Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-21
TRADE ACTIVITIES
AT RECORD LEVELS
Practically All Lines Are
Closing Half Year of
Great Gains.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June 21.-Boards of
business strategy are sitting almost con-
tinuously this week, formulating plans
to clean up inventories for the close OF
the half year and increase business for
the remaining six months.
The first part of this program is not
giving executives much worry. Stocks
are melting off the shelves and out OF
the warehouses and plants. The tlrst
two quarters have produced such de-
mand in most lines that there Is small
excuse for burdensome inventories.
Trend of Times.
The second part of the program is
arousing considerable CONSERVATION.
Firms in nearly every line of business
are dashing into other lines which they
have never touched before. Other
firms which thought they had gagged
competition now find themselves faced
by opponents heretofore considered as
in a completely different line of bust
ness.
The retail tobacco interests. for ex-
ample, have shown desire to go into
the food products business. Manu-
facturers who have sold through jobberS
to retailers now are providing their
own retail outlets. Paint companies
have gone into the food business. Some
producers of. food are preparing to turn
byproducts into paper. Automobile
makers are turning to airplanes. Elec-
trical equipment manufacturers are
weaving and bleaching textiles.
j. P. Morgan e. Co. has just an
nounced a $50 900, 900 consolidation of
food products concerns, which will in
clude Fleischmann Yeast. Royal Baking
Powder and the E. w. Gillett Co.. Ltd,
largest maker of baking powder in
Canada Eventually, it is reported, this
may also take in Chase 81 Sanborn,
with an extensive coffee and tea bust
| ness.
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. is
building $500, 900 plant in Dayton to
make automobile batteries which will
| have a capacity of 1000 batteries day
at the outset. A thousand men will be
given work and the batteries will be
sold through Firestone tire dealers.
Copper mine owners are entering the
wire manufacturing field.
These are only few of the changes
taking place. The oil concerns are ac-
lively engaged in developing side lines
and in entering new fields within the
petroleum industry. The same applies
to coal.
Industrial Activities Great.
In the meantime, industries are plug
ging away at terrific pace. Men in the
| industry say steel is in better shape
than in any June since the war. There
are 40 open hearths, lib finishing units
and IL pipe makers active in the Ma
honing Valley alone this week, and fin
ishing mills are being held up by short
age of steel. The peak of automobile
production seems to have passed. but
| the volume of cars still being turned
| out Is tremendous. Road construction
is more active than ever before and
| construction of public buildings is pro-
ceeding as fast as possible.
Wheat and cotton now are being
| shipped from the South and Southwest
and, with the farm relief measure on
| the statute books. the feeling in rural
communities seems to have bettered
| Industrialists and distributors feel bet
ter now that Congress has recessed
without taking action on the tariff
| They know that 1t will be 1880 before
any general tariff revision can become
| effective, and feeling safe, therefore, in
making and carrying out plans for the
immediate future on the present Gus