Traffic over the first five of these routes amounts to over one-fifth of the United States total.

Few "Combinations" Used

There were 18,146 combinations of stations between which it was possible to travel in September 1940, but only 3,990 were used.

About 180 combinations accounted for 71.5 percent of the total number of passengers and 65.1 percent of the total passenger miles flown in September 1940. About 40 combinations (among those actually in use) accounted for 47.2 percent of the total number of passengers and 42.9 percent of the total passenger miles.

Air stations contacting 100 or more other stations were as follows in order of their importance: New York, 172; Washington, 149; Chicago, 143; Los Angeles, 140; Boston, 132; Philadelphia, 130; Detroit, 125; Cleveland, 8; Minneapolis, 114; Kansas City, 111; San Francisco, 10.

Chief Stations

While the first ten stations from standpoint of passengers were: New York, Chicago, Washington, Detroit, Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, from standpoint of passenger miles the following are the chief stations: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, Seattle, Cleveland, St. Louis.

A considerable number of cities below the leaders in number of passengers ranked relatively high in terms of passenger miles or use of air mileage owing to their remoteness from other large industrial centers. For instance, Seattle ranked fourteenth in number of passengers handled but eighth in the number of passenger miles.

Los Angeles ranked sixth in number of passenger miles. For the same reason the New York-San Francisco interstation combination while ranking twenty-ninth in the number of passengers carried was fifth or just after the New York-Boston flights in number of passenger miles produced.

The latter combination ranked first in

number of passengers. New York-Los Angeles flights although nineteenth in number of passengers ranked second or next to New YorkChicago in passenger miles.

Present large increase in air line traffic is foreshadowed by a comparison of the total passengers ticketed during September 1940, with those in November 1939, the month during which a similar survey was made.

Growing Business

Increase in total passengers ticketed during September 1940, over the first Air Line Traffic Survey, November 1939, was approximately 70 percent, from 124,630 in November 1939, to 212,530 in September 1940. After allowing for the fact that September traffic is ordinarily greater than November, it is stated that there was an apparent increase due to long-term growth and other factors of 38.7 percent in passengers carried and 36.3 percent in revenue passenger miles.

The traffic for individual stations varied widely between these two survey periods. Of the 177 stations operated in both months only 6 percent showed a decrease.

About 12 percent of the stations had an increase up to 30 percent, 19 percent an increase of 30 to 60 percent, 36 percent an increase of 60 to 100 percent, 16 percent an increase of 100 to 200 percent and almost 11 percent an increase greater than 200 percent.

**

We have been informed by the Superintendent of Documents that a few copies of "Monthly Income Payments in the United States, 19291940" are still available. Copies of this

basic study on purchasing power can be obtained at 10 cents each from the Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., or from the Field Offices of the Department of Commerce.

Georgia and Tennessee to Get More Petroleum

New supplies of gasoline and petroleum products, aggregating 30,000 barrels daily, are expected to be available to Georgia and Tennessee cities within sixty days as the result of the President's proclamation, finding the Southeastern Pipe Line necessary to national defense.

The line is to extend 485 miles, from Port St. Joe, Fla., to the Tennessee River, near Chattanooga. It is completed except for 28 miles in the State of Georgia. Use of the line will have the effect of delivering 1,260,– 000 gallons of gasoline or other products daily.

Women at Work

In the first quarter of this year women constituted well over a tenth of the workers placed by the public employment services in a selected group of 26 defense industries, according to recent reports from the Federal Bureau of Employment Security.

Nearly a third of these placements were in jobs in iron and steel and machinery plants, and a proportion only slightly smaller were in electrical machinery establishments, which always have been large employers of women.

Cities Suffering from Priorities to Be Surveyed

An intensive drive to forestall threatened unemployment due to materials priorities got under way recently with the announcement by the Federal Security Administrator that Labor Supply Officers of the Bureau of Employment Security will begin immediate surveys in five cities to determine the possibility of transferring to defense production, personnel and plant facilities which will be affected.

Meadville (Pa.), Evansville (Ind.), Mansfield (Ohio), Quincy (Ill.), and Newton (Iowa), will be the first cities to be surveyed. The program will be expanded rapidly to other areas which may be affected.

These cities now being surveyed have one or more of the following consumer industries affected by materials priorities: Automobiles, zippers, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, and other household appliances.

2,300 Food Processing Units Sought

The food preparation program which is being conducted by the REA, in cooperation with other Federal agencies and with local agencies, would set up food processing units in 2,300 counties of 46 States.

The REA Administrator recently announced that the remaining regional conferences are scheduled from September 22 to October 9, for Nashville, Tenn.; Mankato, Minn.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Atlanta, Ga; Dubuque, Iowa; Joplin, Mo.; and Washington, D. C.

It is estimated that a total of 2,100 nutrition specialists, school superintendents, and local REA system managers and directors, representing 24 States, will gather at these conferences.

