The sun., 1918-12-14
Wholesale TRADE
AWAITS NEW PRICES
sill Making Purchases Only
FOR Requirements Of Near
Future.
RETAIL BUSINESS BRISK
industries Being Steadily
Freed From Arbitrary
Restraints.

Uncertainty regarding price levels 10
.,,-tlur a retardlng influence on buying
=. rholesalers. who are casting about
a, more definite Information concerning
Ina according to Brodstreetss- Weekly
-.,S, Repiev. Jobbers too are holding
NIX. pre,crring to buy for the present
.,,v according to their. immediate needs,
vhns retailers in certain parts OF the
,oun,ry have been hit by the recurrence
,,tnnuenza On the other hand. the mall
o;ssr houses are receiving orders in rec
o,A numbers. The labor situation APP
,..-s 10 be normal. according to this
authority, despite the release OF workers
,ro-, war Industries. The outlook for
,ha spring trade r. excellent owing TO
,Sa greatness OF tho countrys staple
croos, which Is greater than ever before.
Rradstreets sums UP the situation as
follows: ..-,--.
,r,nr 10 offset the effects OF cancella-
lions inventorying. and casting about
sor light as 70 the future course OF prices
HbIe expressing hopeful sentiments re-
earding potentials. are the principal oc-
euoations OF wholesalers and jobbers ut
nresent Meanwhile retail distribution.
chiefly because OF holiday buying, occu-
mics the centre OF the stage, but even In
his respect the movement, while reia-
pv,Iy brisk, 10 Irregular, some sections
Indicating that transactions are below
normal, and standard lines, other than
foods, have been adversely affected either
Sy warm weather or the fresh outbreak
OF influenza.
"Jobb.ng trade IL OF the small lot and
flllng-ln type, while wholesalers. busily
engaged as they are with stock taking.
have not as yet felt the impulse OF new
buying for distant delivery. and sales
men selling widely used commodities
are in or are coming homo for the
holidays.
Mail Orders Heavy.
Mail order trade. presumably be-
cause Influenza discourages residents Of
rural districts from visiting the larger
centres, heavily exceeds that of this
time last year. AS bearing on the pos
sbility OF good trade the coming spring,
II might be noted that the estimated
value OF the countrys staple crops is
given as $500, 900. or 8 per cent.
greater than ever before.
EihUS N . bcluk ny lChu-
ing lines to go vigorously after business
in the new year. but II is conceded that
the campaign will have to overcome the
waiting attitude Of smaller dealers,
most OF whom are strongly welded TO
the belief that prices will work down
ward. II 10 also conceded that neither
the weather. the absence of young men
In militant life nor propaganda for
thrift has been conducive to the work.
ing of Of stocks of anything save food
stufIs, especially groceries. demand for
which continues especially active.
Best reports as to distribution come
from the Northwest. trading in that zone
being sIngularly rree from the uncer-
taintes that beset every other part Of
the country. In industrial lines re-
adjustments Of war contracts. branching
out for peace time trade. and the alb
sorpuon @: labor that has been liberated
from war work, proceeds apace. Labor
!s res.!ve, fearing the effects of read
justments, and supplies. especially Of
less efficient help. are better. but as yet
congestion is not In evidence. and the
Government Is endeavor!ng to place men
before freeing them from camps"
Private Projects Under way.
~HS Country UdnSltlOn from a war
70 a peace basis Is going on steadily
ara with II gradual return TO normal
business conditions, which are, how
ever, not yet entirely at hand, Ia noted
ny DuRS Rertetc, which says:
Not without some ACCOMPANYING In
convenience. but with little actual I'M
settement, the country has passed
through the first month OF transition to
peace basis with many OF the neces-
sary changes already effected. While
the process OF readjustment, involving
general Transformation OF production
and labor and prizes. is yet far from
completed, more natural situation Is
steadily returning with the iessenlng or
eNmnation OF various restrictions which
have prevented the development Of regl,-
lar commerce.
The ending, with the present year,
o. o'cia supervision OF the steel trade,
except as TO embargoes, is a further i'm
potant step in the direction Of restoring
eonditions 10 pre~Tar footing. and
Nad'ng industries are each week becom-
u'g freer from arbitrary restraints and
reg'llnt5nH
Win Government work not now
mohopoliztng supplies OF raw materials
Nuu OF labor in about every quarter.
s''ie private projects which have been
."ng deferred are being started, and
a'g'e Is also evidence of increased buy
w 70 replen!sh depleted stocks OF mer-