The Washington herald., 1922-06-25
FRENCH BUSINESS
SHOWS MATERIAL
CHANCEFOR BETTER
Cotton Textiles, Building,
Shoe, and Metal Trades
Have Good Prospects.

The passing of the May 81 re-
pa-otionS crisis afforded a certain
amount of relief to the tension in
the French financial and Industrial
, world. hut the subsequent failure
Of the international bankers com
mittee to negotiate a loan for Ger
many has created new element of
uncertainty. However. says Com
mercial Attache Huntington in a
cable to the Department OF Com
merce, cotton textiles. shoe, build
ing and metallurgical industries
show a very satisfactory activity
at the present time and have favor
able prospects for the immediate
future. Unemployment has been
practically eliminated. and in the
more active industries fear of an
actual shortage of labor is expert
enced- Agricultural prospects have
improved.
NrtRliurgIcnI Industry More Active.
Considerable improvement has
been eNrerie1ced in the steel in
d"Stry. chiefly Tue to the continu-
anCe oS eV1Orts to Germany. mad
r."~-'Ila by the ina aNrity of the
Ca-~1au works 80 quote f-n pr'cas
an' rua-g ntar deliveries. The priCr
of French zig ron * now declared
to I've low the German. an1
reduction CC1t'nues to increase in
both France AM Lorraine. The ex-
l-orts TO German are LARGELY in tn"
Z ~ - Ssvii-f1iShPI r-ndTctS
sow" cOmp- mes are seriously cor
S'Ier,ng. Uniting move Vast fur
ns"eS and Stnrti-g idle mills. The
S:-u"tur"l steel compton has noted
Increased sales during May. due to
generally increased building activ-
Nv. especially in the devastated re-
Eions
"ond'tIors n TrH'IIc Industries.
Cotton spinning is nctive in the
To- bGix-Tu-roing diS-r'cts. anl
N"-nan3v SINNERS and weave=s
have orders ahead for several
weeks. Weavers N the Vosres re-
Fi"n AND A!s1ce are busy. the lat
'"- fn1ing good demand from
Germany.
Shoe Ru~inc~s BrIsk.
Shro manufacturers continue -
r"~eive heavy orders. and retail
sales are IN excess of the normal
lovsl Orda.~s for delivery m au-
tu~-n have boer arriving regularly,
P1d there x rttln rrosnec. Of re-
''-"ti"I of ortput although the sea-
s~n is usUaIl- over at this time
Tatent Leather is in great demand.
1T sales nS sole and unnar leather
"re active. The ta1ring business
&C. imprCviu~. and the market for
t~"-Ad hides and skins is good.
The rrHrEet for lumber from tNA
T-U1ted states continues to he dull.
S"-ne rather larGA purchases have
been made IN Sweden. hut prac-
ti"allv aI1 important orders are be-
H. Dlaced II Central and Eastern
FUrop". where the exchange Is
rrore favorable.
Automobile Industry.
Dave1onr1ente during May would
confirm the view that tho French
autnmohla industry has now
turned the corner. and sales cf rep
reSertativc cars are gradually in
creasinC. In order to facilitate the
sale Of CheGne- automobiles a bill
was rrasenteI to tn" Chamber of
Deputies on Nav % which rlans to
exempt cars valued af less than Is
600 francs from payment of the
luxury tax. The 1923 budget bill
requests a materially increased ap-
Precipitation for aiding motor bus
transportation services.
ChcmIcnIS-Trnnspo
The heavy chemicals industry is
improving. with business much bet
ter than year aCo and prices well
maintained. Chemicals for tanning.
Elassworks and paints. however.
still remain Inactive. synthetic
products for drugs and perfumes
are satisfactory.
The recent release of the 1920 s
per cent government rentes to free
trading marks the end of the gov
eminent pegrlnE of loans All the
covernment loans are reported TO
he holding IN well in market opera
tions. The BOurse is less optimis-
tic than during the first week Of
June. but remains firm.
The Bank Of France has shown
no important change during the
past month.