Evening star., 1922-12-24
CHRISTMAS SALES
!. SKATER RECORDS
Merchants Report Is Per
Cent Gain in Volume and
10 Per Cent in Profits.
SEE INDUSTRIAL REVIVAL
Unprecedented Building Opera.
tions and Lack Of Unemploy-
ment Are Factors.

American business has climbed out
Of the rut of international depression
and once more Is on the high road to
renewed prosperity.
That was the almost unanimous
opinion last night Of Washington's 8
leading merchants as they closed
what was declared to have been the
largest and most successful Christ
mas season in the history of this city's
mercantile business And reports re-
ceived from other large centers
throughout the country, they said. re-
feet like conditions.
Some OF the more enthusiastic mer-
chants here went 80 far as to declare
their business had been "phenomenar'
when it was considered that the Yule-
,rde buying season this year was
shorter than ever and that the amount
of money actually taken in this year
was far greater than before. despite
the fact that prices are lower.
Sales rs Per Cent Higher.
Our sales were 25 per cent higher
and the amount OF money taken In
10 per cent greater than ever before
in the history of this establishment,
the head OF one OF Washington's lead
ing department stores declared. That
statement just about summed up the
sentiments of the other merchants.
Every store had to sell far more
goods than last year. or any OF the
overly prosperous war years to bring
m 10 per cont more revenue than
their ledgers had ever shown.
\ general revival of industry. unpre-
cedented building operations and the
natural reversion of the American pub
'ic back to its normal stride of prosper
ity were suggested as the reasons for
the unexpectedly large Christmas sea-
son. The merchants were particularly
season had ever started more inauspi-
ciously. with the coal strike and other
industrial upheavals under way.
Few Buying Days.
Our trade organs and experts told
us TO expect big year this Christmas"
the general manager Of the department
store continued. But certainly no out,
twenty selling days elapsed between
Thanksgiving and Christmas, because
the former holiday fell on November 80
and an extra Sunday got sandwiched in
between. You must remember that the
public never begins to buy for Christ
mas until after Thanksgiving day
Despite all of these drawbacks our
sales were % per cent large than we
iave ever known. Prices were much
.ower this year than heretofore. but in
record. probably 10 per cent greater
than before. These facts certainly can
be accepted as evidence that America
has recovered from its postwar depres-
sion and that business has actually
turned that corner we were hearing
so much about last year
Frank NJ. Law. pr ssident of Parker
bridget Company. was even more en-
ihusiastic. He went back into the past,
talked of the present and predicted for
the future. saying:
Due to Building.
Last year we thought We did q
phenomenal business. all things con-
sidered. But it was nothing as com
pared to this year; 1922 has given us
the biggest business we have ever
had. 1 give credit for conditions in
Washington largely to the immense
carried on here on such a large scale
that Unemployment has once more
disappeared and every industry is kept
busy.
One sure indication that everybody
had money this year was the fact
that the vast majority of our Gus
toners demanded the best merchan-
dise-auality goods. Cheaper. in
f.rior gooos were seldom called for.
have been told. by trustworthy
throughout the country. Money
seems to be plentiful and the public
has regained its confidence in the future
and has ceased boarding.
Il DO believe. however. that We
must expect an advance in prices un-
iess the present experimental tariff
IS changed / hope this increase will
not be permanent. however"
BUSINESS in stores devoted exclu-
slveiy to women's wear reported q
their managers pointed with graft
hcation to the fact that the bulk of
their sales were of the better class
Or goods. They. too. accepted this as
an infallfble indication that the pub
ne has money again and is willing to
spend II: Frank X. Jelleff president
rf Jei!en's. Inc. was asked what, In
his opinion. had helped most to make
business so unexpectedly large.
Credit to Advertising.
Advertising" he replied without
hesitation. In the newspapers and
In the store. Not only have 1 gotten
remarkable results from newspaner
advertisements. but we have been
paying more attention to our show
windows. We have been dressing
them more attractively and with a
better class of goods. The result has
been almost remarkable. Scores of
customers have come in and expressed
surprise that We carried such high
nuality: they never knew it before.
they said
But if the mercantile business en-
1oyed an unprecedented Christmas
season this year. the produce and pro-
vision merchants decidedly have not,
according to the head Of a firm that
is recognized as one of the leaders of
those lines in Washington. He, too,
partly blamed the tariff but he also
blamed Congress for soaring the
life out of all government employees
by threatening to reduce their SAL
aries
The foremost merchants Of the other
lines. however, enthusiastically sup
ported the optimistic. statements Of
the mercantile housesf They were not
only pleased over their Christmas
shles but they declared the business
barometer now says. in unmistaka BILE
language:
Continued fair and warmer"
4 SPEAKS FOR MERCHANTS.