The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-13
NO SHUTDOWNS FOR
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
Leading Manufactures Crowd.
cd With Orders. Says
"Dun's" Review.
WAR DEMANDS INCREASE
"Bradstreet's" Reports Heavy
Buying in Essential
Glasses of Goods.
WAR DEMANDS INCREASE

There will be no summer shutdorns
this year on account of lack of orders.
according TO the trade reviews. which
add that the only restraints on capacity
output this summer will be temporary
stoppage for repairs and probable high
temperatures. A remarkable demand
for this stage Of the year both from
Government and private sources is re.
ported. Dun's Ropic,D says In part:
with pressure OF war demands in
creasing rather than lessenng. there Ia
little OF the customary seasonal hating
in leading industries, and weather con-
Aitions, while necessitating downward
revlsions Of crop estimates. nave aided
intensive productive efforts in the great
Eastern manufacturing centres. Tina,
summer shutdowns through lack OF or.
ders will be virtually absent this year
the varied and extensive Government
requirements plainly indicate. and holi-
day observances have been suspended
at some establishments SO az not 10
check the flow OF materials into chan
nels where they are urgently wanted
Yet the straining for capacity outputs
has forced stoppages for repairs In lot
few instances, End high Temperatures
must obviously he reckonod with as
factor in imposing restraint on future
operations.
Labor situation n Problem.
The labor situation. moreover. pre-
sents problems that are not easy of solu-
ton, and not only are large numbers ~
men being steadily withdrawn from civil
occupations, but activities at some plants
have been temporarily Interrupted hy
differences between employers and work.
ers. While the further wage increases
by which these controversies have been
invariably adjusted have augmented the
purchasing power of many people. the
resultant enhancement of producing costs
has tended to narrow the margin Of
profit on articles that cannot he so,i
above the maximums fixed by the Gov
eminent, or to raise the prices If soma
commodities that have not yet been o.
f1cially regulated.
That the upward swing OF the mar
kets has not been definitely arrested is
demonstrated by DtCr's list OF wholesale
quotations. which this week discloses
thirty-nine advances and sixteen recess
sions. and in considering the accepted
barometer3 OF general conditions. sucl
as statistics of bank clcarngs and 'or-
eign commerce, the element Of high
prices should not he disregarded The
movement to control prices. however. f,
| widening in its scope. substantial rednc-
| tons having lately been announced on
cotton fabrics. and there is no important
| industry or trade that is not now In
| fuenced either directly or indirectly by
| Federal restrictions of one kind or an
| OF Na
| state of business cannot be measured by
; the usual standards"
Heavy Buying OF Essentials.
While governmental control" says
| Brudstreets. looms large in the genera.
! situation. and though movements on
| civilian account tend to narrow at the
more important centres. zones close tn
! the surplus crop growing regions report
! remarkable demand for this stage Of tho
| year. Buying of essentials is heavy
| and though price fixing on lower scale
| has deferred operations In cotton goods,
| purchasers are more anxious to put cut
ORDERS than sellers are TO accept them,
the newness OF price regulations having
rendered commission men chary about
| taking on heavy commitments
But with the avid concentrated de-
mand for goods that his cmanatcd from
| governmental sources ordinary trade
has had to take a back seat. as it were,
scarcity of merchandise for normal trad
ing purposes has been created. and. "a
! consequence, competition for business
has been greatly reduced, the natural
| inference being that matters have gore
to such a pass that orders come l HI
solicited
- Thanks to high prices. the money
| u
spective channels Is much larger than
last year. but in all probability ne
physical value of civilian business -
| son:awhat lighter Moreover, the ever
present fear OF scant supplies Of goods
superinduces a tendency 10 get down
orders not only for delivery the coming
full but as far ahead as next spring.