Page:Popular Science December 1931.djvu/7

 EVERYTHING'S ELECTRIFIED— READY FOR THE BOOM

( Continued from page 4)

You can be sure, Herb, that an investment made on such a basis will not be regretted in future years — and even right now it isn't hard to see that several attractive opportunities do exist at current price levels. Even if you don't buy at absolute lows, over a period of years your investment is sure to have proven profitable."

"OF COURSE," broke in Collins, "your whole argument is based on the stability of public utilities as an industry — and. on the contention that their output and revenues have received little or no setbacks during this depression. Now tell me. Bob — is that just an argument, or have you actually based it on figures?"

'"An argument?" Bob replied, smiling. "Why, Herb, I've a deskful of statistics right here to prove that the present set-back in this industry' — or. more particularly, in the electric light and power industry — is only of trifling proportions." Bob reached across his desk, picked up a sheet of paper and glanced at it. "According to The National Electric Light and Power Association," he said, "in 1930 the electric output for the country amounted to 74,906,092,000 kilowatt hours — or only less than the 1920 output of 75,294,467,000 kilowatt hours —and 13.3% ABOVE the total of 1928. which was 66.987.950,000 kilowatt hours. You see the significance of those figures, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Industrially, economically, and in every other way 1929 was so abnormal that you might discount it entirely when attempting to compare most anything by years. But still, 1930, by no means a good year, shows a startling increase over 1928, which was a better than average year!"

"Now I see your point. But what about this year?"

"This year the decline is a little more marked, but still of slight proportions. For the first seven months of 1931 the electric output w^as 42,157,900.000 kilowatt hours — or below 1930's first seven months figure of 43.902,055.000 kilowatt hours — and only 1.6% below the first seven months of 1929 when the output was 42,851.662,000 kilowatt hours.

"Now. if you want to analyze the situation further, here are figures that will do that also. Look at them:"

First Seven Months, 1931 (Kilowatt Honrs) Industrial Sales 35.291,654,000 Domestic Sales 6,866,246,000 Total Sales 42,157,900,000 ( Continued on page 6 )