Evening star., 1926-12-27
PROSPERITY SEEN
BY TRADE LEADERS
Fair Weather Course for
Business Ship Predicted
for 1927.
Nv the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, December 27.-Bea
cons in the banking and industrial
world point a fair weather course Tor
the good ship business in 1927. FORE
casts of optimism, tempered with
notes of conservatism, We're aVallable
today in statements on the outlook
for next years business from heads
of railroads, banks and Industrial cor.
porations. The navigable seas OF
commerce are not threatened by are
storms, as far as can be seen, the
prognoSticatorS say. H1gh plhhdcies
of prediction follow
James Simpson, president OF Mar
shall Field & Co:
"In my opinion business win con
tinue during the next six months
substantially on the level OF 1875.
Business and Government have been
conservatively, although progressive
ly, administered during the past year
and fundamental conditions are left IN
good balance, auguring well Tor the
period Immediately ahead. Merchan-
dising activity generally has been
successful. The retail sales of Mar
shall Field & Co. have been the larg-
est in our history"
Gary's Outlook Favorable.
States Steel Corporation:
"If business shall be seriously dinlin-
ished during the coming year, 1t VIII
be the fault of ourselves, and not the
fault of natural conditions or the
lack of consideration and fair treat
ment by the national administration.
The opportunities for success in
business have been better than ever
before, he added. These opportunities
he listed as rich resources, lncludlng
cash balances in banks: yearly I'M
provement of banking facilities since
the creation of the Federal reserve
Board, little disagreement or dlssatls-
faction in industrial and labor circles.
Alfred p Sloan, jr., president OF
the General Motors Corporation, says
IT now seems reasonable to expect
that the 1927 production of automo-
biles will equal, if it does not exceed,
the previous four-year average. He
predicts that 1927 will be a good and
satisfactory year for the automobile
industry.
Lammont du Pont, president of the
E. l. du Pont de Nemours & Co., says:
"As the year 1926 draws to a close,
we do not see any element in the in
dustrial or economic situation which
would indicate trouble or depression
ahead"
Sees Heavy Rail Traffic.
William Sproul, president Of the
Southern Pacific Co., has this to say:
"The indications are that railway
traffic volume and financial results for
1927 will compare fayorably with
those of 1926"
r. L. Agassiz, president Of the
Calumet & Hecla Consolidated Copper
Co., views the coming year as follows:
1.-THE worlds economic structure is
so sensitive that we cannot always be
sure what a week or a month will
bring forth, but, judging by conditions
as they now present themselves,
have every confidence that the coming
year will be a prosperous one for
the copper industry"
Patrick E. Crowley, president Of the
New York Central lines, says that
indications are that 1927 will be a
year that might be termed generally
satisfactory 50 far as the railroads
are concerned in that the prospects
for the volume of traffic do not, at
this time, present any unusual out
look
"The business weather man may
confidently predict smooth seas for
1927" says Alvin Krech, chairman of
the board of the Equitable Trust Co.
r. Edison White, president of
Armour & Co., says:
The year 1927 dawns without any
clouds in the business sky"