The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-02
For Good of
 the Community
Birmingham Manufacturer Reports August Business Nearly 100 Per Cent Better than Any Previous Month This Year.
 Wholesale rs Buoyant


 Wholesale rs Buoyant THE flesh may be weak in spite of strong spirit, but the flesh is much better off with strong. spirit than flabby one It might be said that strong spirit tends to put vigor into the flesh That has been proven. Faith is only spiritual, but it moves cumbrous things like mountains
 A Birmingham wholesaler said yesterday: "The general spirit in mercantile circles is way wonder better than it was month ago. would call it LOO per cent better
 Getting down to concrete evidence of this spirit manufacturer of an every day article handled by every general store said
 Business is fine It is 100 per cent bet ter in August than 1t was during any month of this year and continues to improve. Higher prices of cotton have stimulated the country merchant to lay in greater sup plies and he is doing so.
 It has become rising instead of fall ing market. That always produces busi- ness. When merchants look for higher prices, they purchase more freely to pro- tect themselves against the expected rise.
  from buying hoping to get things cheaper. The situation reversed itself in August and
 buying IS more and more elastic and con- fident
 Another wholesaler said: August has been very satisfactory with us. It has been the best month of the year. Very decidedly the best month. The outlook is bright indeed. Retail CTS have allowed their stocks to reach a low ebb during the scare period Now they are trying to get under cover"
 He added "Prior to August, when a GUS toner came to our place. he hestated, afraid he would take on too much. Now he buys freely Where he was afraid he now sees clear way ahead. The general spirit of mercantile busi- ness Is 100 per cent improved"
 A third wholesaler was asked about busi- ness. He said: August was very good, much better than July. We came to the month with good stocks on hand, but we have sold a lot also and am leaving tomorrow for the east to re- |plenish. Our orders for future delivery are quite good and the outlook is promising"
 When men like Walter Phillips, N. V. Mill sap and George D. Johnston talk that way, it is not the effect of brain storm producing de- luslons of grandeur but the outcome of sales made and money taken in. They speak from actual contact with the country merchant and know what they are talking about l One of these three repeated what he said three weeks ago, viz, collections have been very satisfactory and they continue to be so That scare is over with. There was a greater residue of money when Alabama came to the slowing down period than appeared on the sur face Moneyhas that little way of doing Each fellow was putting up poor mouth so as to hold on to his cash.
 The industrial and commercial east was greatly stimulated by The Age-Herald's au- thorized announcement of August that the IT. c. l. steel mills were on 50 per cent base of production. That item travelled the rounds and was reflected by papers of such promi- nence'in the industrial world as the Iron Age The T. c. l. is on greater capacity still than it was the first of the month