Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-24
YULET|DE RETAIL
BUSINESS HEAVY
Volume Of Goods Sold Ex-
peCted to Exceed Every
Year Since 1920.
ny J. &. ROYI.E.

StteCIat nl.patCh Ia The star
NEW YORK, December s4.--The
pref IN istmas holiday trade through.
out the country wound up in furorc
nj activity today. Unaucstionahly
the volume uf goods suid exceeded
that of any YEAR since 1920. In the
larger trading centers reports by tele-
graph nrlicate that the holiday bus.
ness cNne fully up 10 earlier eNpec'
tatiuns.
Local transportation systems and
suburban and interurhan lines had eN.
treme difficulty IN handling the crowd
Of shoppers, Night deliveries were
rcsurted To In many sections, and
purchasers co.operated 10 II remark
able extent by carrying home their
own bundles.
The volume Of trade was aided ma
terially by THE fact that Christmas
fell on Sunday. leaving the entire six
days III this week open tn intensive
shopping. Department stores through
out the country are preparing tn take
full advantage Of the let-down in
buyers resistance. md Will begin
their post Christmas sales and offer
nsS promptly on Tuesday morning
with stocks nf goods on the shelves
particularly calculated Ia supplement
any demand left untitled during the
present week.
Industrial Activity Siackens.
There was. M always happens In
this season Of the year. II slhckeninG
of industrial activity In some lines.
This was less than usual. however.
because Of the fact that the entire
week WAS al the disposal of the work
ing forces, Next week probably viii
feel the effects of the legal holiday
on Monday.
steel conditions were fairly stable
with decided Improvement IN senti'
mrut. The relation of production To
capacity WAS oniv slightly changed.
bur prices are hrm and there ~ every
indication that a ftne volume or bust
ness viii flow in immediately after
the turn Of the wear This ~ esp~'
cially true with regard tn the demand
OF the railroads.
The automobile business Is feeling
the effects of the sag natural AT this
period OF the year. Ford activity Is
gradually increasing The majority of
the concerns VIII need the spur nt
the early January shoWs to hrtns
them 80 greatly increased output, Tn
ders, however. from the motor manu-
factlIrers are such that their future
h'ltNHN HlttI JANUARY ~ ih h'''c
doubt,
The only check to new huilding con-
sttt,,tiun las hcru oitoI"d hv the
Weather, Prices al matrtiaia ara
favorable aud the actual Volume uf
contracts lot compare more than
faVurativ with the responding
p"Ilod ut hast yeaf
Holding t,uwn t'raduction,
The iuml,rr dealers are carefully
holding down production amt scisihk
eNttN opinrtuuttN Ia in"tense new
business, The ila,dWood industry es-
p", ltliv shoWa EtutitNina Increases hs
compared With last Avar
on production ~ the Semiuule held
continued Ia eats. but In west Texas
the output for last week averaged
sol so barrels, This was due Ia
gains In the new pouls IN the biz west
Texas permain haaln nslda.
The nonterraua metals felt the eft
feet 1T the Christmas holiday sas, and
we're all trine SETTER. The agricui'
turai communities. as 10 natural, are
showing little activity In the hsida, hut
considerable activity in the stores
The situation Is adequately outlined
bV the fact that The average monthly
wass M Ia ,ha tine Winter set
this Year Tor The United States az u
Nhale, WAS kah.hs ior farm hands,
lhis, NJ course, tnnluded hoard aud
in"n' The .aNerase A'asa tat 'ha IL
"A eateVu states was h,av anieue,