Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-03
NO SLACkE:NIkG IN BUSINESS IN
 THIS DISTRICT
Federal Reserve System Dse- port Shows Trade Activ-
 ity Continues.

St. Louis. Feb. 2.-There was no slackening in business following the holiday season this year, as is usu ally the case, according to the ra port on trade conditions in federal reserve district No g, compiled by Wm. c. Martin, chairman Of the board of the Federal Reserve bank of St. Louis. from statements received from banks turnout the district.
 MT. Martins statement says:
 ct iG the general rue that after tho holiday buying, business pauses for a. rest. But this year, tho dullness following the Christmas season hds not been pronounced. This, too. Fl spite of the fact that. as stated in my last report, this district did record breaking holiday business.
 Prices on the whole are still in- creasing, but seem at last to have reached 8 point where buyers arc thinking carefully over their pur- hases. In the latter part of last year. the public desired !he best and seemed not to htink Of price. There are now indications of the effect that while the public is still satisfying it's desires without much hesitation, ct the same time, before buying. it con siders whether cheapar articles will not serve the same purpose as tue more expensive one
 Ut is reported that retailers are not hesltatirg to buy to care for their estimated ordinary demands, but they are being conservative as to this esti- mate, and, as rule, not buying more than this. 1t would seem that speculative buying has practically eliminated from. this district.
 "A number of our large manufac- turers and wholesalers are not urS- ing customers to buy goods, but are rather discouraging the buying of any more goods than the customer is cer- tain of selling. One large manufac- turer explained that his concern did not want to have it's customers loaded Up with its product at the prevailing high prices, with the possibility oY their having to suffer loss lat,r on. Some houses are not selling fo,' delivery at 9 later date than May. Buyers Not Reckless. "ln several instances, it is reported that merchants are buying we'll ahead 1 of their actual needs and are being allowed to do so, but this does not seem to be the general rule in this district. The general attitude seems to be a conservative one on the par, Of both the seller ard the buyer, and the general public, while buying free ny. IS not reckless, but is beginning to think of price before buying. throughout all sections of this ] district, reports just received indi- cate that the last quarter of 1916 was q record breaking one. Those report ing uniformly say that agricultural and other conditions arc good, ar1 that the present prospect is that there will be a good business throushout all this year, though as large a busi- ness as was done during 1916 does not seem to be anticipated.
 According to the report of the St Louis National Stock yards. during December there was ] considcrab;,
 increase in the receipts and ship, ments of livestock ovcr the cores bonding month of 1915. with the cx- ception of sheep, for which the mar
 ket has been quiet.
 | Building Slackens.
 "Building operations in this dis trict have not been so active durins
 the past thirty days, and report:
 would indicate that the activity <
 even somewhat less than it Was thi! 4 time a year ago.
 There have been substantial in
 creases in the amounts of postal re ceipts for December, 1916. over tn, | corresponding month of previous
 year, in all the principal cities l.
 this district.