Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-13
TRADE BETTERS
WITH PROGRESS
OF FARM WORK
Merchant "Loosens Up" When
He Sees Crop Really Is in
the Fields.
BY M. A. ROSE,

lines has shown a disposition to
'chirk up bit"
Money is reported somewhat cas-
Ter. This. however, is little felt in the
South. 1t takes some time for any
change in New York to filter through
to this section, and the easing ten
dency in New York itself is not great.
An interesting development is the
revival of inquiries in the local
stocks and bonds market Sales are
small and far between, but the mails
| bring inquiries, which is something
the postman has not done for two OF
three months past.
| In the country, good weather has
| prevailed and farm work is pro-
crossing. The crop is getting into
| the ground, and the merchants nat
| urally are inclined to give the far
mer more rein when it is known
that he really has made a start
Acreage perhaps shows a slight in
crease, so far as cotton is concerned,
and great increase in corn acreage
is forecast. Careful culture seems to
| be the rule, and in some sections,
Alabama for instance, sales of ferti-
| lizers are greater than last year.
BANKS RECKON STRENGTH.
Call of the Comptroller brought
out the statements Of the national
banks during the week. reporting
their condition at the close of BUSH
ness April 4.
Atlanta banks, and ii is safe to
| assume this is true of all the leading
cities of the South, showed a salts
factory increase in deposits-some-
thing near a half million since Feb
ruary 1. 1t developed, too. that an
even S2,000,000 in obligations had
moi Ixr oils 81 10,
since February T. The item, bills
payable" came near being a cipher
Loans showed a small decrease. II
was said that some big enterprises
were being accommodated Temporal
rily when the February statement
was made. The obligations have
matured and have been met since,
which accounts for the shrinkage in
loans and discounts.
TARIFF ALMOST IGNORED.
Publication of the provisions OF
the proposed tariff bill has rceated
very little stir in the South. All the
changes seem to be regarded with
equanimity. Effect of much of the
program has been discounted, il
seems. and besides there is some
skepticism as to the congressional
leaders ability to put through the
bill as drawn.
Flood scares kept up cotton prices
until late in the week. when the
traders apparently made up their
minds that they had been unduly
alarmed, and heavy selling by spot
firms, which had led the advance,
caused a decline.
All this refers, of course, to fu-
lures contracts. So far as the ac-
tual product Of the farm is con-
cerned, the situation remains about
as il has for two months dead
locked. To be sure there are fitful
rumors that Liverpool is buying or
about to buy. The fact remains that
very little cotton is moving. Those
who elected to hold it have seen no
inducements sufficient to make them
change their minds. Carrying
charge -waTehousing, insurance, in
terest-amOunt to something by
now. Still they hold, having faith in
better prices to come.
FURRY IN FEEDSTUFFS.
Something of a furry in corn and
oats has been an interesting fea-
ture of the week. Prices have ad-
vanced five cents a bushel. This is
due to flood conditions. There is al
most a famine I'm strictly No. / tim
othy hay, and prices have advanced
about SO per ton to the jobber.
Millers report a poor flour busi-
ness. In the South, they are run
ming at half time, and find il hard to
dispose of their curtailed output.
Continued progress in farm work
will ease this situation. Supply mer-
chants arc not pushing sales until
they know what kind of showing the
farmers are going to make.
mo. , Red" the wheat which
makes the -four the South lives on,
is increasing its premium over hard
wheats. 1t is said the supply OF
the winter wheat will be exhausted
before the new crop comes in. The
new crop, however, promises a huge
yield.
Dry goods men are the most seri-
ously concerned over the tariff. be-
cause of the threatened deep slash
in the duty on wool They saw what
was coming long ago, however. and
took protective measures. That is.
wholesalers have reduced their
stocks to the lowest possible limit \
One representative firm has worked
down to one-siXth the stock of
woolens it had before the November
election.
QUOTE TWO PRICES.
Statesmen from the wooden mills
were in Atlanta this week Offering
goods on a double basis" quoting
one price under the present tariff, /
and another if the free wool promise
Is enacted INTO law ms is SIT
uatiOn which is believed to be entire
ly novel
Business holds up well for the dry
goods men. There is almost no fall
buying as yet but the Fill in" bus
mess is more than expected. Like !
all other lines, the dry goods men |
want good weather. A week or so
Of good hot days would start sum |
mer goods moving.
Wholesale grOcers say sales and |
collections both are better. Canned |
goods are moving slowly. except for /
few Of the staples. such as toma- |
toes and pork and beans. Canned 1
corn il especially slow. Coffee con
tinues TO ease off "A little Rice is /
displaying a tC-dency to climb. |
Dried fruits are selling a little bet |
ter They are cheap and are being /
pushed
PEACHES TO BE HIGH. !
pessimistiC news concerning the /
severe damage TO the peach crop Of 4
Georgia. Texas and Arkansas is nit |
igated considerably by the belief ex- 1
pressed through a leading authority (