Journal Article Measuring Business Cycles Get access Edwin B. Wilson Edwin B. Wilson Office of Naval Research, Boston Branch Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Volume 64, Issue 2, May 1950, Pages 311–318, https://doi.org/10.2307/1882698 Published: 01 May 1950

Abstract The accepted principles of cost accounting may be applied to the transportation of property by motor trucks in such manner that the cost of hauling each class will be determined. At the present time motor freight carriers, both common and contract, are required by governmental regulatory commissions to maintain uniform systems of accounts and to submit annual reports. While these accounts are very detailed with minute divisions and subdivisions of both revenue and expense, they do not reveal the cost of transporting property, because there is no method of apportioning or allocating the expenses to the particular service being rendered. The statement of profit and loss by classes is only tentative, because there are many other relevant factors to be considered. The percentages of load will vary. Also, the percentages of expenses to be assigned to the various classes will change. However, when a sufficient number of actual studies have been made to supply factual data, standard percentages can be determined. When these standard percentages are applied to expenses, the cost of transporting merchandise over a line haul can be established.

Abstract Reviews the book "Audit Working Papers," by C. Oliver Wellington.

J OOD prices in Moscow state stores in 1, 1larch I950 were approximately 2.25 to 2.5 times higher than those prevailing in January I936, according to various price indices coimputed below. These indices indicate that the March I950 food prices were, however, about 30 per cent lower than those established in connection with the currency reform and the abolition of rationing in December I947. The construction of consumers' price indices for the Sovi.et Union is subject to a large margin of error because of (i) the paucity of price and consumers' expenditure data and (2) the country's multiple price system. Each of these complications is discussed briefly. The available price data are then tabulated, and, finally, the methods and results of the index number computations are presented.