The committee, like other observers, was early impressed by the degree of economic activity in these seven years. It was struck by the outpouring of energy which piled up skyscrapers in scores of cities; knit the 48 states together with 20,000 miles of airways; moved each year over railways & waterways more than one & a half billion tons of freight; thronged the highways with 25,000,000 motor cars; carried electricity to 17,000,000 homes; sent each year 3,750,000 children to high school& more than 1,000,000 young men & women to college; & fed, clothed, housed & amused the 120,000,000 persons who occupy our one-twentieth of the habitable area of the earth
This spread of higher living standards has been characteristic of our national life practically throughout our history
This spread of higher living standards has been characteristic of our national life practically throughout our history
Report of the Committee of the Presidents Conference on Unemployment 1929
In the current economic climate I suppose that should be taken as an AWFUL WARNING
But oh for such prose in present day Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee reports
Or imagine if Gordon Brown felt it necessary to include the number of people he had amused when he reels off a list of stats. Or included amusement in his public service objectives performance indicator targets
On second thoughts ....
