Evening star., 1921-04-01
Situation in the Southeast
an Anomaly, Reports Atlanta
by RALPH SMITH,

SpeCial blSpdtcH u ne SlaE.
ATLANTA, April Viewed from
any angle, the business situation in
the southeast presents an anomaly
punctuated by varying reports as
| to conditions in different lines of mer-
chandise and industry, but accentuat-
ed on the whole by a firmer optimism
| as to the future than has been mani
, tested heretofore. A noticeable slump
i in retail trade in cities and towns
/ throughout the section is in sharp
! contrast with, the activity noted by
jobbers and wholesalers in Atlanta.
The millinery business is a fair
example. Atlanta is the leading mil
linery manufacturing and wholesale
market of the southeast. The trade
has developed to such an extent
! within the last ten years that at the
! spring and fall expositions in At
lanta che leading eastern and north
, ern manufacturers and jobbers ex-
| hibit their lines in competition with
Atlanta dealers to buyers from the
! Carolinas, Georgia. Florida, Alabama.
! Mississippi and parts of Tennessee
! and Louisiana.
Analysis of Trade.
/ Meyers Regenstein, president of one
of the largest millinery establish
| ments in Atlanta, declares that the
! wholesale trade of Atlanta dealers is
unusually good He analyzed trade
! conditions as follows:
January business was off, due to
, the fact. we believe. that the terri
tory was noebeing worked by travel
| ing statesmen. The millinery houses
were disposed to curtail trade ex-
| pansion and deYote themselves to
, collections. and comparatively little
new business was done.
"Business for the month of March
; exceeds March of 1920 by at least so
/ per cent. Collections are as good or
better than year ago. and there is
evidence that the wholesale millinery
| trade. barring only price adjustments
has reached its normal conditions"
Business Notes.
| CHICAGO, April 1.-The April bank
circulars are generally optimistic
! without, however. making any very
definite prophecies as to the future.
| David r. Forgan of the National City
Bank. IS frank enough to declare that
'the present industrial situation is
| the worst that this country has ex-
| perienced in many years" This state
ment is softened somewhat by what
! follows. Mr.. Forgan asserts it is
| safe to say that the crisis has been
/ passed. that the worst is over and
that recovery. although slow. has be-
gun, and will be sure" Then he
| adds: IF the new administration at
Washington disposes of our chief
| problems wisely, l see no reason why
J the present year should not witness
a return to fairly normal business.
| Revision of federal taxftion, the tar
| iff and railroad freights are funda-
! mental They are too complicated to
! discuss here, but they must be stud
| led and settled scientifically-notp po-
| litically."
NEW YORK, April 1.-The April
circular of the National City Bank of
New York answers the charge that
| the money trust" is at work to wreck
| the Non-partisan League of North Da-
kota by refusing to purchase and
! market the bonds of the state. The
circular declares: The fundamental
reason why the North Dakota bonds
are not being readily sold is that
bankers are afraid they cannot sell
them. Investment bankers buy bonds
| in the capacity of merchants. to sell
| again. They try to buy issues that
| they think will be popular with the
public"
NEW YORK, April Merchants
here declare that the ''truth-i in -adver-
| tising" bill now being enacted into
law at Albany will bring about no
changes whatever among reputable
advertisers. 1t Is claimed there is
very little fraudulent advertising. es-
pecially in the daily papers.