Abstract
IN the United States decennial census of population for 1930, there was included, for the first time in any country, a special census of distributive enterprises and activities. In order to bring this important innovation to the attention of business men, traders and others, a report has been prepared for the International Distribution Commission by the International Management Institute (2, Boulevard du Theatre, Geneva, pp. 72 2 Swiss francs). This report points out that the American experiment in the statistical study of a hitherto neglected aspect of economic activity is likely to prove extremely valuable to other countries. The distribution census provides a complete guide to the position in the United States in 1930 with regard to distributive enterprises throughout the country, including particulars of their size, turnover, expenditure, number of employees, type of organisation and similar facts. The census of distribution is complementary to a census of production since it is an attempt to establish the exact statistical facts as to the various enterprises engaged in distributive as opposed to productive activities. The material provided should be of particular value to small retailers since they will obtain facts and information which larger concerns have in the past gathered for themselves at considerable expense. The census provides a unique contribution towards the study of an important aspect of economic organisation. Greater distributive efficiency would increase the power of the market to absorb goods and services, whereas at present, production is limited to the capacity of ill-organised markets.
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Distributive Enterprises in the United States. Nature 132, 438 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/132438a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/132438a0