The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-21
PITTSBURGH.


is apparent in every direction
among the industries OF this dis
trict- Production is expanding and
prices of many manufactured artir
eles show tendency to harden.
Retail sales are about as they were
a year ago, but the total in money
value OF goods sold is smaller.
Buyers are conservative and prices
are lower. Business. however, il
much better than was anticipated
at the turn OF the year Spring
goods are moving freely and the
shelves are being cleared of winter
goods by means of marked down
sales.
Practically all the steel plants
have increased their production
and in some individual cases oper-
atoms run up to 80 per cent of ca
pacity, although the average is
probably about third lower. Sew
eral lines show q tendency toward
advance in prices and buyers are
| rushing in to place orders before
the increases occur. Production of
steel this week in this district will
| be larger than for . similar period
| this year.
The spring automobile show here
! has progressed far enough to indi-
cate there will be a liberal demand
| for cars this year. Sales are pro-
portionately as numerous in high
priced as in low priced cars.
ST. PAUL.
ST. Fsm, March 2f-Spring trade
prospects. in the northwest are
good despite slight fecessions in
| the prices of agricultural products.
Twin-City wholesalers, jobbers and
manufacturers are netieeably OPP
| timistic over the outlook. Evidence
of the increased buying power of
| the farmer. on which business here
| largely depends, is noted in the
machinery trade. Dealers report q
| general renewal of farm Implement
sales in the country districts. The
approach of spring with soil condi-
lions favorable and opportunity to
turn reserve crops into cash in .
greatly Improved market has
changed the farmers entire out
| look -.
The home building program has
been curtailed a trifie By increase
prices of materials. The latter,
! however, are far below the peak
and contractors still expect a rec
ord year in the construction busi-
ness. Contracts awarded for such
work in February were SO per cent
! in excess of those late in January
and this increase is being main
tanned.
wholesale drygoods merchants
| e raj nf
spring merchandise to country
dealers. The volume of trade is
| we'll ahead of 1920 Groceries and
confectionery arc very active and
drugs and chemicals are in fair de-
mand Millinery sales compare IA
vorably with those OF last year.
| NEW YORK..
New York. March 21-The new
spring suit has become dominant
! nrohlem in the -xNinds OF both men
and women and as a result bust
I ness in the clothing trades here,
! 10Th whole .ale and retail. is show
/ ing impro~ ement The demand for
! textiles in the piece. however, is
j slack. Wooden and wersted manu-
I "a ctuTcrs OF this district are talk
ing or c-Ertailment of production.
( n-spitc Tire curtailment in the cot
/ ton mills OF New England, how
n~e~. tie demand for cotton goods
here does not seem to have improv-
, ed. Raw silks are generally easier
in -~ire and the market for finish
cd products is improving slowly
| hut steadily hut manufacturers
here are holding production for be-
How CAPACITY.
Building operations are increas-
/ ing by leaps and bounds. Building
materials are being rushed in and
construction is being pressed for
ward briskly. This has produced
| a decided betterment in demand for
iron and steel products. Machine
| shops in this section are more ar
| tive and the metal trades are show
! ing improvement.
! Rubber has touched an extreme
| " low price in this market. but il
is believed that improvement will
| follow any serious buying by the
rubber and tire manufs cturers
Prices of both home and office fur
tniture have been reduced and an
excellent demand has been made
manifest in those lines in cense-
quence.