Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-02
Reserve District Report

reserve Distrlct heV"Tt
Commenting on business conditions
in the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Dis
trict. the official document issued by the
Federal Reserve Bank for October, says
in part:
General conditions throughout The
district continue favorable. trade in most
lines surprising last years records The
expectation Is for an excellent fall busl-
ness, as the working classes are in re-
ceipt of good wages, and there is an
inclination on the part of the public TO
anticipate a further rise in the prices of
goods.
Manufacturers in all important lines
are operating to the fullest extent per-
mitted by the available supplies of mate
rails and labor.
Retailers report a steady demand for
all kinds Of staple commodities. but
they are experiencing increasing diff
Guilty in obtaining sufficient merchan-
disc to meet the requirements of their
customers. Retail distributors of wo-
mems wearing apparel are doing a large
business, the demand for higll-class
goods being greater than ever before.
"Wholesale dry goods houses report
the receipt OF large orders. but in some
instances. actual sales have been run
ming behind last year, owing to the
physical impossibility of getting out
orders, due to the deficiency in the sup
ply of labor. Collections are said to be
very geed, and the fall and winter out
look is excellent.
The transportation situation con-
tinues to show Improvement. Freight
car movements over the Pennsylvania
Railroad during August, at Lewistown
| Junction, amounted to 207 ,0Ss cars. COM
pared with 21o.575 in July (the second
flgure), and 1892 during August. 1917,
Eastbound bituminous coal increased
34.9 per cent. compared with August OF
last year; miscellaneous westbound fell
off so per cent"
Trade With Denma
The National City Bank of New Yorl
/ publishes a series of remarkable figure!
in connection with the new commerce.
agreement Of the United States will
Denmark and the movements of mer
chandise from the United States to tina
country prior to the beginning of tn,
war, up to the entry of this country int
the war and subsequently.
The figures embrace some siXty-fv
different commodities, chiefly foodstuff
and certain lines of manufactures Il
a giving the figures represent
ing the value of exports of domesti
merchandise from the United States I
Denmark since 1896 it is shown tina
such exports amounted to s1s,561, 900 /
1918 and $15,5s6, 900 in 1914. Then 70
1915 came a sudden increase to s74,
PSI 900. while 1916 and 1917 were $50,
600, 900 and s55, 900, 900. respectivel.
For 1915 to date the total is only 1870,
600.
The National City Bank explains thes
figures as follows:
'Denmark prior to the war, bough
about two-thirds OF her imports fror
Germany, Great Britain, Russia an
France, while after the war she wa
compelled to look TO the United State
for a very considerable proportion Q
that which she formerly bought froI
her nearby neighbors. With the fall-o'
of shipping facilities and the restriction
necessarily placed, after entering I'll
war. upon merchandise passing to couT
tries adjacent to the Central Powers, ou
exports to Denmark dropped from $50
OOo. 600 in the fiscal year 1917 to slight
less than 5000, 900 in the fiscal yea
1915. The banks figures show the total
OF these sudden fluctuations in the eS
ports to Denmark, especially OF the prir
cipal articles of trade"
When these figures were shown to
banker Yesterday his comment WAY ths
The fact that the National City Bank an
other large financial institutions al
taking such a deep interest in promo
inx a foreign trade among the merchant
OF this country was in itself of more In
portance tLan these figures would shot
and that II will be the fault of the me
chants and manufacturers OF this coui
try II they fail to grasp their possibil
ties for building up a foreign bushes
With such valuable educational faeipus
at their disposal.