The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-05-26
STATE CT TRADE
RETAIL TRADE IN CITY REPORT.
Ed TO BETTER. suT couN-
TRY STILL IS BACKWARD.
Jobbers and Manufacturers conserva-
tive In Aetions-Liauidation 10 Pro
crossing, But the Goal OF Pre-war
y Normally 10 Long way on.

Western Newspaper Union News Service
New York-The past week has
shown the usual combination OF favor
able and unfavornble business indica-
tions. with the former slightly In the
ascendant Retail trade seems better
In city than in country districts where
the farmer is busiest aud where re-
duced buying power Is most complain
ell Of Jobbers are beginning their
preparations for inventory taking as
Of June /. and are. consequently. not
disposed To- go much into new under
takings for the time being. They have
no desire Ia carry a lot OF stock, in
view ~ the uncertainty as to the
courses Of prices and the hating meth
oil Of buying on the part Of retailers.
In certain of the dry goods lines.
especially in cottons. the better opln-
ION Is that the declines In prices have
reached lower levels than they are
likely 10 remain al for any length of
time. As Il is whenever demand be
comes a little stronger, the disposition
Is to Increase tie price of any con-
Slructiun called for. There are some
mill men who de- not favor such "a
course. believing that II l. responsible
for some Of the reluctance by buyers
TO order ~ much ut n time a. they
really should II the latter could be
assured Of something like stability,
they would he more inclined To put in
larger orders.
But the mills themselves are not
eager to contract far ahead Most of
their managers think they have done
rather more than their share toward
the general liquidation and that they
should get prices for their products
somewhat better pruportioned {" thos"
set In other lines of manufacture
They can mot SEE the fairness of "a
large drop In the prices Of certa n
commoditers without "A corresponding
one In he others In common use
They would bc con,ent II what they
buy would be NJ the same ratio toward
WHAT hey sell as IL was before the
grrat unsettlement began, which Is
,,pw on It's way To normal again.
about returning to the normal in the
matter Of business. But the term does
not mean the same tn all Who make
use OF IL, nor 10 the Impression equal
~ conveyed 10y II one that Is justi-
liable. That impression is Of the Ike
lihood OF return within reason
able period TO the conditions that pre-
vailed before the war. Yet "A mo
ments cons Iteration should show the
improbabiniy of this. one factor
alone Is sui. 'i4nt 10 demonstrate the
the m, 1-tou taxation. This, 100,
is one q Ss~ill continue for many
years to csAIe Interest and the sink
ing fund Of the government debt have
To lie provided for out OF the coun-
try's production. and this eNaction
must add 10 the cost NJ what Is pro
duced There is no way nj escaping
this burden At the same time the
increased expenses Of the state. coun-
ty and city governments also call for
added taxes. which mean more add
tions 10 costs.
Thes.' things affect everybody, and
not merely "A class. They act as
bar to the reduction Of expenses in
the matter of labor. as well a. of ma
terials, transportation and the other
elements OF production, distribution
aud sale. In II measure. and under
the stress of circumstances, efforts are
being made IN divers industries tn
overcome this handicap by greater efii-
cheney. This is because the general
public is steellng itself to get along
without a number Of things because
il can not afford to pay the prices ask
ell for them But there are certain
things which are necessaries and
which have TO be provided for. These
the people must have. They include
especially food and shelter.