The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-25
BUSINESS IN
NATION SHOWS
NEW STRENGTH

More Cheerful Tone Than
Around the First of the
Year, Says Writer
PROGRESS SAID SHOWN
Washington, Feb. 25.--Business as
whole during the last thirty days
continued to experience the cheerful
tone which became visible around
the beginning of the year, writes
Frank Greene in his monthly survey
of business conditions in The Ma
tons Business. In most lines" he
says, distinct progress has been
shown, but this must be taken with
the reservation that there are enough
unsatisfactory features visible to
prevent the summarizing of the Sit
uation as entirely favorable
If broad view is to be taken,'
says Mr.. Greene, 1T may be said
that financial lines have been gen
orally cheerful, money has been in
abundant supplys and easy, and Sc
curity markets have been active.
The foreign situation, too, has SEEM
ed TO have become more cheerful;
European securities have stiffened in
price; exchange has advanced from
the very low levels of January
and our export trade has enlarged,
mainly, however, in raw cotton.
Here at home it may be said tina.
the construction trades, iron, steel,
hardware, autom obiles, petroleum, al!
kinds of building material and to a
certain extent furniture, have either
increased output or stiffened prices.
Building construction aided by an
open winter has gone to an extent
uncommon at this season and great
expectations are held as to the years
progress rs a whole on this line.
'On the other hand what may be
called the apparel trades, cottons,
woolens, silks and, to a certain eX
tent, footwear, have not responded
as expected. and until we'll into Feb
ruary, caution and conservatism with
price irregularity have governed the
textiles.
One result has been that most
centers report wholesale trade in
these lines not as large as year
ago in January and the elapsed por-
ton of February. That the cohstruc-
ton trades should be we'll situated
without favorable ultimate reflection
upon apparel lines seems improbable,
but the fact remains that confident
progress is as marked in the one as
is hesitancy or indecision on the
other.
Retail Trade Helped
Retail trade in seasonal goods
which Jagged all through last years
warm autumn and early winter were
helped in January by more season
able weather, but much advertising
Of sales was necessary to bring
what is conceded to be a larger re-
tail distribution than year ago.
Profits have been cut in conse-
quence. Mail order trade in January
gained over 10 per cent on the like
month of 1928.
lHc SIotlSliCS loI JANUARY
ing to hand have very rally con-
firmed the reports of expansion in
most lines of industry. Commodity
prices have reflected the continuance
of the good amount of stability noted
in 1923, very small drop in the
price level being shown between jan
uary l and February 1, with most
wool -,
and the provisions groups and most
strength in hides and leather
Farm products showed slight
gain as to breadstuffs, may wheat
and corn being we'll up to the high
est of the season. Weakness early
in January of cotton and cotton
goods more than offset the strength
in wool in January, but cotton rose
more than 2 cents from the low
point of the first month, and at
present writing cotton goods are
firmer
In steel and iron, the history of
the recent past has been one of in
creased buying of steel we'll into the
second quarter of 1924; higher prices
and better buying of pig iron and
scrap and very favorable Steel Cor
poration report of earnings for the
last quarter Of 1923. G,.
Orders Better
I'm the building material trades,
while orders were reported BY lum-
Der manufacturers to be smaller than
late in 1923, though far better than
year ago, there has been steady
buying movement at consuming mar
kets for building lumber, while fur
nitpre men and automobile manufac-
turers bought freely of hardwood.
Brick manufacturers have been act
i've despite large imports Of foreign,
Dutch and German, brick made in
molds sent from here. A new fea-
ture in brick shipping is the more
extensive employment Of the railways
in carrying this product from the
yards. Cement buying has been
good following record-breaking
output in 1923, and another big year
in road making apparently impends
Some idea of the tremendous
scope of the country's building pro-
gram may be had from preliminary
January totals, which, coming from
only l26 out of 176 cities usually re.
porting, show that the high January
total of a/year ago will probably be
exceeded by 6 per cent, which would
indicate total expenditure plan
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