employment (area) ............................... . Manufacturing employment (area) .. Per cent unemployed (area) ··············-···· F or explanation of symbols, see page 23. 67,978 174,988 96.354 67 ,408 17.2 49,600 11,600 5.8  + 4 + 16 + 27 + 7 -79 + 6 + l 8 •• 2 + 2  8 6 -28 + 13 + 34 2 9 + 8 + a 1 + 9  
19  

DECEMBER 1957 
LOCAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS 

Percent change Percent change 
Oct 1957  Oct 1957  Oct 1957  Oct 1957  
Oct  from  from  Oct  from  from  
City and Item  1957  Sept 1957  Oct 1956  City and Item  1957  Sept 1957  Oct 1956  
GARLAND (pop. 28,15lr) Postal receipts* ........................................ $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) .................. $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment (area) Manufacturing employment (area) .. Percent unemployed (area) 16,933 664,092. 17,176 13,835 14.6 347,100 90,700 2.5  -9 -10 3 4 3 •• 1 + 4  + 27 + 135 + 6 + 3 1 + 3 + 5 + 19  HEREFORD (pop. 8,500) Postal receipts* ....................................... $ Building permits, less federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) ........................ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: ..$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . HOUSTON (pop. 700,508u) Retail salesU ............................................... . Apparel storesU  6,241 90,000 11,331 10-,011 13.9  -1 -63 + 3 + 4 + 4 + + 3  + -79 + 5 -12 + 18 + 2 1  
GIDDINGS (pop. 2,532) Postal r eceipts* .................................. $ Bank debits (thousands) ........................$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . 2,678 2,203 3,424 7.6  + 11 + 9 4 + 10  -26 + 9 + 10  Automotive storesU ............................... . Drug storesU .......................... . Eating and drinking placesU Food stores ............................................ . Furniture and household appliance storesn  + 3 + 4 + 6 7 + 3  + 15 + 4 3 + ••  
GLADEWATER (pop. 5,305) Postal receipts* .................................... $  5,102.  + 49  + 6  Gasoline and service stations General merchandise stores ..... . Lumber, building material, and  4 + 11  + 16 1  
Building permits, less federal contracts$  64,750  +225  hardware storesU ............................... .  -10  10  
Bank debits  (thousands)  ....................... $  3,776  +  +  8  Other retail stores  ............................... .  + 6  1  
End-of-month  deposits  (thousands) :j: ..$  4,834  - 3  + 4  Postal  receipts•  ...................................... $ 1,128,588  + 7  + 2  
Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment (area) .. Manufacturing employment (area) ..  9.2 26,150 5,160  -+  6 ••  + 2 + 3 + 8  Building permits, less federal contracts $17,639,825 Bank debits (thousands) ................. $ 2,395,449 End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: ....$ 1,210,825  + 3 + 6 + 1  + 50 -1 ••  
Percent unemployed (area) ...... . 3.5 GOLDTHWAITE (pop. 1,566) Postal receipts• . . .......................... $ 6,474  + 6 +229  3 +261  Annual rate of deposit turnover ............ Employment (area) '································ Manufacturing employment (area) .... Percent unemployed (area) ........... .  23.4 439,900 95,275 3.5  + 3•• •• + 6  1 + 6 + 3 + 3  
