, 1922-12-29
j. s. BUSINESS
STILL ON MEND

tsuo sSud uIoiJ psuunuoSl
worth a much greater sum then was
that Of . year ago.
The unsettled conditions In for.
elgn countries. particularly In Europe
however -hs statement continued
are depressing our. trade and 70
some extent have no doubt. kept the
prices Of agricultural products below
the level OF other oommoditisA But
within the past two month";. this
latter condition has been relieved 10
soma extent"
The review said that American ex.
ports had dropped i6 per cent as com.
pared with last year. but the com.
parison was on a basis OF IL months
and. in addition represented a long
climb" from a poor start, according
to officials. Imports TO September
p, when ts.o new tnrlT law was
effective. were slightly above last year
and Indications are. Il was said on.
cially. that the years total may ex.
coed last years IMPORTS by n small
margin.
The total volume OF building. ordi.
aarlly n easur OF the eountry's
business health was 81 per sent larger
in the first II months OF this year
than in the same period last year and
the prediction was made thai the fun
wears record VIII exceed tha Of 1919.
The 1922 contracts for II months also
represented a much greater axpendi.
ture OF money than for the fun year
Of 1921. It was said.
Theirs was a genuine swell IN the
volume Of trade. according 70 the
summary. which mentioned a six per
cent greater sale by mail order
houses And a Is per cent Increase IN
business by chain stores as Indicative
Of the business tide, declines appear.
Ing only in isloatod lines.
increases in production with the
reduction of immigration was said to
have taken care OF the unemployment
situation and labor shortages were re-
ported in many localities. although
this condition was not genital. II
was added, however. that work an.
peared to be waiting for most laborers
who sought It.
The years progress was reported
to have changed a huge surplus Of
freight cars into a shortage. This
shortage was general. II was said.
despite a lower percentage of cars
under repair than in many months.
Freight movements. however. were de.
scribed generally as satisfactory.
n OF the chief benefits drived by
the farmer through the economic
changes Of the IL months was the
increase in his purchasing power. &C.
cording to the review. which called
attention 10 the decline of 10 per cent
Of wholesale and five per rent In re-
tail prices. while the agricultural
products were averaging II per cent
more than in the previous year. This
condition works 20 the advantage OF
the consumer also in that It nsrrows
the margin between prices on whole.
sale and retail sales. II was explained.
The departments survey showed
that production OF non.frrous metals
was so per cent or more greater than
last year: petroleum production was
about Is per cent greater: coke 30 per
cent; paper 20 to 80 per cent; rubber
40 err cent; motor vehicles 30 per cent:
building construction So per cent;
lumber IS per cent; brick 30 per cent;
cement 10 per cent: leather 20 per
cent; sugar 45 per cent; and meats
about 8 per cent.
- WHY aOlAaAAN1 VI 3lAnQ I'M
p~ortance were 7 per sent In citumin.
GUS coal and A per cent in anthracite.
both OF which were due 10 tho strike.
The final estimates OF tho wheat
crop showed It to have been about
II .0oo.o o buahsls or i've per cent
greater than last year. This was due,
It was said. to expansion in winter
wheat growing. Prices ranged gen.
orally higher. There was a decline OF
3s err cent in wheat exports, q. con.
dition linked with the foreign situa.
ton, but exports OF wheat -four were
almost the same as IN 1921.
Big crops OF corn and oats marked
the year, each being larger than in
the preceding season. The corn crop
was 49, 900 900 bushels greater and
that Of oats about 1s7 .oco. 900 bushels
more than in 1921. Exports of these
commodities were larger by far than
in the preceding year and It was an.
nounced prices were higher. the re-
view stated.
Cotton consumption rose nearly Il
per cent IN the first eleven months
as compared with the corresponding
period last year.