New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-30
Damage to Fruit Crop One
of Most Disappointing
Events Of Month: Some
Gains in Banks Review

Movement of general lines Of mer
chandise in the Eighth Federal Re-
serve District continues to show mod
crate Improvement, according to the
April report on general business con-
ditions issued by the Federal Reserve
Bank of st. Louis. The most discour-
aging development has been the damag-
ing of the fruit crop by trosts in late
March and early April. Reports from
the apple and peach regions of the
Ozarks indicate damages of from 80
to 100 per cent.
In the face of heavy unemployment,
savings in the district are increasing.
A survey of forty-four ST. Louis banks
indicates the number Of accounts in
creased 3.9S per cent between January
and April /, and the amount of saw
;ngs S.15 per cent.
In manufacturing and wholesaling
lines shoes show distinct Improvement,
shipments in March ranging from IS to
100 per cent of those in March year
ago and factory production averaging
from 80 to 90 per cent of capacity
during the month. Women's and chill
SIRENS footwear manufacturers are
operating full time.
Sales of twenty clothing manufac
turers reporting to the bank showed
an increase of So per cent in March
over February. In volume and dollar
value the turnover is from so to 60 per
cent under March, 1920, however. Buy
ing of mems and women's garments is
slow in the southern portion of the
district, and general sales Of shirts and
underwear have been disappointing.
Iron and steel products were at the
low ebb in the period. Small increases
in sales of electrical supplies were
noted. Sales of hardware for imme-
date delivery advanced 81 per cent
over February Flour was dull and
prices materially lower Candy prices
continued downward, with factories
running at about so per cent of capac
ity. Drugs and chemicals were fairly
active, with prices lower. and lumber
and woodenware showed improvement.
About 50 per cent of the furniture fac
tories are running full time and the
remainder average about so per cent.
The closing down of blast furnaces has
caused fur ner depression in the fire
clay industry.
Retail trade in the district has been
fairly active. Reports, however, are
not uniformly optimistic. "In the
South buying continues backward"
says the bank, land there has been a
slowing down in the fruit areas since
the recent freeze. In the larger cen
ters Of population best results are be-
ing obtained, but even here it is nee
essary to differentiate between the
several lines. Clothing, furnishing
goods, hats, boots and shoes, groceries,
seasonal sporting goods and furniture
are in good demand, while articles
in the luxury classification are rela-
lively slow. Photographic supplies,
optical goods, jewclry, candy and baS-
cry products are among the lines in
which there is less activity. jewelers.
report business of, to 80 per cent en- t.; in n
month An interesting fact developed
in investigating the retail jewelry
business is that during the last FIVE
years there has been steady and we'll
defined decrease in the number of ar
ticles sold jewelers. explain this on
the theory that wealth is being con-
centrated in fewer hands, or. as one
commentator expressed it, the recently
wealthy class is long or cash and short
on gems"