Bank debits (thousands) ........................ $ 3,064 End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: $ 3,349 Annual rate of deposit turnover ............ 10.8 GRAND PRAIRIE (pop. 14,594) Postal receipts• ...... .................... . ....... S 15,003 Buildinc: permits, less federal contracts$ 270,760 Employment (area) 347,100 Manufacturing employment (area) .. 90,700  + 2 3 + 2 -5 -4 ••  + 17 + 3 + 9 -25 +260 + 3 + 5  IRVING (pop. 40,065r) Postal receipts* ...... $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Employment (area) ............. .................. . Manuafcturing employment (area) ... . Percent unemployed (area) ......... . JASPER (pop. 4,403) Retail sales  15,000 486,764 347,100 90,700 2.5  + 37 -31 •• + 4  + 16 13 + a + 5 + 19  
Percent unemployed (area)  ....................  2.5  +  4  + 19  Automotive  stores  + 19  + 22  
GREENVILLE (pop.17,500r) Retail sales ............................................... .  ••  ••  General merchandise stores __ Postal receipts* ...................................... $ Bank debits (thousands) ................ $  5,370 6,318  + 21 + 26 2  + 8 + 19 + 15  
Apparel  stores  ..................................... .  + 28  + 29  End-of-month deposits  (thousands) :j: .... $  5,824  + 2  -16  
Lumber, building material, and  Annual rate of deposit turnover  13.2  + 6  + 36  
hardware stores ............................... . Postal receipts* .......................... $ Building permits, less federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) .. . ...... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . 19,620 105,250 15,407 14,671 12.8  -35 + 20 17 + 21 + 3 + 19  -12 + 4 -34 + 9 -3 + 14  KILGORE (pop. 9,638) Postal receipts* .. .. ................ ..... $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) .......... . ...... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ....... . Employment (area)  10,964 126,699 16,368 16,569 12.0 26,150  + + 29 + 6 + 2 + 5 ••  -8 + 54 + 3 + 1 + 6 + 3  
HARLINGEN (pop. 30,038r) Retail sales  Manufacturing employment (area) .... Percent unemployed (area)  5,160 3.5  + 1 + 6  + 8 3  
Automotive stores ------------------­---··------·· Postal receipts* .................................. .... $  31,294  -2 + 34  •• + 5  KILLEEN (pop. 21,076r) Postal receipts• ......... . .................. $ 23,792  + 18  + 20  
Building permits, less federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) ..................... $ 276,558 33,924  -84 12  -31 ••  Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ....................... $  51,500 7,766  -39 + 12  -31 + 18  
End-of-month  deposits  (thousands ) :j: $ 25,182  + 7  End-of-month deposits  (thousands) :j: .... $  6,558  + 7  + 13  
Annual rate of deposit turnover  16.1  6  - 7  Annual rate of deposit turnover  14.7  + 8  + 6  
HENDERSON (pop. 11,606) Retail sales .............................................. . Apparel stores ............... ................... . Automotive stores .............................. . Food stores Postal receipts• ....................................... $ Building permits, less federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) . . ... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  7,887 30,650 6,865 15,502. 5.5  -16 + 13 -25 + 12 + 11 -21 -4 + 6 -13  + 8 + 22 + 7 + 15 -17 -59 + 6 1 + 6  LAMESA (pop. 10,704) Retail sales Automotive stores .................. . Lumber, building material, and hardware stores ...... ........................ . Postal receipts• ....................... $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ........ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .••. $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ..... .  13,195 257,900 16,749 13,161 17.1  -3 -10 + 50 + 69 + 63 + 27 + 46  -8 + 33 + 12 +751 -16 -16 -1  
For explanation of symbols, see page 28.  

TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
LOCAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS 

Percent change  Percent chansre  
City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  
LAMPASAS (pop. 4,869) Postal receipts• ----------------------------------------$  4,121  + 29  +  15  :MARSHALL (pop. 25,479r) Retail sales  
Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ---­--------·­----------$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover -----­-----­ 27,500 5,117 6,280 9.6  + + +  8 3 3 4  + 85 + 12 -1 + 12  Apparel stores --------­--­----·-------·------­General merchandise stores --------·-­Postal receipts• --­---------------------------------·----$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands ) ---------------­____ $ 18,199 251,145 14,636  + 11 + 10 -60 + 2  + 13 + + 16 + 67 -1  
LAREDO (pop. 59,350r)  End-of-month deposits (thousands) f--­$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . 20.518 8.6  +  2  - 1..  
Postal receipts• ----·--··-----------­$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ 25,117 83,050  + + 20  + + 46  MERCEDES (pop. 10,081)  
Bank debits (thousands) -----------­-----------­$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ 23,861 19,795  + +  4 3  +  8 ••  Postal receipts• -------------------­------·-· -------­$ Building permits, less fede.ral contracts $ 5,231 42,260  -9 -89  + 2 + 216  
Annual rate of deposit turnover  14.6  +  4  +  6  Bank debits (thousands) --------------·--------$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f....$  4,957 4,840  -12 -29  + 2 -28  
LLANO (pop. 2,954) Postal receipts• _____ ---·------------·----­-------­... $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ---------------------·$  1,755 2,726 3,399  + 14 9 6  + 20 + 5  Annual rate of deposit turnover ·······--­MIDLAND (pop. 42,600r) P ostal receipts• ---------------·------------·----------$ Building permits, less federal contracts $  10.2 6 ,756 1,142,000  + 5 + 20 -44  + 39 -51  
End-of-month deposits  (thousands) f ....$  9.3  9  + 7  Bank debits  (thousands)  -----------------··---$  79,474  + 2  +  
End-of-month deposits  (thousands) f....$  82,100  + 3  2  
LONGVIEW (pop. 34,328r) Postal receipts• -----------·---------------------­------$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) -----------------·------$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ---------­Employment (area) ·------------------­ 33,711 523,850 89,020 37,121 12.9 26,150  + 17 + 13 + 2 + 4 ••  + 7 -40 + 8 -1 + 10 + 3  A.nnual rate of deposit turnover ·······-··· MONAHANS (pop. 6,311) Postal receipts• ---------------------------------------$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) -------------------·----$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........ .  11.8 6,002 23,450 9,50 ,9 5 13.0  + + 31 -70 + 8 + +  + + -+ +  4 78 10 13  
Manufacturing employment (area) .... Percent unemployed (area)  5,160 3.5  + +  1 6  +  8 3  NEW BRAUNFELS (pop. 12,210) Postal receipts• ------------------------------------·-· $ 14, 788  + 34  + 9  
Building permits, Jess federal contracts S  37,245  -37  -77  
LUBBOCK (pop. 134,156r) Retail sales ---------------------­----­-----------­---·----­ - 9  Bank debits (thousands) __ __ ___________________ $ 9,044 End-of-month depogits (thousands) f....$ 9, 85  + 14 + 6  + 6  
Apparel stores  ----­------­------­-------------------··  9  - 8  Annual rate of deposit turnover  11.8  +  12  +  
