Evening star., 1922-10-21
BUYING BY PUBLIC
GAINING RAPIDLY
Retail Purchasers Appear
Tired of Waiting for
Lower Prices.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

| Special Dispatch TO The Star,
NEW YORK, October 21.-The re-
TAIL buyer-the ultimate consumer
after all dominates the course Of mer-
chandising and manufacture In this
| country. And the attitude of the re-
| tail buyer has changed materially In
the last week. Today Prices are less
a factor in the purchases of the pub
lie than at any time since the boon,
periods following the armistice. After
| months OF resistance to price ad-
vances the public has apparently rec
ognized that higher quotations are
inevitable.
Instead Of checking buying these
price advances have stimulated II in
practically every section Of the coun-
try. according to telegraphic reports
received today. Buying has turned
| not only to necessities. but to luxu-
rfes. and demand has shifted from the
medium priced goods to articles of a
higher grade.
Amusements Gain support.
This trend of public sentiment in
spfred by industrial expansion, by uni
Versal absorption of the unemployed
ana by Increased buying power. has
oeen reflected also In the patronage
given amusements. Theaters are play
are drawing such crowds in every sec
ton as have never crowded through
the turnstIles before.
Added stimulation has been gained
through the first touch Of cold weath-
er. which has affected the carmen,
trades and has piled profits in upon
clothiers. milliners and shoe dealers.
The agricultural communities are
the only ones where retail trade is
not booming. The farmers are still
suffering acutely from lack OF trans
portatfon facilities for their crops
and little relief is in sight for them.
Merchants are preparing for a con-
tinuation OF this active buying until
after the holiday season. Depart
ment store turnovers are ranging
from 20 to rs per cent above those
OF last year.
wooIen Sales Large.
Woolen sales are large at whole
not checked them. Foreign demand
for woolen cloths has increased. es-
pecially IN the orient. A further ad-
vance in shoe prices is deemed Ger
tain by dealers.
%, Orders ;rsuI, Justify &c; expansion in al the
tions to output may be expected until
transportation OF both raw materials
and finished products is bette-.
Prices. however. have stabilized with
less tendency toward radical in
creases.
Lumber production in the north.
west. the greatest producing district.
Is 8 per cent above normal. although
demand has fallen off. Surplus OF
untitled business. however, fully Jus
tifies this schedule. The pottery
producers have been halted ten
porarily on account of labor dis
pu,es. but glass factories are running
full blast.
Sugars Position Uncertain.
Sugar is temporarily strong, bu: t.
technical position of this COMMODITY
Is not unassa,lable. although thu
Yield of cane in the southern states
is small. Rice growers have felt the
better prices. and have been helped 10
this end through regional banks.
Activity has been resumed in prac-
tically every oil field. Drilling has
been pushed in Oklahoma to forestail
any order for strict curtailment OF
production 4 rise in the price OF
Pennsylvania crude is expected. as
reflners are paying premiums as high
as 35 cents a barrel over the nominal
quotation.
The demand FOR coal is light in
many localities. due to unusually
mild weatt er. and the letharEy OF
householders in laying in winter sup
plies. A cold snap would change the
whole trend of the market in those
localities.
At no time this year has the outlook
for packing house products been so
favorable