The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-29
NEW ORLEANS.

New Orleans, March z9.-The
growing menace from floods along
the lower Mississippi river Is be-
ginning TO curtail business through
out the threatened sections. New
Orleans jobbers are telling its effect
and expect its influence to grow
greater before the danger is over.
Notwithstanding this there has been
perceptfble improvement in the
distribution of merchandise. Retail
trade still Is quiet in lines suit able
for summer wear.
financial conditions are improv-
ing in this district. The Louisiana
state banks have reduced their bills
payable from s31 .000, 900 to 81, $780,
600 in the period between Jan. and
to date During the same period
their customers have reduced their
loans $15, 900 900 and deposits have
increased $500 900.
Figures available 30 far indicate
large increase in imports here this
month Revenue collections are
estimated at about SO ,000, 900 larger
than any sum collected here. Heavy
importations of sugar, for which
there has been revival of demand,
are largely responsible for the in
crease.
Orders for southern pine lumber
have increased 2S per cent within
the week, and 30 per cent since
March 1. The new business is now
running about 20 per cent above
production.
CHICAGO.
Chicago, March 29.-Spring has
come but so has the rainy season
and business has not yet begun to
feel the impetus that normally at
tends the new season. Nevertheless
the big retail stores are going ahead
with their fashion exhibits and
women are turning ous for them
squipped with umbrellas and
galoshes. The stores are making an
especial appeal this season to
women who are making their own
clothes. Not only are colorful fab
RIGS being shown, but almost life
size drawings are provided, showing
how they may be made up into at
tractive costumes.
Mems wear stores are pressing
their advertising campaigns but
with less response than in the
women's line. Suits of a quality
which commanded $50 each last
year are being sold generally at $35.
Jobbers and wholesalers continue
to receive encouraging reports from
men on the road.
The industrial situation in this
district is little changed this week,
although the steel output is increas-
ing. Structural steel, track fasten-
ings and steel drive fence posts
are in strong demand in this mar
ket. The United States Steel cor
poration is running it's local plants
at about 20 per cent of capacity
while the leading independents are
running at 60 per cent.
PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia, March 29.-Some
two hundred thousand men are pre-
pairing to stop work in the anthra-
cite fields OF Pennsylvania and this
naturally is having an adverse eff
feet upon business. Merchants in
the mining towns have been very
4 cautious about adding to the stocks
N on hand. Wholesalers and jobbers
\ here have felt this curtailment of
orders.
10 Offset this drag upon business
is the revival of construction work
throughout this entire section. This
is affording employment for thous-
ands of mechanics and men in the
building trades and is making an
excellent demand for building ma
terials with consequent increase of
activity among producers. Since
the middle OF February, unemplcy-
ment in eastern Pennsylvania has
decreased about per cent There is
little change in the activity of the
steel mills of the eastern part of the
state but the textile mills are work
ing on enlarged schedules Textile
manufacturers are watching the
New England labor situation closely
for reduction in operating costs
in the mills there, they claim would
put local manufacturers at disad-
vantage unless there is a similar re-
duction in the mills here.
81 NEW YORK.
New York, March 29.-Eastern
shippers are hurrying dispatch of
goods to the orient in the hope Of
getting them away before the rate
cutting war among the steamship
lines running from the Pacific coast
ports to the orient is settled. Cuts
in all lines of freight are reported
here to be very heavy and it is said |
lumber is being booked for oriental |
destinations at 81 a thousand feet !
from north Pacific ports.
Fort Worth, Texas, March 29.-i
The American Railway Express
company reports that shipments !
have increased heavily in this sec
ton In preparation for a return
of small package business, the
company has ordered 1000 packing
trunks which are used to handle
small packages one by one. This
increase in express shipments is
taken as an indication of better
ment in business conditions gener-