New-York tribune., 1921-01-23
Buy Raw Materials
Now Is Advice to
u. S. Manufacturers
Manager Bird of National
Association Says 1t Will
Restore Activity to Trade;
Confidence Is Renewed

Manufacturers, who have been COM
planning of the absence of buying on
the part Of wholesalers and retailers,
should themselves step into the raw
material markets and make commit
ments for future delivery to keep the
wheels Of industry turning. This is
the advice contained in review Of
present business conditions handed out
yesterday by J. Philip Bird, general
manager of the National Association
Of Manufacturers.
"The time has now come" said Mr..
Bird, "for every farsighted manu-
facturer to return to the kind Of dis
criminatory buying necessary to sus-
tain industry and restore prosperous
business conditions.
brief period of the closing down OF
factories and mills in the readjust-
ment. We are now seeing industries
reopening and resuming work on al
most normal scale. We will have more
and more of this as we adjust ourselves
and our methods to the new situation.
We have seen great changes, so far,
without widespread labor upheavai,
and this is one of the most healthfui
signs for the future, because IN these
great turn-arounds the employees have
not been forced to shoulder the greater
part of the burden. These things fol-
.ow in the natural cycle OF events mat
trail all great wars.
"For months past there have been
four distinct nationwide economic
strikes in progress. The consumer
has been striking against the retailer.
He has been buying unrestrainedly
only the necessaries of life. he has
been cutting down on many things
needed for comfort and has almost
eliminated other purchases. His strike
has been based on q deeply-rooted be-
lief that the process Of defiation IN re-
tailers' stocks has been artificially re-
strained and has not yet reached
noint that would warrant or invite nor
NAL buying.
"The second strike has been of the
retailer against the wholesaler and
manufactures. This also has been
based on the feeling that values and
prices of manufactured products must
reach lower levels before normal pur-
chasing or restocking would be Justl-
fed.
"The third strike has been in the
nature of general boycott by bank
ers against manufacturers and all
other forces of our commercial life.
The bankers refusal to grant credits
on present inventory values, due to the
commercial confusion, has in itself
had all Of the paralyzing effects Of q
general economic strike.
"The fourth strike has been that Of
the manufacturer against the producer
of raw materials. With virtual
paralysis of buying on one side and
collapsing values, involving large
quantities of raw materials held in
factories. on the other hand, the posi-
tion of the manufacturer has not been
an envable one during the last six
months. So uncertain has he been
over the readjustment of values and
prices, that he has been bewildered
This has caused many a manufacturer
not heavily stocked with goods bought
at high prices, to mark time and re-
frain from making even advantageous
purchases.
"All this has badly ciogged our
commercial machinery. The stagna-
tion has inflicted unnecessary loss and
hardship on the very factors that have
contributed to it. Accompanied with
an exaggerated degree Of pessimism
which overlooks the fundamental