The Washington times., 1922-09-23
TRADE OUTLOOK
IMPROVES, SAYS
. BRADSTREET'S 5
Review of Week Shows Better
Business Following Strike
49, Settlements. !.

oettieH'eHts'
Commercial reviews of the week.
made public today Iby Dunn and
Bradstreet, are highly encouraging,
showing the usual seasonal demand
has made for briskness in trade and
some substantial price increases have
been announced.
Bradstreet's food index number,
based on the wholesale prices per
pound Of thirty-one articles used for
food, is 1920, comparing with 1913
! last week and s2.97 for the week end
ing September %. 1921. This week &
humber shows gain OF 2.8 per cent
over last week and Of TT per cent
over the like week Of last year. OF
the eighty-one commodities of Ill
kinds quoted weekly, thirty advanced
as compared with last week. four
teen declined and thirty-seven re-
manned unchanged.
Stability Helps Business.
Recent developments have sup
ported the belief that an extension
of the business improvement would
follow the adjustment or settlement
of protracted labor troubles" says
Dun's general review of the week.
The check to expansion experienced
during the summer partly reflected
natural causes, but strikes had
brought a distinct setback in some
basic lines and the removal or les
sening of the disturbances was Is,
sential to a resumption OF general
progress.
With a more stable industrial
situation now prevailing recovery
has come steadily at most points
where operations have been appre'
ciably curtailed, and the advancing
season tends to stimulate activities
In different quarters. Although re-
strictions Of fuel supplies and draw
backs in transportation still hinder
production and distribution, the re-
straints are gradually diminishing
and records of both outputs and
traffic movements are more favor
able.
That the volume Of current trade
Is large in the aggregate Is evidenced
by various statistical barometers,
and the reduction in the commercial
mortality, as revealed by the insol'
vency returns, is significant Of the
stronger fundamental conditions.
Foreign political events have influ'
enced all speculative markets, hut
have had little effect in other chan
nels, and there seems reason 70 ex'
pect, with labor difficulties largely
settled, a continuance of the trend
toward better business.
The quickening of demand which
usually develops at this season is
beginning to appear In leading
branches, and some interests now
find, after a prolonged period of Lau-
tious buying, that orders must lie
placed more frequently to meet the
increasing requirements. While the
maintenance of a conservative policy
discloses a disposition to avoid un-
wholesome excesses, the fact that
forward contracts are being entered
into more freely demonstrates that
confidence is not lacking, and some
commitments Of magnitude have
either been effected or are contem.
plated"
Improvement Is Key Word.
Improvement is the key word in
the general trade and industrial situ-
alton. the use of this term being
more widespread than at any time
since early last spring. Cooler
weather encouraging sales of heavy
apparel; strike settlements bene-
fitting business and industry in coal
mining and iron and steel centers;
reaching Of a final decision upon the
tariff question, and activity in build
ing, with all that this latter implies
in the way Of stimulating sales of
lumber, brick, hardware, paints and
allied lines, are all cited as causes
for the better tone of jobbing trade
advices, a gain at retail and a better
pace in industry.
"A rally in grain prices, by which
wheat, corn and oats have been ad-
vanced to the highest levels of the
month, this latter being mainly at.
tributable toswar talk. has been a
slight additional stimulant. Then,
too, the number of advances reported
recently in many commodities, in
creases have exceeded declines for
three weeks past, and the food index
has risen for seven weeks past, have
apparently acted as a spur to some
buying, although the effect of this
has been more especially notable in
wholesale and jobbing lines.
Regarding this latter feature, in
deed, II might be said that the buying
at wholesale is conservative, and
there are quite a number Of reports
that retailers do not in all cases
seem so sure Of obtaining the higher