The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-06-24
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
CONTINUES, BRIGHT
conditions Gradually Adjusting T1beEn-
selves to New order %
Thfngs s.rff-ss

selves to New order .of
Things. trtt-ss
quite early IN the week. lust past
NE evidences were unnatstakabIe that
me great government loan would b
successfully negotiated. and, this Of IT.
ser contributed to the feeling Of con-
hnenoe among business men which -
continually becoming more marked.
AT the same time, the efforts which
We're made in practically every nnO
or activity to make the loan . success
Withdrew fnr the time being an ap--
preclanie amount OF energy from many
business undertakings. But the demon-
strauon, that there was more than
enough money available for the big
loan at time of as great Industrial
ACTIVITY as at present, was felt TO be
more than a compensation. In certain
Oh me primary markets there Is :
seasonahle dizziness Just now which
promises 10 continue until after. In-s
dependence day. Meanwhile the pro- 4
cess or adjusting business to the new
conditions continues, the big mills OF
one kind or another keeping busy on
government orders that viii take up
any slack which would otherwise com0
IN during the period of uncertainty. !
REPORTS on retail buying are quite Ia
vorahle and crop conditions are i'm.
proving. In the metals and textiles
the prices Indicate what IL called -
runaway market. but the high levels
do not seem TO be checking demand.
No fear is expressed that all the pro-
ducts that Will be turned out viii
find a profltabl sale
Some curious results are found on
an examination OF the statistics Of
| foodstuffs exports. The average per-
son. reading about the need abroad
! or wheat and Of the supposed short.
age here because of shipments overs
seas. is apt 10 think that exports Of
the article have been excessive But
this the most recent figures do nots
show. For the ten months ended
with April the exports OF wheat wera
10 los bushels az compared with
/ 1878, o2o bushels In the correspond.
ing period last year, a drop of 80.
f2as15 bushels, or about 20 per cent.
Nor was the difference made up in
shipments OF wheat flour, which.
showed decline for the period Of
s.1s5.s7s barrels. the equivalent OF
Is per cent In, cor1t exports there
was notable advances. the shipments
for the period this year having been
5s,ls2,aso bushels. as against 2s.oss.-
ss1 last year, an increase Of moro
than double Almost the exact re-
verse was the case AZ to barley tho
exports FOR the ten months this year
having been only 13.4944ns bushels.
as against 23.ssS.2a1 last year. Corn
meal and rye exports were about the
So me and those Of oats showed a
slight drop. while oatmeal shipments
went up TO 643s1 PSF pounds as conn
pared with 47.I410s7 last year Tho
indications would make It appear az
though ~our foreign customers were.
shifting their taste IN cereahL As to
other foods there were dedfeases In
exports Of fresh beef. pork ana hanass
and shoulders and increases In those
Of canned and plot'ed beef. bacont
lard. butter and cheese.
Buying Their Clothes Ahead.
A fear OF scarcity Of some needed
article Is apt to lead to oserbuying
in advance by those able to Do 70. OF 1
this there have been many Anstances
IN this and other countries not ex-
cludipg those Of the central powers
where everything WAS supposed ID
he under strict government control.
This kind Of conduct cxagg(r1tes the
evil by causing withdrawn Of e. I
stltials ahead Of time fronQ tho uso
of the great public. Illust{A ATOMS Of
this were had In this country not %
hurriedly 10 buy -four, cAnnSd eoodax.
and the like in quantities f9e beyond:
their immediate needs. IN Crest
Britain recently attention Has been
called TO the fact that many persons
were acting In similar manner re-..
garding clothing. Instead of havfne
a single suit or overcoat made 1t =
time. they ordered three o. four o.
each, and they were ratheF encour4s
L. Nj - A IN
whose customers they w&e. ThfI
tended to produce a shortAgdpf clotis1,
in the market, in turn. led to loudx
for the importatton Of morG
wool from which to mako thu fabrics. /
Shipping used for bringing IN the
wool was diverted from Carrying food~f
stuffs which were moro needea, wheak
this was apparent, campaign o.
publicity was begun to expose the nom.
patriotic tailors and their custonaern,9
ana now there is talk OF dress con-s
troller, with powers similar 70 those of
the food controller.
As to Japanese Cumpet1taon.
One OF the amateur statisticianas
anxious to give a new thrill to the
high tariff people who shudder every
time they read of an tmportation. +
might find exercise for his talents II !,
considering the imports OF bacon ana
hams from Japan to this couatry. The
figures show, for ex-
ample, that only 80 worth OF the sue
,ulent articles came in durtng 1915.
while in the fiscal year following they
amounted to S734. This Representa-
an increase OF no less than d, 600 per
cent or so. Surely this ID oom hing
20 worry about. although a. vet the
great pork packers Of the country
nave not used the incident 10 urxe =
1igh tariff on pigs and their products.
We're they to do so. they wolald show
rs much lack of sense OF kunnor -
ioes the animated phonoxranh az TIC
Republican Publicity association N =
.ecent announcements Of q peraie
rom Japanese trade. II isk1aid for
Instance. that we have bee1s I heavy
of japanese toyp ID otheSs
heap articles aimee the WI startaAs
iue to the eliminates az al. many ~
! trade competitor. ana inSbOrts 81