Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-05
business Improving
Despite Big Strike

and this is particularly true in Phil
adelphia. As a result of this activ-
ity manufacturers of building ma
terials have enjoyed exceptionally
good business and report general
Improvement during July. In 1act,
the demand for several products is
so good that they are unable to sup
ply 1t. Sales of building lumber. al
though slightly smaller than in June
have been excellent. Reports OF
| better business have been received
from manufacturers of pottery,
bricks. cement, paint and plumbing
| supplies. The cement industry is
| now operating at capacity. h paint
| industry at very close to capacity,
and the potteries at about so per
| cent. Stocks of all building materials
| are low and are decreasing, and
manufacturers report shortage OF
| labor. Although raw materials are
| easily obtainable. prices have been
| advancing recently and the trend OF
| finished building materials is there
| fore upward. But actual quotations
have been raised in only a very few
cases.
In the textile industries, the most
encouraging development OF the
DaSt mODlH has DttA lhC ihSi y
demand for worsted cloth and silk
| &C ods, both of which have been
especially inactive for a number OF
months. The hosiery demand has
declined sharply, but this Is largely
| sea sonal condition. Aside from these,
| there have been few important
| changes. The call for cotton goods
and wooden and worsted yarns ma
been light, and that for wool cloth
| somewhat smaller than during the
| past two months; but the underwear
| industry has reported a slight I'M
provement in demand. Although
silk manufacturers have received q
large number of orders. the IN
provement has not been reflected IN
increased activity in the raw SILK
market. Prices have eased Off some
what but the c~arry-over Is small
and therefore any radical decline IN
price is improbable. Carpet mi rug
manufacturers have continued to re,
cclve a large volume OF orders ana
many report they have sufficient
business on hand to assure capacity.
operations during the remainder OF
the producing season. Linoleufn
demand, too, is heavy. Stocks have
been completely disposed of and sew
era, producers are unable to guaran-
tee shipments within the desired
dates. In the textile industries, also,
labor shortages are reported.
The cigar industry Is still another
hat has strengthened its position
| during recent weeks. The demand
| for several of the nationally adver-
| tised high grade brands is SO great
thai manufacturers are unable to
meke immediate deliveries, and the
| large companies manufacturing
these brands are operating at capa-
city. The cheaper grades or cigars
are not moving in as large quantities
and production of these is proceed
ing at about 70 per cent. of capa-
city. Tobacco prices, especially those
OF the high grade wrappers, have
advanced slightly, but cigar quota
tons are unchanged.
In view Of the increased produc-
tier schedules in practically all in
| dustries, and of the reports of labor
shortages that have become so COM
NOR Of late, there is of course no
unemployment problem. This is well
| shown in the estimates OF the Penn
! sylvania State Department OF Labor,
which reports only $4,000 unemploy-
ed in the six cities of Altoona, Har-
risburg, Johnstown, Philadelphia,
Scranton and Williamsport. This Is
q decrease Of 11.6 per cent. as COM
DdIGu WAtll thAC iAeoA y ~ -
EOS per cent. as compared with the
, number on June IS, of 1914 per cent.
with that on May 80. and of 66.1
per cent. with that of January l.,
1922. The improved business situa-
ton Is also reflected in the statistics
on failures. r. G. Dunn & Company
report that in the United States dur
irg June there were 1,740 failures,
with liabilities of $~3S,242.450, as
compared with 1859 and liabilities
of $44.402,S86 in May. In this dis
trict there were ffty-seven failures
in June. eighty-seven in May and
seventy-eight in April. Further evil
dence of better conditions is found
in the debts to individual accounts.
for the four weeks period ending
July IL. debts in this district totaled
s4O1, 1922. 900, and for the similar pc
riod ending June Ia the figure was
sass. 5000. The respective figures
for the country as a whole was S.
S72,1S6, 900 and $S,676,563,000