Headache Remedy for Retailers

A long step toward removing one of retailing's worst headaches by simplifying the sizes of childrens' garments and making it possible for parents to secure better fitting garments, has been taken with completion of the new American Standard "Body Sizes for Boy's Garments" recently announced by the American Standards Association.

The new system of sizing set up as a standard for boys' garments has come about as the result of three years of work by a subcommittee of that association.

Less Chlorine in Army's Washing Machines

Army laundries have been ordered to reduce by half the amount of chlorine bleach used per hundred pounds of clothing. Formerly two quarts of one percent chlorine bleach were used.

Experiments have shown that the one-quart dilution will accomplish the desired germicidal action and give clothes the desired degree of whiteness. The chlorine thus conserved can be used for more vital defense supplies.

More Manganese from Domestic Sources

Reports reaching the Secretary of the Interior indicate the possibility of greatly increased production of manganese from domestic sources.

The first unit of the comprehensive group of pilot plants built by the Bureau of Mines at Boulder City, Nev., under a defense appropriation has started operations. A test run just concluded has demonstrated definitely the applicability of a process developed in the Bureau laboratories for supplying a portion of the defense requirements of manganese from domestic sources.

Manganese is one of the most vital strategic metals since about 12 pounds are needed for the production of every short ton of steel, and because substitution would be difficult. The United States produces only about 3 percent of its total needs of this ore, the remainder coming from abroad.

office in New Orleans, La., to assist foreign traders in dealing with problems associated with the licensing of exports in accordance with the economic defense program. Other offices, each headed by an Assistant Administrator, are located at New York, N. Y., and San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Calif. In addition, the control of exports is now exercised by a cooperating unit in the Philippine Islands under the the Philippine High Commissioner.

Technical Assistance for England

American technicians for service with the British Civilian Technical Corps are to be recruited through the United States Employment Service and its 1,500 affiliated State employment offices in a nation-wide drive, according to a recent announcement of the Federal Security Administrator.

The Civilian Technical Corps is a nonmilitary group of skilled craftsmen organized to maintain and repair radio location apparatus, communications systems, and other vital technical equipment used by the naval, military, and air forces of England.

Jack Changes Tire in Jiffy

An effective device made of readily available odds and ends has been developed at the Army's Holabird Quartermaster Depot near Baltimore, making it possible to change automobile tires in a jiffy.

The device consists of a piece of chain, four wood blocks, a couple of metal rods, two hooks, a spare piece of scrap iron and an ordinary jack.

Flat tires are placed on the wooden blocks. The trick is done by cranking up the jack so that the chain pulls the rim up from the bottom while the metal bars, pressing on the four blocks, push the casing down off the rim. The rim springs free. The casing can be pushed off by turning the tire over and repeating the process.

Price differentials are established for all grades and classifications of domestic hides in an extensive amendment to Price Schedule No. 9, Hides, Kids, and Calfskins. The differentials are graded downward from a top price of 15 cents.

The present amendment continues the average level of prices which has ruled in recent months in the absence of differentials but establishes a spread above and below the former ceiling for different qualities of hides. The amendment does not justify any change in the price of leather or leather products.

Pig Tin

An amendment classifying as "Grade B," pig tin which assays 99.80 percent pure, but contains impurities exceeding the tolerances permitted for Grade A tin, will be made to Price Schedule No. 17.

Until this amendment is issued, members of the trade are requested by OPA not to exceed the Grade B price for the type in question. The ceiling price for Grade A tin is 52 cents a pound, while Grade B sells at a discount of three-eighths of a cent.

Ethyl Alcohol

Maximum prices approximating the levels that have generally prevailed during the third quarter of the current year are imposed on 12 leading classifications of ethyl alcohol, an indispensible raw material to the defense program and civilian industry.

A top price of 24 cents a gallon "at

works" is set for "Specially Denatured 2B," the basic formula among the 12 classifications covered, in tank car lots in eastern territory. Differentials are established for the 11 other formulae.

Rayon

The Silk Substitution Section, Office of Production Management, has announced plans for release of the pool of rayon yarn which has been built up to relieve "undue hardship" cases among manufacturers whose operations have been affected by the silk-freezing order.

This pool has been accumulating since August 4, shortly after the silk-freezing program went into effect. At that time, rayon manufacturers were instructed to set aside 10 percent of their production for former silk users. A portion of that 10 percent, amounting to one and one-half percent of total yarn production, was segregated to build up the pool for "undue hardship" cases.

Stock Pile of Coal

To lighten transportation demands for coal shipments during the fall and winter peak period, the nation's railroads have built a stock pile of coal which on September 1 had reached 8,066,000 tons.

Approximately 5 million tons of coal have been added to the stock pile since the beginning of May, when the total was 2,538,000 tons.

On September 1 last year, the coal stock pile was 5,654,000 tons 2,412,000 tons less than this year.