Automotive stores ______ -------------------------­Furniture and household appliance stores ............................... . Lumber, building material, and hardware stores -------------------------------­Postal receipts• ----------------------------------------$ 111,105 Building permits, less federal contracts $ 5,392,608 Bank debits (thousands) -·----------------­$ 155,738 End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ 96,737 Annual rate of deposit turnover -----------­Employment (area) ------­------­----------------­Manufacturing employment (area) .... Percent unemployed (area) ----------­----­---­19.1 44,750 4,460 4.7  8 + 15 + 35 + 12 + 99 + 23 -2 + 22 + + 2  -21 •• -16 + 3 + 52 -14 -3 -18 + 2 6 + 2  ORANGE (pop. 21,174) Retail sales Automotive stores ·····-------­-----·----······ Lumber, building material, and hardware stores ···--·····-·--·············· Postal receipts• -----------­---------------­---------$ Building permits, Jess federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ------------·-----·---­S End-of-month deposits (thousands ) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover PALESTINE (pop. 15,063') Postal receipts• ------------­-------------------------$ Building permits, less federal contracts $  18,247 236,843 22,981 26,124 11.1 10,536 72 ,750  -11 + 9 + 18 -62 + 11 + 3 + 11 + 19 -47  -19 -16 + 15 -26 + 3 + + 8 + 14  
LUFKIN (pop. 18,600r) Postal receipts• ---------------------------------------·$ Building permits, less federal contracts$  18.486 772,260  + 34 +128  + 16 +141  Bank debits (thousands) --------------------­S End-of-month deposits (thousands ) t -S Annual rate o! deposit turnover ........ .  8,293 13,743 7.3  + 19 + 2 + 18  + 6 3 + 7  
Bank debits (thousands) -----­----------------­$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ------------McALLEN (pop. 25,326r) 24,200 20,777 14.1  + 8 + + 10  + - 8 6  PAMPA (pop. 20,448r) Postal receipts• ------------­----------------··-------$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ---·----­------­$ End-of-month deposits (thou.sands) f ....S Annual rate of deposit turnover 19,313 367,935 19,948 23,834 10.3  + 18 -13 + 5 + +  + + 53 + 16 -2 + 13  
Retail sales Automotive stores -------------------------------­Postal receipts• ---------------­-----------------------·$ Building permits, Jess federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) -------------­-------·--$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover -----­--------McKINNEY (pop. 10,560) Building permits, Jess federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) -----------­--------$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) f ....$  21,131 300,925 18,948 18,931 11.8 46,850 8,300 82,100  -1 + 12 + 15 •• 3 + 4 -34 8 + 3  + 12 + 8 -8 -22 -7 + 15 -2  PARIS (pop. 24,551') Retail sales --------­--------­-------------------------­Apparel stores -----------------------------­--------­Automotive stores ···········-········-··-······· Lumber, building material, and hardware stores --······-···---·-···· Postal receipts• ---------------------­-----­S Building permits, Jess federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) ---------------------S End-of-month deposits (thousandsH -S Annual rate of deposit turnover ------­ 14,434 173,535 17 ,118 16,498 13.2  + 8 + + 16 + 13 + 27 + 13 + 18  2 + 18 11 -2 + 2 + 316 + 10 + 7  
Annual rate of deposit turnover -----------­ 11.8  +  4  For explanation of symbols, see page 23.  
21  

