The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-25
CREDIT GETS
EASIER and
COSTSFALL
Fall Purchasing Demand Is
Slow and Labor Supply
Is Increasing
ny JOHN w. Hill.

Inc kfNAt un>utNft tttNte e'fh'f'f7
Ing business Just now Is the ultimate
consumer. For years this composite
beast OF burden meckly yielded 20 the
mounting weight OF prices. Finally
he stopped dead In tho traces Now
sellers want 10 know how much the
load must be iightened before he viii
move on again.
The tang Of fall and price ccnccs.
rions have brought buyers and sell
crs. at some points. little closer to-
gethcr--but not within handshakins
distance. Convincing indications OF
. broad revival OF boom activity In
trade have not appeared.
WHAT NEW YORK
BANKERS SAY
Business men Of large affairs who
have consulted New York bankers
within the last week have been told:
We have ample funds 10 lend for
legitimate business OF moving goods.
We will lend nothing for boarding
goods for higher prices. We believe
the country Is heavily stocked with
commodities OF most kinds"
IN eftoft WY ""test1N' sS"'
prices
In 1914. 10 cents pound looked
good TO cotton growers The high
cost OF production makes 40 cents
necessary for profit now. they say.
A plan TO get a credit extension of
$500. 900 900 from the federal reserve
system in order to hoard this year'J
crop until high prices came has
failed The federal reserve board re-
fuses TO lend Its resources either to
arsifictsiiy initiate or deprsss prices.
There Is plenty of credit for financ-
Ing the normal crop movement.
Altho some increase in purchasing
for autumn has been reported. the
thrift wave stsd features the textile
and clothing lines. The modest price
reductions Of Is to 20 per cent OF the
no buying sensation Big Cleveland
and Chicago jobbers have tried 10
turn tho trick by slashing prices 20
% - Per cent. A large maker OF
ovcralls has announced a price to
the weArer Of 81. against 81 prcvi-
ously.
Apparently silks have reached
Sock bottom and have started up
ward slightly. The extravagant silk
shirt craze Is dead. however. The
japanese government has put up
e1S. Ooo, 900 20 keep the price Of raw
silk from falling below $40 "A
Cound- This IL higher than recent
levels. but much lower than the
peak price Of around SIS.
FIGURES ON THE
COST or LIVING
Figures OF the bureau Of statistics.
just issued. disclose that tho great.
ese Increase In the cost OF living has
been In the prices OF furniture and
house furnishings. The figures. has
"a % prsccs In al cities In June.
show the following percentage In
.crcases over 1919: Food. iis: cloth
ing. 1877: housing. -. fuel and light.
~: furniture and furnishings. 1872;
miscellaneous. ie1: total. fls. Whole
sale prices declined more than 4 per
cent In August from July.
Abundant crops and lower price
uchoS ~4Psih inc ialt Wis pSf cent
IN foods In August compared with
July prices The normal seasonal
decrease during the month Is Ia per
cent. The canned foods market IL
weak. with 3obbers and grocers un-
impressed by threats Of curtaiied
output by canneries. Reports indi-
cate great canning activities among
housewives.
Strikes are diminishing as the la
Dor supply grows. Most OF the an
thracite mine strikers have returned.
and striking Cleveland yarumen
have voted to go back 10 work. Some
wage reductions have been reported
IN cases where shutdowns were tho
only alternative.