Capital appropriations jumped 32% last year.

The nation’s 1,000 largest manufacturers boosted their capital appropriations in 1984 to $116 billion, despite heavy cutbacks in the petroleum industry, the Conference Board said. Capital appropriations in the fourth quarter rose 5% from the previous quarter to $29 billion, the business-sponsored research organization said. Excluding the petroleum industry cutbacks, fourth-quarter appropriations rose 17% from the third quarter, it said. Capital appropriations--authorizations for future spending on new plants and equipment--are considered an indication of future rates of capital spending.