The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-11-17
HAMMOND'S
BUSINESS
SITUATION
Conditions are Nearly Nor
NAL, Labor Market Stead
ier Than in Most Cities in
Eastern Districts.

How does the business situation In
Hammond in particular and the Calu
met region in general compare with
other manufacturing localities which
have in the past few months expert
enced a slump in trade conditions and
where the merchants have been up
against over-production and a cessa-
tion-of- buying wave7 Has the un-
employment situation acected local
business to any marked degree? The
answer Is that II has not 70 the extent
1t has in other districts particularly n
the east Hammond has been general
iy free from any deterrent to business
which exists in other localities.
CONDITIONS ARE WHOLESOME
There is no sign of panic in IN cen
trail west as there has been in the cast
where there has been marked stop
page of buying. a temporary condition
which Will soon pass. There has been
some over production here but the pco
pie of this district are great consum-
ers In some cases dealers have over
stocked owing to the previous uncer-
tainties of transportation and con-
stantly rising prices. but in the main
Hammond merchants are not enormous-
ly overstocked and have reduced their
stocks to normal. They have thus
been able 10 fill their shelves with new
stocks OF seasonable goods to meet the
buying demand at the falling prices
and insure themselves brisk trade.
COMPETITIONS IL FREE.
1t does not take long in the day OF
the phone and the capacious newspa-
per advertisement for price news 10
travel and this circulation has been
n
Hammond from outside points. Ham
mond is a business market where keen
competition predominates The COM
petition Is free here and wholesome
Seldom does anything hurt it and when
It does the people resent it, They re-
sent 1t because 1t hampers their liberty
that liberty OF buying in the best
market. and there are instances where
this liberty is being usurped.
LABOR MARKET STEADY.
Hammond's labor market while not
at the point IL az year ago is near
Iy normal. Some factories are not run
ming up 10 their usual fall schedules
but this is not considered by officials
as surprising in light Of readjustment.
inventorying and repairs that in some
instances are being made to machinery.
Hammond has been particularly fortu-
nate because Of its diversified indus
tries and the fact that it has none "r
the lines which have closed down IN
other districts such as the rubber in
dustry and textile. Its wage Garner
without attempting to specify particu
lar trades have been kept at their
work
WHAT THEY ANTICIPATE.
Hammond merchants have every rea-
son to expect a good fall and holiday
trade. They are preparing for IL and
anticipate 1t. From the preparations
they have made for II they deserve II.
There are not many cities OF the size of
Hammond that can compare with il in
the number and size of its department
stores and single line stores. The city
has an ailuring shopping distr ct and
sets forth an unusually fine display Of
both the neceSsaries and luXuries OF
life and It's people are fortunate in be-
ing permitted to avail themselves "f
these marketing facilities Nothing
should be permitted to interrupt them