Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
Bright Trade Outlook
for Remainder of Year
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Business men throughout the coun.
try in general are optimistic over
the outlook for trade and industry in
the remaining months of the year,
according to reports to the various
Federal agencies which collect data
on such trends. Combined with the
prospects that farm crops this sea
son will be worth more than a bill
lion dollars above last years agri-
cultural production. the situation APP
pears decidedly favorable.
One of the most significant of the
many private indicators recently was
that issued this week by the Amer
lean Railway Association in the form
of a summary of the reports from the
IL shippers regional advisory boards
as to their judgment of transporta-
ton requirements for the third quar-
ter of 1927. For the country as a
whole these reports indicate that 49,
per cent more freight cars will be
required to haul the tonnage from
July to September 80 than during
the corresponding period last year.
If this increase in transportation
demands Is to be realized, however,
1t is apparent it will come in Au-
gust and September, for the first
three weeks of July have followed
the trend of May and June in re-
duced requirements for freight cars.
The gains of the first four months
of the year, however, have not been
wiped out in the cumulative figures,
for from January l to July Is load
ings of revenue freights aggregated
2S,204,000 cars, compared to 28,048,-
600 in the same period of 1926. Com
pared with 1925 there has been
falling off in transportation demands
in only one week this year.
The inactivity of coal has played
large part in slowing up freight
movement in the last few weeks.
Stocks Of coal in dealers yards and
In consumers' bins remain large. The
shippers advisory boards believe, how
ever, that the coal movement in the
third quarter will exceed that of the
per cent.
Wholesale prices continue to de.
cline having reached their lowest
postwar level in the week ended July
%, according to- the Department of
Commerce.
Manufacturing production was great.
err in. juno than in that month of
1926. Using 1919 as 100, the Com.
merce Depa rtment's index of this item
shows 1876 last. month, compared to
131 in June of last year. Commodity
stocks, however, showed some in
crease in June and untitled orders de-
creased The Department of Labor
has reported "a per cent reduction
In employment in manufacturing in
dustries in June contrasted with the
same month a year ago and 2.3 per
cent reduction in pay rolls.
In tho face Of signs of a definite de.
cline in the high rate maintained for
several years by the construction in
dustry, building contracts awarded in
June formed the largest aggregate
value Of any month on record. due
largely to public works and public
utilities.
Wholesale trade as reported to the
Federal Reserve Board aggregated 3.5
per cent smaller. in value in the first
half of this year than in the CORE
spending period of 1926. Some of
this is to be attributed to lower price
levels. Sales at retail in the first half
of the year were iarger-than last year,
both in value and in volume. Reports
to the Federal Reserve Board indicate
smaller inventories Of goods and more
rapid turnover by retailers, with de.
partment stores at the end Of June
having smaller stocks than q year
ago. go
Compared with. the early months
of this year, there has been q per-
ceptible slowing down In some lines