Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-25
RETAIL TRADE GOOD
IN MOST SECTIONS
Steel Mills to Use Fourth
Holiday to Repair Plants
and Machinery.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK, June 25.-Houses are
being set in order in preparation for
the end of the fiscal year and the COM
pletion of the first half of the 1927
calendar year. This does not mean
that business is slowing down, but 1t
does indicate that for the time being
no striking new commitments are be-
ing made in business, industry or
trade. Inventories are being straight
ened out. and business men are de-
voting q few days to outlining their
policies for the ensuing six months.
This trend has not affected retail
trade. In fact, the approach of the
July 4 holiday, which will cover
more extended period this year than
usual, is stimulating department store,
chain store and mail order sales at
the moment. The volume of buying
of sporting goods has been eXtraordi-
nary, and the demand for vacation
equipment and apparel is approaching
a point seldom exceeded.
This trend will help the apparel
trades materially. The second quar-
ter Of the year has been somewhat
disappointing, since the weather has
been unfavorable to heavy sales of
mems and women's clothing and no
siery. Sales have been down about
per cent, as compared with the CORE
spending period of 1925. In some sec.
tons the drop in sales volume has not
been unusual.
Repairs Over Holiday.
The steel mills are expected to run
steadily at present rates until the end
of next week. The holiday period will
be utilized to make necessary ma
chinery adjustments and repairs in
many plants. The possibility of
Pennsylvania and Ohio still is hover
ing in the offing.
The automobile industry continues
divided. A half dozen makers grudge
every minute the holiday imposes, for
they have purchasers for every car
thew can turn out. Others welcome
the holiday as a time for looking over
the situation and outlining future
policies in view of late trends in
models and methods.
The oil production of the country
continues at high rate and it is a
good thing for the industry that the
consumption of gasoline and fuel oil is
as high as it is or the industry would
be still further disrupted. Were it
not for occasional meetings between
the miners and operators, which have
led to little, few would know that a
coal strike Is in progress. The non.
union fields are turning out goodly
supply which, with current stocks in
storage, has proved entirely adequate
for needs. The holiday will check all
coal production to considerable ex-
tent.
Building Volume Good.
The volume of building contracts
let have been sufficiently high to cause
a decided firmness in the building ma
terials markets. Hardwood lumber is
high and in demand and 1t is now be
lieved some time must elapse before
the effect of the Mississippi flood dis
appears as factor in this line. Soft
woods are easier and curtailment of
the mills continues. There is some
unemployment reported among the
lumber trades in the Pacific North
west.
The year has now progressed far
enough to indicate that American
consumption of sugar will be exceed
ingly high and this Is having some.
what heartening effect on the beet
growers and sugar makers OF the
Middle and Inter-mountain West. The
canning trade promises to show in
creased activity. The ice cream and
soft drink manufacturers are APP
preaching the high period of their
year with plants rushed to the utmost.
The first carload of the Georgia
peach crop for foreign shipment was
loaded in this port today for London.
The export shipments were tried eX-
perimentally las year and proved
profitable.
Every available passenger car is
being furnished up by the railroads
in anticipation of uneXcelled holiday
traffic and the forces of traffic police
are being augmented on all main
travelled roads.