Evening star., 1923-01-22
PRICES OF WOOLENS
BIG TRADE FACTOR
Opening Of Fall Sales by
American WOODEN Company
Will Show Trend.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, January 22.-The open
ing of the heavyweight lines of wooden
fabrics for the fall of 1923 by the Amer
ican Woolen" Company today was .hs
lead for which wool growers. dealers,
textile manufacturers, garment makers
and retailers have. been waiting. The
advances in price. ranging about ." per
cent higher, were not unexpected ard
to large extent have been discounted
by Aarfous lines. but the formal IN
| nouncement of the leading interest will
! enable manufacturers and merchants 20
determine more definitely their plans
for the future
Within few days, the response to
| the offerings made today will indicate
10 what extent merchants believe ul:i-
mate consumers can De persuaded 10
accept increases in the prices OF fin-
other woolen cloth manufacturers is ex-
, pected to follow closely the trend
shown by the American Wooden Com
panT, and those makers who have not
yet provided for their raw Hool require
| ments will scurry to market.
Foreign wooIs Active Factor.
1t is estimated that only enough
ments is now available In this coun-
try. No other democratic WOODS will
come on the market until the end of
February Al least. when some of the
Arizona clips will be marketed if
weather permits early Shearing. For
eign wools. therefore, will be more
and more factor until summer, and
the foreign markets are universally
Strong today.
Reports received by wire today
from New England mill centers and
| from leading merchants. wholesalers
| and garment manufacturers through
out the country supported indica ations
that the whole trend of trade in
woolens would be toward stabilized
prices at slightly higher levels, to-
ward narrow margins of profit, close
cutting of overhead and extensive ad
vertising campaigns. with dependence
placed on volume rather than price
for net returns.
Oil and Rail Outlooks,
The decreased production Of the
Mexican oil fields is being reflected
in the demand for the lighter crude
seaboard. Shipments by way of the
Panama canal now aggregate about
10000 barrels of California crude
J day and are increasing rapidly.
Equally notable is the increase in
the demand for California crude from
the orient: japan being the principal
buyer. principally for the imperial
navy and the merchant marine.
Condition of railroad equipment is
improving rapidly. The number Of
bad order freight cars is less today
than a any time since early in 1927
and railroad car!oa dings are at pres
ent at record volume for this season of
| the year. In addition, the Improvement
gives every evidence of being Derma-
nent. for carriers have not ceased or
slack ened their orders for new equip
J meut and supplies. orders and pro-
grams announced and forecast make
| it. probable that at least S150,00O,0OO
will be spent by the railroads of the
country this year.
| Lnke Traffic to boom.
! Members of the Lake Carriers As
Sociation also are preparing for -
record brea king season. The copper
and iron mines OF the north are WORK
: ing under increased pressure and SO
far as can be judged by acreage FIG
gives no indication of Diminishing as
compared with 1922, when 5o9. 41l,1l3
bushels were moved on the lakes.
Representative of the canning in
i dustry assembled today at Atlantic
! City in annual convention forecast
an exceedingly prosperous year IN
general and this attitude is supported.
by the inquiries already passed on 10
manufacturers of food containers.
Lumber production is gaining stead
! lily in spite of the fact that this
season of the year usually marks a
| slump in both orders and productqn
| The California redwood manufactur-
ers have the largest orders on thei:
books of any time in five years.
Advance orders for spring delivery
Of silks are coming in rapidly IL
ca stern silk mills.