Question

as secretary of commerce, herbert hoover seized on the cooperation between industry and science that had emerged during world war i and boldly extended it further into the realm of commerce. among secretary hoovers most significant initiatives was standardization and simplification of industrial parts and procedures. the formulation of standard weights for loaves of bread, standard sizes for cans, and uniform rating of canned goods for quality, as well as standardization of packaging units... greatly facilitated distribution, retailing, and accounting.
herbert hoover, economic mastermind, library of congress,
www.lcweb2.loc.gov (accessed march 18, 2014)
how did the introduction of these new practices most benefit u.s. business?
by increasing production efficiency
by preventing shortages of goods
by increasing protective tariffs
by decreasing exports

Explanation:

The text mentions "standardization and simplification of industrial parts and procedures", "standard sizes for cans", "uniform rating of canned goods", etc. These actions are related to making production more efficient. Standardization helps in reducing waste, making processes more streamlined, and allowing for better resource utilization. For example, having standard - sized cans simplifies the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution processes. Similarly, standardizing industrial parts means that they can be used interchangeably, reducing the need for custom - made parts and speeding up production.

Answer:

By increasing production efficiency