Evening star., 1927-09-24
FARMERS BUYING
ALL OVER NATION
Heaviest Cash Business of
Year Going 0n-Auto Trade
Not Waiting for Ford.
BY j. c. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 24.-The
domestic trade of the United States
is doing it's heaviest cash business of
the year right now. This is the sea-
son of the year when the farmers,
who for the greater portion of the II
months do business on a credit basis,
have something besides knife and q
key ring to jingle in their pockets
Receipts from crops sold anc shipped
from the farms are pouring into the
farmers pockets at rate between
$40 600, 900 and $50.0O0,000 day.
The agricultural districts, therefore,
are settling up their debts and MAX
ing cash purchases. In consequence
there may be a trif1e less money in
the banks, but there is a larger
amount in circulation. This fact tends
to strengthen the business position
for the moment.
Sentiment in steel Is undeniably
better, even if actual operations have
not shown any impressive improve
ment. Demand is constant and stable
and this has enabled manufacturers
to accept business which in old days
they would have found Improbable.
Auto Trade Better.
The automobile business is not wait
ing on Henry Ford although in some
sections there has been slight check
to sales of the lower price range cars
which is attributed to desire of pros
pective buyers to see the new Ford.
Those companies which have been
making profits are making more prof
it's and even those which have Jagged
have felt certain stimulus due to the
season.
The so-called "ships that pass in the
night" are increasing their business
rapidly. BY this title is meant the
motor trucks which operate on inter-
urban routes, and which consist of
motor truck and three to four trailers.
A tremendous amount of freight is
being moved by these carriers, which
operate mostly between sunset and
sunrise. About 100000 tons will be
carried in Ohio alone by these trains
this year.
New building is proceeding salts
factorily and building materials are
in good demand, although there is not
sufficient pressure behind this buying
to affect prices. The softwood lum-
Der industry has spurted in response
and is now at about the level of pro-
duction shipments and new business
| which obtained at this time last year
Public Utilities Doing Well
The public utilities are doing 81
| didly. Eleven big companies
| have reported on recent earnin
| have made sizeable gains in pro
| compared with 1926. The stree
way systems are doing better.
| to heavy industrial employment.
| the demand for electric power is
| ing steadily. In this connection ii l.
notable that New England credits
some offers for old-time textile mills
| to the fact that the mills own valu-
able Water-power rights.
| The cotton marke. has not recov-
cred in full from the blow it received
| last week, but the more optimistic
| statisticians still predict 25-cent cot
ton, with 80 cents paid for the tail
end of the crop. The New England
| textile mills find no comfort in these
| predictions, but consumption of raw
staple continues extremely high.
The oil industry has made no
marked statistical improvement, and
many of the companies find that un-
less the return to normalcy comes
soon their dividends will be beclouded
by lack of earnings. The soft-coal op-
orators and miners seem to be coming
slowly to the conclusion that their dis
pute is equally dangerous and costly
10 each.
Larger sales of copper have heart
ened the copper producers, and the
lead price and demand also have inn
proved. Silver advanced under the
spur of better Oriental demand, but
consumers of zinc showed little inter-
est in offerings.