Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-05-20
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, May 20.-"Stop, look
and listen" may be a necessary ad-
monition at railway crossings, but it
is no longer necessary to flash that
warning to the American business
man. He has no intention of being
run over by the cars in 1922 il eau
ton will avoid it. For a time bust
ness men were forced to stop. Then
they found it advisable to look. and
they cast close scrutiny on the an
nual and monthly statements-their
own and their competitors. Ever
since they have been listening. listen
ing closely to the jingle of the cash
register. They have discovered that
pleasing tympanic symphony plays
loudly only to the tune of moderate
prices.
The annual and monthly statements
have shown that profits lay not in
increased sales or advanced prices,
but in reduced operating expenses
and lessened costs. Consequently the
ear of every business man has been
turned to catch the Tilt of the melody
which had for its refrain the les
SEEMING of costs without the raising
of prices. Scores believe they have
caught the right note in amalgama-
ton.
Mergers are the order of the day.
1t is not mergers of big companies
engaged in basic industries which
count most although those loom
largest in the public eye.
Narrow Profits, Keen Competition.
These smaller mergers are being
made without regard to the stock
market They are being negotiated
to accomplish economics in production
and distribution. However. they
give abundant evidence that the bus
mess men of America have recogniz-
ed that the buying and consuming
public has no intention of submit
ting to another imitation of prices and
that the future for some time to come
will be a period of narrow profits and
keen competition.
The parties at issue in the bitumi-
nous coal strike are beginning to say
to each other, Take your thumb out
of my eye" and Let go my ear" In
other words. the strike is beginning
to pinch the participants as Wen as
the public and the prospect of set
Element seems a trif1e nearer. The
situation can be adequately outlined
by the fact that one coal company
had thirteen solid miles of loaded
coal cars on hand when the strike
started and one miner, taken to
hospital the day before the close
down. had $1,000 in belt around his
waist.
All Markets Are StrOAE.
Markets for cotton. wool and silk.
basic materials of textile trades, are
all strong at advancing prices. This
has encouraged producers and ex-
porters, and manufacturers have been
compensated by increased demand and
higher prices for finished materials.
Mems and women's apparel is SELL
ing well in all sections of the coun-
try, with prospects that manufac-
turers and dealers in straw hats and
tropical weight clothing will enjoy
one of the best years in a decade.
Advertising is universal and per-
sistent and is being attended with ex-
cellent results.
Steel products are in constantly
increasing demand. and belief in the
permanence of this trend is signified
by enormously increased production
of pig iron. The non-ferrous metals.
lead, zinc and copper, all have regis
tered advances and occupy better
technical positions than for months
past The great business pickup has
been in auto sales and manufacture.
Tire output is rapidly approaching
capacity production.
Inquiries for lumber have reached