New Britain herald., 1930-05-19
Forecasters Indicate Early Autumn as Most Prob able Period to Expect Normal Conditions.

Now York, May 19 LPl-Stocks were sluggish and heavy at the be- , ginning Of the new week today and the market was deaf to Secretary Of Commerce Lamonrs prediction { that business would return to nor maj within three months, in curious contrast 10 the eagerness of profess slonal traders to bid up prices in , response 10 optimistic forecasts d few weeks ago. i Business and trade reports com ing 10 hand over the weekend were mostly coIorless and unimpressiye, and during the early hours of trad i ing he market vas even more tor 1 pid than on Saturday, when trading l was the sloWest in nearly two years. Such activity as developed was largely Dcarish. and stocks failed 10 display the firm undertone noted in the dull trading late last week.
 4 little bulhsh activity appeared in inc baking stocks. but failed to make much headway. National Bis. ! cult WAS well bought for q time re- fectlng unConfrmcd reports that oarnlnga were running ahead of last year at thIs time. and a little buy ing appeared in some of the rails Such recent strong spots as the amusement, farm implement, and Pubic Lulty shares sAgged, as trad CTS seeing no prospect of an early 1 revival of the dull market took their profits. Stecls were depressed by continued uncertainty over the steel prices. and electric equipments were sold in response to reports Of slack buying of their products. although they have been favored by the drop In copper prices.
 Expect Normalcy
 The secretary Of CommerCc's statement, forecasting q return 10 normal in three months, was in gen. eral. in keeping with most Wall Street expectations Most forecas- tors have been indicating carly au- tumn, or perhaps few weeks car Her, as the most probable period at which to expect normal conditions.
 Mr.. Lamont pointed to improved retail trade and indications that the drop in commodity prices has been ] checked. One of the first Aprll railway net income reports 10 ap- pear was that Of Kansas City south ern, showing q further decline t1 $&I5I97, compared to $4n5.o42 the 1 previous month, and $27g.4S6 in ! April 1929, April tobacco produc- ton figures made their appearance and showing moderate reductions from April Of last year, were less favorable than expected in view O. recent unofficial reports Of inureas- ing sales.
 Bears Aggressive
 Bearish operations became moro aggressive in the early afternoon. St. Louis Southwestern, a burant feature last week, broke moro than s points, and Case and Auburn Auto nearly as much. Loews. which has been a recent strong spot. lost few points, and shares declining or more included International Harycs- fer, American Tobacco E. | $. Steel, Eastman kodah. Westinghouse EloC- tric, Standard Gas, 4. M. Byers, ColoteX. Coca Cola. and Chicago Great Western preferred Such stocks as American Can. General tlectric and Consolidated Gas also declined substantially. L. $. Freight vas an acutely weak spot tumbling several points to new 193o low.
 Call money held al , per cent. The &ino"o0.o0p offering Of treasury hills must he paid for tomorrow. which is expected 10 hold money rates steady.