The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-06
CONDITIONS GROW STEADILY BETTER Summary of Reports of
 Federal Reserve Districts GENERAL ACTIVITY
Sound and Permanent Prosperity Pre- dicted for This District-Trade Satisfactory In Richmond Dis
 trict-Chicago Normal

Washington January 5.-Continued | business improvement over the country generally is reflected in monthly reports l from the 12 federal reserve districts made public tonight by the federal reserve | board.
 1 General activity and expansion in all | lines was reported from the Atlanta dis ] trict and sound and permanent pros
 strong and wide advancement in some
 particular lines. Tennessee reports show
 a continued siuggishness in the tobacco
 market, attributed to scarcity of ships
 and high rates.
 1 Trade in almost all lines in the Rich
 mond district has been satisfactory in
 the past month with no retrogression
 from the advances of October and No- vember. A decided tendency has de- veloped to store some of the unsold cot ton crop because of softening prices, but that has not prevented liquidation of debts due for settlement.
 RENEWED VIGOR IN BOSTON Improvement in the Boston district has continued with renewed vigor," says the report from that district Business in general is better than it has been for a long time"
 Trade in the New York district was ra- ported as unusually active and still ex- banding with retail and department stores doing a large holiday business and wholesalers receiving heavy buying orders. Loans of banks in the New York clearing house increased s146, O41, ,OOO between November 1 and January l, de- posits increased SPA, ,234 0O0 and excess re- serves decreased $37,S55, 900.
 Philadelphia reported general business conditions in it's district still improving, with banks declaring the outlook most promising. Factories are running full time, pay rolls are large and in the iron take precisely the same course. He and steel industry the unusual demand has led to the repairing and putting into operation of iron furnaces that have been idle for years Railroads have given large orders for cars, locomotives and other supplies that were unlocked for a few months ago."
 Requirements of steel buyers in the Cleveland district were reported as great enough to insure that the entire years output would be taken care of. At present the only embarrassment is due to freight congestion in the east Coal operators and other employers of labor ere said to be concerned somewhat over the decrease in immigration. The lum- Der business was said to be almost nor nal again.
 Chicago reported general improvement in business and manufacturing, with manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers
 doing business at an "even more than normal basis" Holiday trade exceeded
 expectations, with high priced articles
 mo re in demand.
 GOOD IN ST. LOUIS Prospects throughout the St. Louis dis trict were declared to be good in every industry Business men were reported generally optimistic with wholesale in- terests in many lines showing gains. Railroads are employing more men, are showing increased earnings and are buy ing more freely than for sometime past. Final crop figures for the district were rot available when the report was made, but it was said the harvest had been abundant
 The outlook for 1916 in the Minneapolis district was reported as excellent with all lines of business optimistic. The lum- Der trade again is approaching normal. Kansas City reported that probe bly, at no time in the history of the district had wholesale trade been so active. There has been a general movement of wheat