Evening star., 1928-12-14
INCREASE IN RETAIL
BUSINESS IS SHOWN
Survey Shows Stocks Are
Low and Demand Has
Been Insistent.
BY J. C. RoYLR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 14.-Taking
of inventories at the year-end, which
has already commenced with some nTmS,
promises TO be less extended opera
tion than usual Stocks are low, having
been kept down close TO consumptlVe
needs. Moreover, demand Is SO insist
ent and deliveries are called tor on
such short notice that many OF the cor
porationS cannot afford more than a
minimum time for the taking OF stocks
The late recorders for the Christmas
trade are now being rushed to the re-
tailers and the railroads and mails are
burdened in consequence. Retail trace
is booming, with stores crowded ana
volume OF sales extremely high. Lux
uries are in demand, but they are the
personal luxury goods and not extremely
high in price in most cases.
Sporting goods sales have taken
Jump, especially the equipment for
hunters, fishermen and trap shooters
Steel Trade.
The steel trade Is maintaining its pace
without difficulty and the only marked
slow down Is in plants where repairs
have made the blowing out OF furnaces
necessity. The improvement IN ac-
tivity in the automobile manufacturing
centers Is expected to become noticeable
next week. The airplane makers are as
busy as the notables who have been
celebrating the Kitty Hawk flights OF
the Wright brothers of IS years ago.
Discoveries Of new oil fields IN vari-
GUS sections of Kansas, Oklahoma,
Texas and California has caused some
revival Of talk concerning the danger OF
another period Of over-production OF
oil, but the industry Is far better organ
lied to meet this today than a year or
two ago.
The demand for copper is being main
tanned, but the industry is now COM
mencing to feel the effect Of the I'M
petus which big sales have had on pro-
duction. Stocks Of copper have ad-
vanced some 10000 tons. This, how
ever, is. not large enough to cause any
concern in production circles. Lead and
zinc prices have been about unchanged.
If Bolivia gets into q war, as seems
threatened, IL will probably boost the
price Of tin, since Bolivia produces that
metal In considerable quantities.
Textile Industry.
Textiles are doing remarkably well,
considering the season Of the year.
Tire manufacturers are we'll engaged
and each is relying on the other. Paper
production In the news print field Is
showing some slight check.
The situation Of sugar does not indi-
cate any immediate improvement. The
domestic growers have issued a COM
bined cry for higher tariff protection,
aimed at Cuba, which has preferential
rate. The Cuban producers are yelling
Just as loudly for reduction or elimina-
ton Of the tariff wall.
Many cotton experts believe the latest
Government forecast of l4,373,0 900 bales
is too high. At any rate it Is sure the
carry-over at the end of the crop year,
July 81, 1929, will be small. Raycn
factories are having no let UP in de-
mand.
Many good Judges profess to see the
entry Of the British American Tobacco
Co. into the American competitive field
through the sale Of certain brand OF
smoking tobacco. This they regard as
the entering wedge for incursions into
the cigarette trade.