Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-23
Trade Review
u, n. a. Dun 4 Co..

business, no development Of activity along
broad lines has yet appeared. The be-
lisf that trade and Industry would sud.
denly revive after the holidays was not
held by many Interests. but hope Of q
more positive recovery In tho not distant
future Il expressed In most quarters. In
tho main, u Is now a waiting situation.
with buyers cautious and hesltant. aud
commitments chiefly 10 cover nearby and
wsllsdsfined requirements, Exceptions 10
this condition arc not lacking being dis
closed In soms textile divisions and eise-
where. yet operations OF magnitude cons
tlnus comparatively infrsausnt. I'm
certainty about prices Is less Of a restrain
Ing influence than previously, but enough
doubt remains regarding the probable
course OF soma markets TO cause defer
msnt OF contracts. and most industries
stiil lag. Among tho elements which en-
courage exceptions OF subsequent sxpan-
sion are included easier money rates and
Indications Of increased building opera
tons In tho spring. and the depleted
state OF many merchandise stocks 10 also
q favorable AuGury. While nothing has
occurred 10 change tho opinion that
sraduai and irregular. conservative. fore
casts OF bettermeut seem Justified by the
existing facts. NTH Manufacturer? much
below capacity In most instances. condi-
lions OF unemployment have not been gem
orally relieved. but idleness Is slowly
diminishing in certain sections and adj
justment of labor troubles has permitted
resumption OF work at some establish
ments. Despite variable weather and the
reduced public consuming power. results
OF retail distribution have been fairly
Satisfactory. with the usual January
clearance sales featured by decidedly lower
prices on many goods. The prevailing
trend in wholesale quotations. however.
IL upward. as the excess OF advances In
Dun's comprehensive list OF commodities
demonstrates
building Relatively Large.
Another months building statistics
strengthen the expectation OF broadening
activities in this industry In the spring.
While the value OF permits Tor new con-
struction was considerably less In De-
cember than in November. a declining
tendency is usually witnessed during the
winter. and last months reduction does
not mark = check to the prepsra,nons
with the returns for 1920 reflect the
noteworthy improvement which has oc-
CURED in this quarter. the December
permit: in that year Involving an an o ss
In sharp contrast to this showing: the
total for December. 1921. exceeded 800.
ooo. 900. or a gain OF 1899 per cent, ana
nearly all OF the larger erues n s eae
pansion. In Greater New York. with each
OF the five borouShs disclosing marked
increases. the December permits sur
sOs.4 per cent. while there was a similar
difference OF 1917 per cent at OUTSIDE
Hesitation In Steel Industry.
Continued hesita ton In iron and steel
buying does not cause general disappoint-
ment, because broad activity early IN rho
new year had not been anticipated. inc
future Of the industry Is still viewed WIN
confidence and present indications point
to q further turn for the better In the
spring, when demand from construction
interests may become more OF FACTOR
Current mill schedules are on. reouceo
scale. the principal producer rumn nh.,n a,
for replenishment purposes ID expected 10
effect regular expansion In operations.
With consumers showing little dlsposl,ion
to close forward contracts, price yieIuins
has not wholly disappeared. although some
sellers have declined business at addltlon-
all concessions. Inquiry for railroad mater
ial has developed in different quarters,
and sale of 5000, tons Of plates FOR
shipment to Australia. despite English
competition, has featured the export trade.
Favorable Features In Textiles.
The weeks news from domestic textile
centers has been mainly encouraging. ne
vivai of activity after the yenr-end lull
has not come with rush, but indica-
lions OF improvement have multiplied:
conspicuously favorable feature mas oech
tho large attendance Of mcrchants III
primary markets, and buying Tor tne io u
sufficient volume to give rise 10 conf
dent hopes. While jobbers are not as
posed to cover their full requirements.
and in some instances are seeking longer
terms OF payment opening Of new lines OF
goods have met with q fairly satisfactory
response. Price revisons on cotton for
forward deliveries represent advances over
tho low levels Of a year ago. put are az
reductions from the highest prices reach-
ed after the upturn in raw material last
fall and moderate sized orders have been
placed with leading producers. AS
means of liquidating stocks before inVen-
tory. retsilers throughout the country are
naming low prices on many goods. ano
sales in some quarters have been OF con-
siderable magnitude
Inactivity in Hides.
No general revival has vet Followed me
holiday and year-end dulness IN hides
and leather. While signs Of recovery are
not wholly absent, activity remains the
exception, and in raw material IS emery
confined to calfskins The latter nave
moved freely at substantially his.,el
prices on clearance transactions IN .ne
middle west, but domestic packer hia ,',
have continued largely neglected. parity
hecause of inferior take-off. On desirable
quality stock. holders have declineo 70
make the concessions which most tanners
have requested. and divergent views aoous
prices also tend to restrict buying II sopc
other quarters With prices OF leather
varying widely, 1t is difficult to quote the
market accurately, but the trend OF &c, ,
mand toward lower-cost grades Is sun
sharply defined. This condition reflects
tina strong preference being maaifeat ior
mod era Il priced footwear. and most OF the
orders placed at the recent Chicago cor
vention and style show are lot this Class
Of goods.