Evening star., 1927-04-23
FLOOD DEPRESSING
TO i. S. INDUSTRY
Influence Distributed So
That II Is Not Felt Heavily
in Any One Area.
BY J. G. ROYI.E.
l. Naaa . Ia

special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, April 23The food
conditions which obtain today in many
sections OF the country have eNer'
cised depressing influence on com
merce. transportation, trade and in
dustry. This influence has been 80
distributed however, that II has not
heen felt heavily In any diatrict out
side the sections where the food SUI
terers themselves are located. but In
the aggregate It has affected carload
inks, collections, retail and whole
sale trade and manufactures.
Even In North Dakota a large part
Of the Red River Valley, sometimes
called the "Breadbasl>et of the World. -
has been under water. Az result
much land intended for Spring wheat
viii lie planted To potatoes or late
grains. The n reaRe of durum will
he largely increased this year. since
durum wheat has been higher In price
than bread wheat The italian crop
which was short last year. probably
win have considerable influence In
1927 durum heat profits.
Little Change I'm Steel.
The production of steel and auto.
mobiles showed comparatively little
change In the last few days. Accord.
ing to K. II. Grant sales manager Of
one large automobile concern, 40. 600.
600 Americans will use motor cars on
their vacations this Summer. and the
factories are turning them out in an
tiCipation that between $500 900 and
10 600. 600 cars will he 80 used, al.
though nothing like that number will
be built this year. Trunk manufac.
turers and makers OF luggage are
speeding up production to meet in.
creased demand.
The steel fabricatlons in some manu-
featuring sections have reported Inn
proyement owing to increase" build
ing. Pay rolls are running approx
mately n half million dollars a month
more in tie Mahoning Valley than
at this time in 1925 and 1926.
Continued price cuts in crude oil,
which have brought that commodity
TO the lowest price in three years In
northwestern Pennsylvania. have af.
fected drilling operation both there
and in nearly every oil district The
hard coal situation has registered
some improvement, but little change
is visible in the condition OF the soft
coal trade, although the tone Of prices
Is somewhat stronger.
Retail merchants are optimistic in
many sections. Sales of the big chain
stores and mail order houses seem
destined to overtop those of April
1925. For some commodities, price
levels have shown a decline but the
need for wrlte-offs on inventories has
usually been avoided.
Copper Prices Lower.
Copper prices are almost a cent a
pound lower than a year ago although
the tone OF the market strengthened
in the last week with sales showing
gratifying volume. The production OF
lead is exceeding consumption and
lack OF demand from galvanizers is
held responsible for the ompdratively
low price of zinc.
The Cuban sugar crop is now almost
made. Between 80 and 100 mills have
already completed operations for the
season and according to the figures OF
the Havana Sugar Club only some
100000 tons still remain to be made
to complete the 4,500 900 tons to which
production has been limited by the
Cuban government.
The visit OF President Machado to
Washington and New York iS being
watched eagerly by the trade, since
his statements may Indicate i'm
portant future policies.
Lumber orders are running about
as heavy as a year ago, but pro-
duction and shipments are lower,
with a. consequent improvement In
untitled orders. Dealings in the
principal wool markets has been
quiet. but shearing has begun on the
sheep of the Jericho pool in Utah
and this with the trend of produc-
tion indicated in Utah and other
Western States may stimulate bust
ness shortly.