Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06
BY N. A. ROSE.

Business in the south is satisfac-
tory.
Money s tight
Collections are fair
Caution is to be seen on all sides.
Not fear, be it understood, but eau
ton Economy Is being preached and
practiced
Undoubtedly the volume Of bust
ness in any line would jump 10 much
more imposing figures. if permitted.
But II IL not permitted Wholesalers
are seeing to il that the retailer does
not get too ambitious. Retailers in
turn. are watching individual ac-
counts. old customers are being
taken care of as usual. Newcomers
are scTutiHizcd rather carefully.
Money is tight in the South, not
because of any local conditions but
because Of world wide developments.
The man who used To think the cable
news Of no concern To him has been
awakened with rude jolt, for the
remote Balkans and faT-Off Germany
have, between them, made money
hard Ia borrow
Southern banks are taking care Of
their regular depositors. The man
who keeps a good balance in the bank
iu good times and ia bad is faTing
much better than his neighbor who
has no use for a bank i'm good times.
old customers are getting, for the
most part the old rate. but are like
ly 10 be asked for what purpose
the funds are required. Less familiar
faces are paying fancy prices, If &C
a.. a.. hot
have to explain the details of
their business 10 the cashier, and
then put up good collateral There
h. enough money TO carry on busi-
ness, but there is none to spare to
start ventures.
Country bankers are drawing on
city correspondents, but they are be
ing urged to take no more than they
need ana to impress the same policy
on their customers
The result OF all this. il is believed
by the best informed finanCiers, will
bee real prosperity when the new crop
and bankers alike want 10 be ready
To profit to the fun from it, and not
Doe burdcncd by heavy obligations.
Collections are being helped by this
careful selection Of accounts. II ev-
cry account is gilt-edged, it follows
that collections will be satisfactory.
The Cotton Outlook.
Spot cotton Is i'm "a deadlock. Liv-
eTpOOl spinncrs and domestic spin
ncrs are standing pat So IS the hold
or Of the 1912 crop. Very little spot
cotton is being moved. Dealers in
March options who We're selling that
months contracts under the price Of
the actual stun found out Just how
little is doing i'm the spot market
when the bulls trimmed them glO-
riously at the close Of the month.
This history may be repeated In May
and July, many experts think.
All eyes. then, are turned on the
new crop. II IL promises well, spots
may have to move at something like
present prices If there is a serious
crop scare spinner5 may begin buy
ing 1912 cotton for 1924 spinning,
and prices may advance.
And IL is too early to tell much
about the new crop Good reports
from Alabama and higher sections of
Mississippi and Louisiana are offset
To some extent 10y reports Of too
heavy rains Ia Texas. and fear of
another flood in the Mississippi Val
ley. Georgia and the Atlantic states
have been delayed somewhat, but are
enjoying open weather now, and
few days more of Il will help might
lily.
Agricultural Prospects Good.
Agricultural prospects in the South
for the most part are excellent. A
slight increase i'm cotton acreage rs
looked for. and tine sales Of fertilizer
are reported equal to 1911, the BAN
ncr crop year.
Rains have done considerable DAM
age. Early work Ia the cotton fields
Don some sections Is reported to have
been counterdcted by the downpOurs
which have r-packcd the soil and de-
uyed matters. In Alabama, Georgia,
Mississippi and the Carolinas the sit
uatiou seems not SO serious in this
respect as In Texas, Farm work IN
the Atlantic states. however, is some-
what backward. 4 little more good
weather such as has prevailed for
the past week. viii work wonders.
The winter oat crop viii be I'M
usually heavy. every one agrees. A
short cotton crop. together with the
high price Of feedstumS. last yea-
made the farmers. particularly IN
Georgia. plant heavily IN oats, The
mild winter has favored the crop, and
it is very likely that less feed Will
be bought this year than ever In the
past The cat crop Is said 10 exec ed
considerably the old acre O-th a-
mule" standard.
Implement Trade Reviews.
Farm implement dealers are pleased
with the trade they have been get
ting The sales Of farm machinery in
the South are reported as remarkab BILE,
despite the fact that sales last fall
were checked and stocks OF cross
roads stores carried over.
Scarcity of labor is the explanation
advanced.
If they can't get the labor, they
must have the labor-saving maChiu-
cry which makes fewer field HANDS