DECEMBER 1957 
LOCAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS 

Percent change  Percent change  
City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  
PASADENA (pop. 22,483) Postal receipts• ........................................ $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Employment (area) ............................... . Manufacturing employment (area) ... .  23,364 768,775 439,900 95,275  -2 -17 ••••  -7 -37 + 6 + 3  SAN MARCOS (pop. 9,980) Postal receipts• ........... ........................ $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ........ $ 9,263 19,250 7,127  + 33 +191 -10  + 6 -55 + 19  
Percent unemployed (area)  ................... .  3.5  +  6  + 3  End-of-month deposits  (thousands) :j: .••. $  7,901  - 3  - 2  
Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  10.6  + 19  
PHARR (pop. 8,690) Postal receipts• ........................................ $  4,151  - 1  +  SEGUIN (pop. 14,000r)  
Building permits, less federal contracts $  17,824  -87  -65  Postal  reeeipts•  ..........................$  7,658  - 1  -10  
Bank debits  (thousands)  ........................ $  3,321  + 5  + 10  Building permits, less federal contracts $  50,750  + 64  -39  
End-of-month deposits  (thousands) :j: ....$  8,211  + 8  + 6  Bank debits  (thousands)  ........................ $  8,198  7  + 7  
Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  12.9  + 16  + 7- End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .••. $  15,333  + 2  
Annual rate of deposit turnover .  6.5  4  + 8  
PORT ARTHUR (pop. 82,150u) Retail sales ................................................ . .......... . Apparel stores ...................................... .  + 11  + 1 + 2  SHERMAN (pop. 25,855r) Retail sales ................................................. .  4  + 19  
Food  stores  .......................................... .  + 6  + 4  Apparel stores ....................................... .  +  +  6  
Furniture and household  Lumber, building material, and  
appliance  stores  .............................. .  + 13  -10  hardware  stores  ---------------------------­---­ 4  + 83  
Building permits, less federal contracts$  892,284  + 41  -1$  Postal  receipts•  ..................................... $  20,840  9  -25  
Bank debits  (thousands)  ........................ $  71,855  + 7  + 24  Building permits, Jess federal contracts $  819,4n  + 76  +317  
End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .•..$  45,678  - 1  + 5  
Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment (area) ............................... . Manufacturing employment (area) ... . Percent unemployed (area) ............... .  18.8 89,700 29,640 3.7  + 7•• + + 6  + 18 + 5 + 1 + 23  SLATON (pop. 5,036) Postal receipts• .................... $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thou•ands) ................ $  2,816 41,800 2,583  + 21 -68 + 18  -18 +1242 -29  
ROCKDALE (pop. 4,550') Postal receipts• ........................................ $  3,932  + 49  + 2  End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .... $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment (area) ........................... .  3,600 8.8 44,750  + 5 +  -17 -23 + 2  
Building permits, less federal contracts $  4,900  +155  -86  Manufacturing employment (area) ... .  4,460  + 3  6  
Bank debits  (thousands)  ..... $  3,659  + 11  + 9  Percent unemployed (area)  ................... .  4.7  2  + 2  
End-of-month deposits  (thousands) :j: ....$  5,468  + 3  + 5  
Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . SAN ANGELO (pop. 62,359r) Retail sales ..................... ........................ .  8.1  + 9 + 4  + 4 + 6  SNYDER (pop. 14,lllr) Postal receipts• ......................... ..$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ........................$  10,427 96,160 16,941  + 19 -58 + 16  + 4 -40 + 28  
Lumber, building material, and  End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .. $  18,237  + 13  + 18  
hardware stores --·-·-·-·-··--·----·---------­-­Postal receipts• ...................................... $  55,410  10 ••  + 25 + 1  Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... .  11.1  + 8  
Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ........................ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment ........................... . Manufacturing employment ............... . Percent unemployed ............................... .  227,871 51,212 40,848 15.0 23,250 2,990 5.0  5 + 1 1 + 3 1 •• + 9  -36 + 6 -12 + 19 + 1 + 3 + 25  SULPHUR SPRINGS (pop. 9,890r) Retail sales Automotive stores -----------------­········-···-· Postal receipts• ............................ $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) .............. $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .... $ 6,709 66,750 9,328 11,727  •• + 16 -60 + 8 + 6  + 14 + 12 -36 + + 3  
SAN ANTONIO (pop. 449,52lu) Retail sales ................................................. . Apparel stores ...................................... . Automotive stores ............................... .  + 4 + 1 8  •••• + 12  Annual rate of deposit turnover 9.8 SWEETWATER (pop. 13,619) Postal receipts• ...... $ 17,725  + +115  + 10  
Drug stores ........................................... . Eating and drinking places ........... . Florists ..................................................... . Food stores ............................................. .  + 16 -a + 36 ••  + 15 2 + 17 4  Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) .................... $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover . . ..... ._  330,605 10,995 11,787 11.6  +524 + 14 + 5 + 13  +  2 9  
Furniture and household  
appliance stores ............................... . General merchandise stores ............... .  + 15 + 28  + 4 6  TAYLOR (pop. 9,071)  
Lumber, building material, and hardware stores  + 20  + 17  Retail sales Automotive  stores  ··---·-·------------­ + 6  + 10  
Postal receipts• .......................................$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) .. $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) :j: .• ..$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment .................... ....................... . Manufacturing employment ............. . Percent unemployed ............................... . 617,914 4,844,442 524,450 345,642 18.2 186,100 22,125 4.0  -1 + 68 + 6•• + 5•••• + 6  -8 + 18 + 6 2 + 7 1 6 + 29  Furniture and household appliance stores ................. . Postal reeeipts• ........................................ $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ........................ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands)+.... $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . For explanation of symbols, see page 23.  8,357 73,458 8,173 11,617 8.4  + 14 + 33 +164 -12 •• -12  + 21 + 14 + 46 + 8 + 1 + 6  

TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW 
LOCAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS 

