The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-02

II OV6ISuAQOWluS Magnitude or significance but nearly |ll the news Is favorable. The excep- Hons included sudden rise in call Honey from 2h per cent to per cent
 k the close of the week.. Some people Ike dfsposed to exaggerate the meaning |e this incident. December l dividend Ind interest and other disbursements |te heavy and 1t is not at all extraordi- hry that the call rate for the month |hd should be shot up to what, arter |h, is a very mild figures | For once the opening of congress IS Feating no alarm. Railroad operators is true, are eagerly awaiting action |h the eHowell-Barkley bill which would, | passed, deprive the public of it's pres N1t voice in the settlement of labor dis 2utes. The new session Is rather con- |dently counted upon to help rather han hurt business and employment. If tax reduction be not undertaken |efore March 8, there promises to be a 'ery insistent and widespread call for
 h extra session to give taxpayers relief 8efore 1926.
 The stock markets exhibition con nues. to excite chief attention. As kas to be expected, price movements developed some irregularity. Yet Fri law saw au outburst of activity only Ince exceeded since the election. This Ectiyity was not brought .about at the Epense of prices, for the days peak sractically matched the high point of he year touched on November 19. Scores of issues, industrial and rail- bad, went to new high ground for the tlrrent year. The number of separate issues dealt n was enormous, a fact which suggests hat, though professional operators bubtless are maneuvering pools in some locks the public is taking an impress ! we part in the markets doings. The short session on Saturday brought further demonstration of the markets Eiensth.
 The advance has been so very broad, has gone so far and 1t has been main- hined so many days that one Is forced D the conclusion that great body of Iublic sentiment has been behind the hovement, on the reasoning that Amer Ia Is bound to enjoy distinctly better ines. Encoura ging news items come daily. For example:
 Better demand is reflected by advanc- Ing prices in many directions. Dun's reports 32 advances out of 59 fhanges last week.
 The leading authority in the iron and steel industry chronicles number of favorable developments. "The broadening in demand is neces- |ary," it declares and substantiates this Fith price advances, increases re-opera- hons the re-opening of some idle plants, |tc.
 Says Bradstreets: ...> .-. Improvement is the dominant note |n trade, prices and industry. But here Is still a lack of uniformity in |eports as to distributive trade" A Uniontown, Pa, dispatch says: More than 1,200 coke ovens have been |e-fired during the last three weeks" Westinghouse orders increase during he month," reads one headline. Several oil companies announce price Advances.
 Marshall Field & Go. report: Current distribution of dry goods eX- Eeeded that of a week ago and also hat of the same week last year." November automobile sales as report I'd by a number of standard companies, phow very substantial increases over a year ago.
 The federal reserve board reports dis (inct improvement in business in Oc- Eober and during the early part of No Eember.
 Copper is again up to the 14c level. New England textile plants are in- ereasing their operations. The latest railroad figures show that he net profits for October promise to be up to the 5% per cent specified in he transportation act as a fair return Wheat growers saw their product
 climb to still higher quotations. Cot ton, however, still dragged especially
 below 25 cents.
 International bankers and other leaders attach great impor- lance to recent and prospective devel- ppments in Europe. Loans to Euro peans sponsored by such houses as J. P. Morgan & Go. and Spayer & Co.,, have been very readily absorbed. And
 how comes the announcement that the
 World war debt commission meets this
 week on the call of Secretary Mellon to consider a settlement of the French war
 debt to us. '
 The principal European currencies
 show firmness.
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