Evening star., 1921-08-06
INCREASE IN RETAIL BUYING
REPORTED FROM MANY PARTS
Renewed Confidence Of Merchants Shown
in Spirited Business With Wholesalers.
u Price inducements.

Special Dispatch to The Star. 1
NEW YORK, August 6.-fhe in
creased Jingle of the cash register is
beginning to be heard in the land
Business dispatches received here
within the last twenty-four hours and
other reports have recorded this in
creAsed trend in retail buying from
many widely separated sections of
the country. It is still further con-
firmed by the advertising departments
of many weekly and monthly publica-
tions Of national circulation, which
report a decided increase in advertis-
ing directed at the retail buyer and
Ifar-reaching plans for fall selling
campaigns.
Buyers for department stores all
over the country f1ocked into this
market by the hundreds this week.
While the individual orders were not
large. in the aggregate they accounted
for tremendous amount of business
and indicated renewed confidence on
the part of merchants which has been
a sorely lacking factor in business
earlier in the year.
Conditions in the iron and steel
industries continue to show improve
ment and increased demand, although
at heavily shaded prices. Formal
recognition of these price inducements
to buyers on the part of the principal
producer has been given by executives
or the company. and that they have
been successful in attracting busi-
ness among the independents as well
is shown by reopening of plants. buy-
ing of raw material and increase in
working forces.
Rails Are Buying.
The railroads have already begun
to buy. Reasonably assured that the
plan for refunding the railroad debts
will go through. and with the money
from crop movements pouring in,
proved that they have not had to
wait for final payment to make need
| ed purchases. This is having a con-
tinuing effect on the lumber Industry,
| for millions Of feet of the product
of the lumber mills will be required
| Camp commissaries are being stock
ed up by lumber producers, and more
men employed to meet this added de-
| mand, and the call for. building ma
| terials. which is seen approaching
| nearer. with each adjustment of
wage disputes in the building trades.
| The railroads are also heavy con-
sumers of cotton waste. oil and scores
| of other commodities, and resumption
of activity by railroad purchasing
has damned the flow of production
1
| The advance in the price of cotton,
buttressed by the increasing demand
| for cotton goods, has strengthened
the confidence of the entire south
! and southwest. This feeling has been
intensified by buying of grain and
| banks have ceased to ask additional Il
money or credit, as their deposits
have bulged with crop money.
| The situation facing the stock
grower has been lightened precepti-
bly, both by strong prices and active
markets in various sections and by
the aid extended through the fifty
million n-dollar livestock pool Fruit
1 growers both in the south and in the
Pacific and Pacific northwest states
have splendid crops and every as
surance of a satisfactory year. Wheat
est ever known and corn conditions
| in general are satisfa ctory. All these
are elements potent for increase of
buying power throughout the entire
| country
| OIL Industry Brfghtens.
The oil industry. which has been in
| the doldrums, again is spreading its
sails to breeze favorable. if light.
! In some sections consumption has
again caught up with the production
and the favorable tendency is mani
fest throughout the mid-continent
| field. Gasoline is in demand and its
market position is strong. Sub
| stantial contracts for. fuel oil have
! been placed by some railroads and the
outlook for bunker oil has bright
ened with the restriction of Mexican
/. exports. Lubrica nts also are respond
ing to the improved Industrial stu
alton.
| Coal has responded slightly to the
| increased activity in steel, but buy
ing for domestic. use is still practi-
| cally at a standstill. The situation
; in the non-ferrous metals is also un-
satisfactory although long-held stocks
| gradually are being reduced