The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-30
ACTIVE SUMMER
IS PREDICTED IN
TRADE REPORT
Country Passing Through
Period Of Free Expenditure.
Says Federal Board.
tBy Associates Prsss,

WASHINGTON, May ga notice
aCegupward trend in business durins
May. especially in those lines related
70 the leading retail trades which have
ten the release of buying power held
back by the war. was reported today
oy the federal reserve board Prac
ideally uniform reports from fedora
reserve agents were said to point to
q summer and autumn OF unusual &C
tivity.
A warning was added, however
against accepting the prospective pros
perity at its full face value until con
ditions become more clarified.
The country now seems to be pass
Ing through a period Of free expendi
ture or reaction from the enforced
economic and business restrictions
OF the war period" statement by the
board said. III the present activity
should proved to be based principal
~ on these causes, q reaction may be
looked for whe nthese forces have
spent Themselves
Advancement OF Prices.
The price and reconstruction sit
uation was said to be practically q
continuation Of that already noted In
April with prices showing no tendency
to retrograde. One federal reserve
bank found that "the public Is slowly
adjusting itself to the conviction that
there Ii to be no rapid post war drops
IN prices and 10 reconciling itself to
the probability that the old pre-war
prices may never again be reached"
Alphabetically, the remarkable prom.
Use Of the early spring appears to be
sustained in anunsulal degree, the
statement said. Diversification due
to organized effort Is making progress
and the cash returns to farmers are
expected to be more than ever before.
Prices OF cattle are considerably high
er than year ago, while sheep are
lower. Receipts of hogs have been
smaller, with the prices continuing
to advance.
In steel and iron the months out
put fell to the lowest figures in many
months. but much better tone in the
market was noted. While the btu
minous coal industry was reported de-
pressed with an output less than
seventy per cent of that a year ago,
operators are said to be optimistic
for the future. The current use Of
fuel Is In excess Of production. At
ter several weeks of almost no de-
A4AoA03 t1O U461 AOt 6uOWOu d 6lkuL
improvement. General manufacturing
was said to be showing decided i'm
provement. The wool market was
strong with prices in favor Of the
seller. Large orders have been plac-
ed Tor yarns and finished goods, and
wooden and worsted mills are going
back to full time. These conditions
are reflected in the demand for dry
goods and shoes. Shoe prices are be-
ing marked up for fall delivery, the
outlook being for an increase Of % to
30 cents pair for retailers.
Retail Trade Loses
Retail trade Is assuming unprece-
denied volume. while prices continue
abnormally high. Retailers i'm most
sections have made little or no ad-
1ustment but continue to demand
prices based on war conditions, the
board said. In New York large es-
Establishments report valume of bus
iness two-thirds greater than a year
ago. and In Chicago returns range
from 26 to so per cent In excess of