Evening star., 1927-10-08
SHARP EXPANSION
IN RETAIL TRADE
Some Unemployment Report.
ed, but 1t Is Seasonal.
Building Is Good.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK. October S.-Some un-
employment is beginning to make it.
self evident in various sections Of
the country. This should occasion no
alarm as to the business and indus.
trial situation or becloud the prospect
Of business prosperity. = 1t represents
merely the interval between changes
Of employment among itinerant
workers.
The harvest hands and sheep
shearers have just about completed
their seasons work. They have flocked
into the cities for a brief change be-
tween jobs. Then, too, the suit case
mechanics, like the birds, have com.
menced to work South and have not
'1it" yet.
Unframed labor has been released
on construction jobs in some sections
and Is working toward districts where
Winter work will be in progress. 1t
is worthy Of note that the men in
froht of the employment offices are re.
markably well dressed and in good
physical condition.
Bond Demand Sign.
The financial situation of workers
and employers alike is indicated with
much plainness by the demand
throughout the industrial districts for
bonds and high-class investment Sc
curities. Even in the farming dis
1922.
Retail trade has expanded sharply
and further gains are anticipated as
October goes on. This is due in some
measure to improvement in the agri-
cultural situation and early marketing
on the part of the farmers. The i'm
provement in industrial lines has been
less rapid, but this, too, is slowly i'm.
proving.
Building construction is holding up
remarkably well, although it has fallen
below the August peak. There is
no doubt that more money is being
spent on large engineering projects
than in any previous year. Housing
construction has fallen. but still is at
high rate. The slight increase in
construction costs Is attributed to
higher prices for some grades of lum.
Der. but the lumber industry is Just
about holding its own as to profits,
although orders have been good. The
amount of money available for build
the fact that the Prudential Insur.
ance Co. announced today it had
loaned $3.50, ,001 on real estate
mortgages in the first nine months of
this year.
The steel industry Is better than
holding its own as to output, and
prices are fairly firm. Shipments of
non-ferrous metals have been better
In the last week, although demand
for copper is still below normal. For.
eign buying has shown Improvement.
Zinc has been fairly active on gal.
vanlzers' orders, but lead is dull.
Quicksilver has improved in price.
Ra! sugar has shown little change
since the Cuban Congress passed its
legislative measures to restrict out.
put and obviate dumping on over
crowded markets. Estimates Of the
European beet sugar output have been
reduc Il.
Coal Prices Slump.
The settlement of the coal strike
on temporary terms in Illinois has not
helped soft coal prices. VIII. h have
slumped badly in New England. Anth.
racite demand still is holding off.
Stocks are high in both divisions. The
continuation of the huge crude oil
pfouuc.loH IS pEnS IOllOWed Dy gaSO-
line price wars in various sections,
since Oil companies are anxious to
keep storage stocks as low as possible
Automobile production is slightly
down from the Summer peak, but still
Is remarkably high. Affiliated indus.
tries have felt the effect of the DELAYS
which obviously have retarded the in.
PRODUCTION Of the new Ford Car. Tire
manufacturers in general are in a
most advantageous position, with re-.
placement demand exceptionallv
heavy. A record movement of grain
is assured on the Great Lakes this
Fall. until ice makes navigation inn.
possible. The only fly in the ointment
for the Northwestern terminals is that
Eastern millers and exporters are not
absorbing grain fast enough to pre-.
vent congestion.