districts, and over half of them were in the size group 10-49 millions 
of assets. 
The remaining 1479 cases were sorted into ratio-groups with four 
per cent intervals, as, 04-07.9, 08-11.9, 12-15.9, etc. This sort of analysis 
permits the determination of the point of concentration, i. e., the group 
with the most cases, as well as the distribution or “spread” of the other 
cases about this highest frequency group. These data are graphically 
illustrated in Chart la; the details are presented in Tables Ia in the 
Appendix. 
The first thing in the chart which strikes the eye is its general 
outline. It rises rather abruptly in the second ratio-group, continues 
+ at a fairly uniform high level through five groups and then drops off 
rapidly, but regularly to very short bars at the extreme right. 
Obviously a very large proportion of the total number of cases lies 
within relatively narrow limits. There are five groups which stand out 
above all the rest between ratios of .04 and .24. Some few cases showed 
less than four cents of revenue per dollar of assets and a few more 
showed more than twenty-four cents per dollar, but the greatest bulk 
of the cases (78.3 per cent) fell between these limits. Reducing the 
spread to the three largest groups, (the longest single bar in the chart 
and the next one on each side) shows 50.5 per cent of the cases concen- 
trated between .08 and .20. This indicates that slightly over half of the 
cases lie within the narrow range of 12 per cent. The group of highest 
frequency is 12-15. Here is found almost 20 per cent (19.5) of the total. 
The average used in this study (calculated mode) always falls in the 
most popular group and in this instance is 14. As far as it is possible 
for a single figure to be typical of many ratios in a large group this 
ratio of $.14 of revenue per $1 of assets may be said to be typical, or 
average, for these 1479 cases. 
THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 
The distributions of the ratios are compared for several geographical 
districts? in Table Ib. 
The characteristic distribution of the cases in each district is easily 
seen in Chart 1b. The total number of cases (1479) falls into districts 
as follows: 
East Middle West West South 
Number of cases.... 701 399 231 148 
*See University of Illinois, Bureau of Business Research, Bulletin No. 9 for list of 
states included in each district. 
E72]