Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-14
TRADE CONDITIONS
|NPAST COMPARED
Two Million Transactions
Aggregate in Volume Over
So, OOO, OOO, 900.

| HyyI CydtC III vUlUiIIC OVCI
! $1,000, 900, 900.
A four-year comparison of mer'
chandise conditions compiled by tn,
research department Of the credi
clearing house shows nearly 100000
actual transactions. aggregating il
volume over $4,000 100000.
During the year ending October 81
1919. purchases by retailers from
| wholesalers in the Pacific coast sec.
ton were 4 per cent less than the
purchases of the corresponding peri
DDS of both 1916 and 1917, and 3 pei
cent less than 1918.
| Indebtedness of the year is pei
cent lower than 1916, per cent lower
than 1917 and per cent lower thar
1918.
Payments this year are 9 per cent
| better than 1916, per cent better
than 1917 and per cent better thar
1918.
The lower average activity of pur.
chases during the past year was due
| largely to the months of November
| December and January last. when al
! buyers were waiting to know which
way the trend would go during the
| reconstruction period, and it was not
until February that the purchases
| really began to show a return of con-
| idence.
! Inactivity in Mountain Section.
In the mountain section purchases
! during the past year show a lower
/ activity than other years, being
per cent less than 1916. 4 per cent
less than 1917 and per cent less thar
1918
Indebtedness shows a decrease OF
per cent from 1916. per cent from
1917 and l per cent from 1918.
| Payments were equal to 1916. but
were per cent poorer than 1917 and
| l per cent poorer than 1918.
| This section. like the Pacific coast
did not show any general activity in
! purchases during November and De-
cember. 1918. and January, 1919
When active buying was generally re-
the average purchases were much less
comparatively than other sections I'M
| til July.
| Purchases in the north agricultural
section during the year ending Octo-
Der 81, 1919. were l per cent greater
| than the corresponding year of 1916
2 per cent greater than 1917 and re-
manned equal to 1918.
| Indebtedness shows a decrease OF
3 per cent from 1916 and l per cent
from 1917. but was l per cent greater
| than 1918.
Payments were per cent better
than 1915. 2 per cent better than 1917
! and equal to 1918.
! The usual conservative attitude OF
the merchants in this section has been
maintained during the past four
years, and comparisons show less
changes in the merchandising activi-
| ties than any other section. but a
| steady improvement is noticeable.
Purchases in the middle agricultural
| section during the year ending Octo-
| Der 81. 1919. increased 1 per cent over
| the corresponding year of 1915. 1 per
L
Indebtedness decreased 4 per cent
| from 1916, 3 per cent from 1917 and 2
per cent from 1918.
| Payments were 4 per cent better
than 1916. 1 per cent better than 1917
and were equivalent to 1918.
Merchadising Slow Early In Year.
During the early part of the year
merchandising showed a very low ac-
tivity in all phases. Reconstruction
| work in manufacturing plants from
war to peace time products and the
lions were the principal causes.
When good crops seemed assured
and prices were rising steadily, both
purchases and payments showed rec
| ord activities.
| & Purchases in the south agricul-
tural section averaged stationary for
\ the four years, although the SUNNI er
and fall of this year show much
|! greater activity than former years,
but during the early months of the
year merchandising activities were
| less than comparative PERIODS OF the
past four years.
Indebtedness decreased 5 per cent
from 1916, 3 per cent from 1917 and
per cent from 1918.
Payments were Z per cent better
than 1916 and per cent better tnah
both 1917 and 1918. >,
While this section very wisely d.
yersified the crops during the past
wear. the talk of decreasing the
acreage in cotton is not considered
wise by many authorities.
Cotton Demand Exceeds Supply.
The demand for cotton now is -es-
timated as greater than the visible
supply. and, while it is true that
many Individual crops were lost be-
cause of boil weevil and weather con-
ditions. many authorities of high
standing believe the acreage for the
coming year should be sclentlncaiiy
| Increased to the ultimate profit of the
grower.
Purchases in the east section dur
| ing the year ending October 81, 1919
| were equal to 1916 and l per cent less
than both 1917 and 1918.
Indebtedness decreased per cent
from 1915, S per cent from 1917 and
per cent from 1913.
Payments were per cent better
| than 1915 and per cent better than
1917 and 1918.
| The low average activity OF pur-
| chases in this section was due to the
very light purchasing done in No
| vember and December. 1913. and jan
| uary. 1919.
| During February. 1919, this section
began to increase it's purchase actiV-
| ity and during the summer months a
| high record both in quantity ana VOL
| ume was shown.
| The wear as a whole is reported as
most satisfactory. but the present un-
| settled condition Of labor is making
| manufacturers most care1ul IN &C
| cepting contracts for anything but
| immediate deliveries.
Purchases Less Than In 1918.
Taking the United States as whole
purchases during the year were sta
tionary with 1916 and 1917, but per
| cent less than 1918.
| Indebtedness decreased per cent
from 1916, per cent from 1917 and
per cent from 1918.
| Payments were 5 per cent better
than 1916, 3 per cent better than
| 1917 and l per cent better than 1918
The real increase in merchandising
activities from the very low post
armistice showing was not fully real
lied over the country until March OF
| this year, since which time records
| have been shown in every phase.
| At present there seems to be gen
eral feeling of insecurity in futures
but, with continued activity by the
conservative against the radical ele
ments of the country. prominent bust
ness men feel the storm will bt
| weathered successfully.
| Sections Compared.
Comparing the sections with the
vrrhn ,rin he