Percent change  Percent chanire  
City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  City and Item  Oct 1957  Oct 1957 from Sept 1957  Oct 1957 from Oct 1956  
TEMPLE (pop. 33,912r)  
Retail sales ----------­--­---------­----------------------­Apparel stores ---------------------------------------­Eating and drinking places ___ _  -4 -28 + 3  + + +  6 2 9  VERNON (pop. 12,651) Postal receipts• ·--·--···-·········-···-···-·· -·--·-·  $ 10,114  + 17  +  
Food  stores  ---------­-----------­---------­ +  +  13  Building permits, less federal contracts $  15,750  -63  -55  
Furniture and household  Bank debits  (thousands)  $ 10,685  + 16  -14  
appliance  stores  _----------------­ +  2  7  End-of-month deposits  (thousands ) t  $ 17,723  +  - 13  
Lumber, building material, and  Annual rate of deposit turnover ········-·-·  7.3  +  16  - 8  
hardware  stores  -----------------------­ 5  + 7  
Postal receipts• ------------------­--------------­___ _$ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands ) --­---­------­------­---$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ___ $ Annual rate of deposit turnover TEXARKANA (pop. 31,0Slr) 28,124 246,204 20,287 31,020 8.0  + 16 + 183 + 3 + 3 ••  + + 24 •• + 12 -10  VICTORIA (pop. 49,164r) Retail sales ·--·---·---·---·---·--------· Apparel stores .................................. __ _ Eating and drinking places ............... . F ood stores  + 5 + 3 5 + 5  8 5 + 2  
Retail sales  Lumber, building material, and  
Apparel stores  ·--··--·­--·----·--· --···-··--·-·-·-··­ + 12  - 7  hardware  stores  -13  -32  
Automotive stores  -25  -25  Building permits, less federal contracts $  278,511  + 14  -65  
Furniture and household  
appHance  stores  ...... .  - 1  - 2  
Postal receipts§• ····----­----------­----·-··········-$ Building permits, Jess federal contracts $  51,906 59,626  + 42 -25  + -96  WACO (pop. 101,824r)  
Bank debits (thousands)§ . ···-··--·-···--­$ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ... $ Annual rate of deposit turnover§ ·····---·­41,908 16,473 15.0  + + +  2 7  +107 + 3 -3  Retail sales ····----­-----·· ·········-·----··-·······-···-· Apparel stores Automotive stores ............................ .  -7 + 14 -10  7 9 ••  
Employment§ --------·-····· ·---­Manufacturing employment§ ········---· Percent unemployed§ -------­-··········----···· TEXAS CITY (pop. 23,000r) Retail sales Lumber, building m aterial, and hardware stores ............ . Postal receipts• ·····-------···· ------····------·-··-· $ Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) . ··------····-·---­·· $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t---$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ·····----··· Employment (area) -----·--··-·--­·····----·····--­Ma nufacturing employment (area) .... P ercent unemployed (area) TYLER (pop. 49,443) Retail sales Automotive stores -----···----­-····---·····­Postal receipts• ····­----···-·-----··--·--···---·-··--­Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) ______ $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ....$ Annual rate of deposit turnover --··-----··· 31,250 4,260 9.2 17,334 374,940 23,454 23,681 11.7 49,500 11,600 5.8 67.603 543,490 88,723 60,868 17.5  5 + 10 + 19 + 15 + 58 4 -3 -4 •• 2 + 2 -10 + 29 -56 + 10 •• + 8  -8 19 + 26 + 20 + 12 + 37 -24 -19 -11 + 3 + 9 + 17 + 16 -43 + 16 -1 + 14  Furniture and household appliance stores ....................... . Building permits, less federal contracts $ Bank debits (thousands) $ End-of-month deposits (thousands) t ...$ Annual rate of deposit turnover ········--·­Employment ···­-·---·-··· --------·····-···-··········­Manufacturing employment . Percent unemployed ····------·······----·····-· 666,114 95,698 64,880 18.0 48.950 10,030 3.3 WICIDTA FALLS (pop. 103,152r) Retail sales Lumber, building material, and hardware stores .................... .. ......... . Postal receipts• ··----····-·--·············--·-···· $ Building permits, less federal contracts$ Bank debits (thousands) ·-··-·-·······-···· $ End--0f-month deposits (thousands) t ... $ Annual rate of deposit turnover ........... . Employment -····-·--­·····--·············-·······-······· Manufacturing employment ............. . Percent unemployed ··---····----···-·-·····-······· 83,172 727,407 102,431 103,476 11.8 38,150 8,660 3.8  -4 -65 + 8 + 3 + 7 1 + 6 + 11 + 7 -56 + -2 + 4.... + 12  -13 -67 + 3 + 8 + 8 + 10 -21 -13 -. -30 + 3 + 3•• -1 + 3 + 15  

