Show business conditions have improved rising con consumer incomes in urban areas since the late summer were reflected in a general exon 1 pan in retail in the qt ll fth district during november increases were evident in ill almost all lines for which data are available the most marked gain taking place in new automobile siles which J for several months have been increase ng considerably sider ably more than is customary at thas season expansion in pro dantion dac tion employment and payrolls in district industry which had been stimulated considerably by the wave of buying that followed 1 1 the outbreak of war in europe continued in noveal ter er gains were more widespread than in the pieced ng two months although the increases were s smaller on a percentage basis than in september and october residential fing which has fluctuated hp n aly with little net change since lata last winter sea seasonal seaonal onal influences fluen ces considered incensed in creased ceased sharply value of contracts sward award ed for nonresident al private construction st declined considerably from the unusually large total reported in october lumber product on decreased much less than is usual in november and on a seasonally adjusted basis was only 7 per cent under the peak attained in 1937 orders received by district mills continued to decline and at the month end unfilled orders had bad been reduced to the total held on june 30 activity in the local ar a r craft industry expanded further and local automobile assembly plants increased their operations in response to continued celivs I 1 demand for new model cars output of rubber tires and tubes likewise increased Z activity in the district steel and pulp and paper industries which hid had ex ecard ardd d considers ly in september and october was well maintained in november in the petroleum industry production of crude oil remained unchanged while refinery operations which had bad gained substantially from june throughout october declined somewhat more than seasonally factory employment in november remained close to the october level although a decline is customary at this season and the adjusted index advanced four points to per cent of the 1923 1925 average where it was only 8 per lower than the record month 37 factory payrolls also resisted aisted the customary seasonal decline particularly marked gains have taken place in california since september and on a seasonally adjusted bas s industrial payrolls in that state were higher in november than in any previous month the movement of district crops to market expanded seasonally in september and october and with prices somewhat higher than in the summer months month total farm cash income increased more than usual in october in that month it was more than 11 per cent higher than a year earlier preliminary estimates indicate that a smaller year period gain ga n in november than in october con of precipitation in the B tl during the fall months has lowered prospects for crop production next year grain crops have been sown in dry soil and all crops were badly in need of rain in mid december pastures and ranges deteriorated during the past month and shortage of range feed is acute in some areas at present rain or snow is also urgently needed to realen sh soak s ok o k water |