Evening star., 1922-12-26
bOTH.H|GHERPAY
AND PRICES SEEN
Slight Advances Predicted as
Coming Early in New
Year.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 2S.-Business
and industry took new grip aud
surged again toward capacity operations
today. Even the Christmas let-up was
grudged in many industries. and in
many sections mills and factories ar
SO busy that they have decided not
to permit any Christmas week lct-doru
in production for inventory taking.
Plant managers in widely different sec
tions Of the country today declared they
must keep up output 10 meet calls for
immediate delivery
This feeling is especially apparent in
the steel industry. where plants are
practically at capacity. There is
strong buying movement under way
and. while quotations have not been
| materially changed thereby. the trend
Of prices has beep strengthened per
ceptibly. The movement has gained
sufficient headway to assure a siN-
month run without slackeping prescnt
schedules.
Higher Prices and Wages.
Analysis Of the Christmas trade
throughout the country showed today
that there were few sections where
its volume and money value did not
rise TO record heights. OF even no:"
Slgnlncance We're the indicati ions thai
the better quality goods were responsi-
BILE for the better part of these sale.
Merchants today were practically
unanimous in declaring that slightly
higher prices were in prospect
These advances will not he large hut
| they will reflect in some degree the in
creased costs of raw materials which
! have not Yet generally been passed on
, TO the ultimate consumer. The trend
! toward slightly higher wages lis equally
! in evidence but it is expected that tho
betterments in this respect which will
go into effect after January L. will no,
| be so large as some of the advances IN
| 1922
| Tobacco manufa cturers have had one
or the best years in their history. Sornf
of the leading makers Will show Ir;
profits higher than ever before d"sptts
/ the cut in the prices of cigarettes last
/ fall Makers have been reducing costs
steadily and prices are down 10 pre- war
! levels If the increased revenue tax is
taken into consideration.
! Heavy Tourist business
! Railroads ar" preparing To handle
! record breaking tourist business 10 tho
west and south immediately after JariiI-
AIRY I. Many of the winter resort h,,-
tells are already well filled and Now
Establishments have been added III cltis-
ordinary numbers throughout the last
half year Carriers are Strengthening
! tiicII passenger equipment IN InfIS,-
, qucncc. The locomotive builders ar.
working on orders which will keep them
/ busy for months, both in the cast and
| west The Philadelphia and Readi.,g
| is in the market for fifty new Passenger
/ coaches TO cost about 81 900. 900 in or'-
-! der TO meet summer resort traffic next
! year.
One of the characteristics of the
week has been the increase in electric
power furnished. Many hydro-elcc-
| trio companies which have he.t
Handicapped by drought and low water.
now are able to close their auNii-
! liary steam plants and increase de
| liveries of power to their custonirs:,
who are clamorng for il.
; Collections are reported good u.
! all sections. and the demand for pos
| holiday stocks by retail merchants
| for inventory and white sales is A.
its height.
/. Two Weak Features.
! The two weak features appar.,ni
: today were rice and live stock. Th.
foreign demand for the first COM
| modify has been light and this wears
crop in many sections still is nm
moved. Live stock conditions are inn
proving, but there were parts Of
| Texas last week where well grown
turkeys were worth more in cash
! than calves
The increase in the prices of Nyom-
; ing and Montana crude oil brought
/ cheering holiday news to producers
! throughout that section of the ,otln-
! try.