Evening star., 1921-09-24

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK. September 24.-It is a
true. II old, saying that competition
is the life of trade. and trade
throughout the country is showing
plenty of signs of life. This is indi-
Gated unmistakably by business dis
patches received within the last
twenty-four hours. Business men,
both large and small. are not wait
ing for business to pick up; they are
picking up business.
The needle of that reliable indi-
Gator of business conditions. the
movement of freight. has been NOV
ing steadily upward. Car lOadingS
have increased and this is not due
entirely to crop movements. The
statement for August of the Southern
Pacific railroad shows marked I'M
provement. indicating a decided in
crease in the gross receipts as well
as net earnings. This statement is
the mora significant because TINS
company has been proceeding on the
policy of stimulating shipments by
reduction in rates.
The increased movement or goods
is not confined to the railroads. SO
widespread has been the revival OF
demand between the east ana tne
west tina: the Luckenback Steamship
to put sixteen vessels totalinS loI,-
900 tons into the trade between the
Atlantic and Pacific to handle the
water-bound freight.
Prospective Mexican Trade.
Another eXemp,itication Of business
pick up is expected on the return OF
Judge L. II. Gary OF the United States
Steel Corporation from Mexico. The
recent visit of Samuel Nauclain. pres
of @ Locomotive COM
pany, to that country proved that
business was to be had there. and the
Inference is drawn that Judge Gary
will return with big order in his
pocket. The seesaNTing of prices OF
steel products between the leading
producer and the independents. this
time upward. gives additional evil
dence that there is business in steel
and keen competition to obtain il.
Resumption of industrial activity
has brought new hope to the coal pro-
tiucers who see their best customers
again preparing TO enter the market.
Although production of oil in Amer
lean fields has increased and has been
augmented by Mexican shipments. this
has been counterbalanced in part by
increased demand for fuel oils and
kerosene.
Building increasing.
Building operations are increasing
tremendously in many widely sepa-
rated sections. with consequent i'm
proved demand for lumber and hard
ware. Lumber mill production has
been stimulated also by decided cut
in the price of fir logs by the loggers
of the Pacific northwest.
The metal mining industry. for
months in the slump of depression. is
production. The increase in the prices
for silver and lead have sent hum
dreds Of miners back to the pick and
drill already.
The reduction in surplus stocks of
copper has caused producers to ma ke
preparations for resumption of opera
tions With the decrease in the costs
of labor and materials. the gold min
ing companies, the price of whose
output had remained at a fixed stand
ard. although the cost of production
increased. again are i'll Il position
where they can operate at profit.
Wool and Cotton Active.
The wool and cotton industries have
not halted or lost step in their ad-
vance. The lights are beginning to
blaze at nights in the great mills of
some of the New England textile
centers. Primary cotton goods mer-
chants, however. are proceeding very
slowly in the announcement of new
prices because jobbers and retailers
feel that sudden price advances COM
mensurate with the advance in the
prices of raw cotton, might tend to
check buying by ultimate consum-
ers
The quick advance toward pros
perity in the south has shown that TO
a great extent business resumption is
dependent on a state of mind rather
than on a state of market The rise
in cotton directly affected only a
portion of the people of the south. but
the rise in confidence affected all