The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-10-26
CONFIDENCE IN PRICE
PERMANENCY LACKING
ACCORDING TO EASTERN VIEWS
OF TRADE CONDITIONS EARLY
STABILITY NOT EXPECTED.
BUYER is HOLDING OFF
Pressure Against High Costs Still In
effective on Many Lines of Neces-
sary Commodities. Mills Shutting
; Down and Labor Cheaper.

effective on Many Lines of Neces-
sary Commodities. Mills Shutting
; Down and Labor Cheaper.
NEW YORK, N. Y.-If conditions
have changed at all they have become
worse in the majority of business
lines. In many cases prices are at
the years lowest level; in some at
the lowest points seen in five years.
Nevertheless, there is lack of con-
fidence in their stability. and the
majority of buyers are still holding
off.
Trade in textile circles has contin-
ued slow and of the hand-to-mouth
variety, in spite of further big price
reductions, bringing quotations in
some cases below production costs.
Further shutting down of mills is re-
ported, although this feature is not
as bad as many had anticipated,
largely because of the more reason
able attitude on the part of labor in
respect to lower wages. Indications
that high labor costs are to be liqui
dated in keeping with other costs is
perhaps the only gratifying feature
in the situation. 1t marks the elimi-
nation of what is perhaps the most
serious obstacle to the return of nor
NAL pre-war conditions.
Declines Mostly in Textiles.
Although the pressure toward low
er levels of prices has been applied
for long time, its effects have been
chiefly noticeable so far in the re-
duced values of articles to wear. To
a slight extent, it is true, certain
foodstuffs have come down in price,
but the great bulk of them has not
been affected. In the dairy products,
indeed, the tendency seems to have
been the reverse.
Faulty or too costly distribution
appears to be responsible for the fact
are not sooner brought to the ulti-
mate consumer. The latter reads, for
example, Of the drop in the cost of
wheat and of -four at wholesale, but
his loaf of bread costs just as much
as it did when -four was very much
dearer. And the cost of shelter has
been going up instead of down.
The main reason for the lack of
building is undoubtedly the vey high
labor cost of such work. This is at
tempted to be justified by the work
ers on the ground that their food
and rent cost so much. Their own
demands are responsible directly for
much of the increase in rents to
themselves, as we'll as to others, and
they alone can deal with this.
Foodstuffs Resist Declines.
AS regards food, there is now be-
ing evidenced the same resistance
toward price reductions which was so
long manifested with reference to
articles of wear. This was brought
out very strikingly in the last few
days in the conference at Washing
ton between representatives of GER
tain farming interests, federal re-
serve bank officers and officials of
the government.
Figures of foreign trade for Aug
ust appear to disquiet some who are
not earnest seekers after the truth.
The outstanding feature is the drop
of about $67,000,000 in exports as
compared with July, making the to-
tai the lowest of any month since
December 10, 1918. Complete details
are not yet available, but it is shown
that marked decreases were in bread
stuffs, meat and dairy products and
raw cotton. The decline in exports
of these three groups accounts for
more than $31, 100000 of the total.
1t is increasingly evident that the
European countries are becoming
less dependent on the United States
for their food supplies. which is
quite natural now that nearly two
years have elapsed since hotilities'
ceased in most of them.
Future of Export Demand.
By this time next year, should
Russia in the meantime become paci-
fed, there will be much less call
across the Atlantic for American
foodstufffs. On the other hand there
is likely in that event to be great
er demand from Europe for manu-
featured articles from here.