Evening star., 1923-04-23
WHOLESALE BUYERS.
SHOWING CAUTION
High Prices Cause Less
Long-Range Purchasing.
Retail Trade Booming.
By j. G. ROYLE.

B1 j. L. HO1 LII.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. April 23.-Recent ad-
vances In prices have not affected
retail buying TO any marked degree.
according to merchandising experts
in various sections of the country
today Department stores. reports
by telegraph indicate, are piling up
an increasing volume of sales.
prices on all commodities are
from 10 to 20 per cent higher than
they have been for many months"
said Robert j. Alexander Of the
Merchandise Reporting Company.
New York Resident Buyers. who has
just returned from a wide swing
through the country. From time
70 time we are warned against
buyers strike but ! doubt the pos
kibility of this. except, perhaps, In
very small way.
Buyers at Wholesale Cautious.
"Increa sed costs have retarded
buyers at wholesale from operating
+ar in advance. but, so far. have not
feld back retail sales. Manufactur-
ers arc not accommodating much stock
and inventories of retailers are no
larger than. if as large as. last year.
he trend is toward rapid turnover
with small profits"
Alexander added that bank deposits
and pay rolls indicated an increase of
90 per cent in the per capita pur-
cha sing power of the people of the
United States. and, inasmuch as COL
IecuonS are very good, the assump-
ton is the public is paying and can
pay for all 1t buys.
No Return 10 SILK Shirt Era.
But there have been no signs of
an orgy of indiscriminate and foolish
purchasing. such as took place dur
ing the silk shirt era Of several
years ago" he added. The demand
for well made, dependable merchan-
disc IS very good all over the coun-
try and, although novelties are SELL
ing we'll. there seems to he no par
ocular section asking for luxuries
at the expense OF regular merchan
disc"
Although prosperity is well dis
trlbuted throughout the country, the
Industrial ceutcrs are showing more
improvement than the agricultural
districts. as Is shown by volume OF
retail department store sales. This.
Alexander asserted, was due to recent
wage increases and shortage Of labor.
Employment agencies Indicate a
decrease of 25 per cent from this
time last year in the number Of ap-
10 per cent In the number OF Jobs
open Alexander said. II believe
our prosperity is fundamentally sound
80 long as labor is in great demand
and is receiving high wages"
Farmers Show some Improvement,
Agricultural ccnters ara not as
prosperous, generally speaking. as
tfe industrial canters. ye, they also
show substantial business progress.
The general purchasing power of the
farmer. AS obtained by the prices
paid him for what he sells. Is slowly
improving, although 1t is still almost
one-thtrd below what it was In pre-
war days.
Goods produced are moving stead :
!iy into consumpttve channels and
trade and industry are moving for
ward under the steady stimulus of
normal demand. Goods are not ac-
cumulating and prices. are showing
30 runaway tendency. Business has
Increased so far along safe and sane
lines"
Midwest Sales Very Large.
Fift%-seven n1erchanta. fnernbers OF
tha Detroit Retailers Association
reported today that business in the
last month had been SCI per cent
greater than that for the correspond
ing period of last year. Merchants
throughout the southwest are doing
record business and expect this to be
increased as employment is increas-
tns, although there is as yet no acute
shortage Of workers in that section.
Push Cooperative Marketing.
SALEM Ore. April % (SpeciaI)-
Bankers, fruit growers and wholesale
distributors are backing the move
nent to link up the Pacific North
west states in a practical way for
selling purposes and closely follow
Ing the California plan Of Cooper
atiTe marketing.
Start Huge Lake Steamers.
DETROIT. April % Especially
Kcels have been laid for two new
passenger boats for the Detroit Havi-
cation Company which will cos: 81
100000 and will be the largest v:sse!s
Oh the great lakes.
sI3.5OO.oOO for Highways.
DENVER, April 23 tSpeclal).- The
budget of the Colorado highway COM
mission. just announced. calls for the
expenditure OF Sl3,500,090 during the
present year.