•Postal receipts for Midla nd are for calendar month of October. Other cities' receipts are for period from September 21 to October 18. Percentage changes are for comparable periods. tMoney on deposit at the end of the month, but excludes aeposits to the credit of bank•. !Reported by the Bureau of BusineSll and Economic Research, University of Houston, for Harr~ County. §Figures include Texarkana, Arkansas (pop. 19,733) and Tex..rkana, Texa• (pop. 31,051). rRevised for use by the Tex..,. Highway Department. 
ul950 Urbanized Census. 
••Change is less than one-half of one percent. 

DECEMBER 1957 
BAROMETERS OF TEXAS BUSINESS 

year-to-date averair;e 
Oct Sept Oct 
1956
1957 1957 1956 1957 
GENERAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY 



·---m
195 191 195 197 Miscellaneous freight carloadings in SW District, index·------------·---·················· 82 86 96 85 94 Ordinary life insurance sales, indeX---······-·-·-·················-·-··---------·--·····-······-····-··-­tTexas business activity, index----·············-···················-···-·---------······························ 
416 353 328 348 276 Wholesale prices in U. S., unadjusted index....·-··-·············--------·-··-·-···········-···-·· 117.7 118.0 115.6 117.5 lffi tConsumers' prices in Houston, unadjusted index............---·--·-·····················-······ 
121.2 117.2 
121.1 121.l 117.7 119.9 115.9
Consumers' prices in U. S., unadjusted index·-············------·-·-----·---·········---·········· 
Income payments to individuals in U. S. (billions, at seasonally adjusted 

346.6 334.l $ 342.7 $ 324.4
annual rate) -----------------------··············-··---·-·--·--····················-··············-················ $ 345.6 s s 
44 25 41 	28
Business failures (number) --------·---·-·-·----········--·····················---··························· 
TRADE 185* 183* 172 183 163
Total retail sales, index·--···---·····-·······-···----·-·-·---------·---·-·--·--··-··-------·-···--·-··············· 
Durable-goods stores ··········-··-··· -···-······-···-······························---········--·········· 

168* 172* 157 167 146 Nondurable-goods stores.·-------·---·-·----·------··---------·-----··--·--------·--·----···-·-·---·-····· 
194* 189* 179 192 172 Ratio of credit sales to net sales in department and apparel stores.................. 69.7* 71.4* 68.5 67.5 67.4 Ratio of collections to outstandings in department and apparel stores___ ____ _ 
_ 36.1* 34.8* 36.7 37.2 36.7 
PRODUCTION Total electric power consumption, index__ ···············-·-·-·-···--····---·-·---·---··------·-·····-· 343• 380* 335 348 310 Industrial electric power consumption, index..... ·--·-·----······························-········· 364* 377* 345 363 324 Crude oil production, index__________··········------·-··-·----·--·-····-·-·-·---··········-··················-· 113• 118* 125 131 132 Crude oil runs to stills, index____ ........---····-········------··------·----··--···-·········--····-···---····· 136 143 137 146 148 GRsoline consumption. index -··--·--···-·---······------·---·-·-··--·---·····-------·----····-·-·········· 162 177 171 174 Natural gas consumption, index....·-···--····················································-····--······· 185 183 186 184 
Industrial production in U. ::i., index·-·························-··-·---···--···-···-·--···-·----···--··· 142 144 146 144 142 Southern pine prod11rtion, index..... ·-·························-······················-··········-··---···· 105 125 106 119 Cottonseed crushed, index----·--···---····-···-·----···-·----·---·---·-·-----··--····-·-···············-······· 97 70 114 112 125 Construction authorized, index.....·-··-······-······-·····--·--·-···········-···············-·············· 219 190 191 201 182 Residential building ··············----·-·······-···················-·---···································· 213 196 170 196 172 Nonresidential building ··--···-·······-··--········--·-···············-···············-·················· 234 194 226 208 202 
AGRICULTURE 
Farm cash income, unadjusted index.. ·-··········-----·····----·----------------·-·-··-·---···-·-·-···· 139 100 141 80 86 Prices received by farmers, unadjusted index, 1909-14=100 --·····-·-···············-265 265 246 266 250 Prices paid by farmers in U.S., unadjusted index, 1909-14=100.................... 296 296 287 295 285 Ratio of Texas fann prices received to U.S. prices paid by farmers............... . 90 90 86 90 88 
FINANCE Bank debits, index............ ----··-·······-··-···········································-····---·····-··-··-······· 229 225 225 231 217 Bank debits, U.S., index....·-·-·······-------··--···········································-··········-·······-· 205 199 194 201 187 Reporting member banks, Dallas Reserve District: 
§Leans (millions) ···--· ·-···········--···-·-····----··------···-········-·······----···········-·············· s 2,457 $ 2,449 s 2,462 s 2,415 $ 2,431 I Loans and investments (millions) ·························---·-·-·--··-·-·-·-·-·-·---·-----····-­$ 3,957 s 3,979 s 3,866 s 3,918 s 3,800 Adjusted demand deposits Imillions) . -···· ··-········-··-·······--···--··-·····---···-··· s 2,636 $ 2,570 $ 2,640 s 2,635 $ 2,645 Revenue receipts of the State Comptroller (thousands) ----····-················-··········· s 95,944 $ 63,050 s 72,810 s 84,763 s 79,0ll Federal internal Revenue collect1011s (thousands >--------·---·------------·--·---·---·--····-$151,677 $176,608 $151,139 $235,539 $218,925 
LABOR 
Total nonagricultural employment (thousands) ...............···-····-·········--··· ············ 2,487.5 2,494.0 2,450.3 2,467.2 2,399.0 Total manufacturing employment (thousands) ····-···----·-····--·--·-··-·---·---·--··· 481.6 485.9 478.5 485.2 470.3 Durable-goods employment (thousands) -··-·---·-·-·········-·-···········-·······---235.l 239.8 233.9 240.5 225.3 
Nondurable-goods employment (thousands) ..... _
___ 
_____________________
_
____ _ 246.5 246.l 244.6 
244.7 243.1 Total nonagricultural labor force in 17 labor market areas (thousands) ........ . 1,889.9 1,887.5 1,843.2 1,870.5 1,814.0 Employment in 17 labor market areas (thousands) -----------·----·--------··-···-·· 1,814.8 1,815.3 1,779.3 1,791.5 1,740.2 Manufacturing employment in 17 labor market areas (thousands) 371.4 373.0 373.5 376.5 324.9 
Total unemployment in 	17 labor market areas (thousands) __ ______ ____ __ __ ___ _ 75.0 71.6 63.5 78.6 72.4 Percent of labor force unemployed in 17 labor market areas.... ........ 4.0 3.8 3.4 4.2 4.0 
All figures are for Texas unless otherwise indicated. All Indexes are based on the averair;e months for 1947-49, except where indicated; all are adjusted 
tor seasonal variation, except annual index~. 
Employment eatimates have been adjusted to first-quarter 1966 benchmarks. 
• Preliminary. 
t Baaed on bank debits in 20 cltiee, adjusted for price leYel. 
i Index computed for February, May, Auir;ust, and November only. 
I Exclusive of loans to banks after deduction of valuation reserv... 

TEXAS BUSINESS REVIEW