Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-25
BUSINESS DISPLAYS
SIGNS OF INCREASE
Weekly Reviews Call Atten-
ton to Effect of Weather
on Recent Trade.
Special Dispatch to The star.

NEW YORK, January 25.-Weather
conditions retarding the orderly pro-
greSsion Of distributive trade from the
quiet OF the beginning of the year has
not obscured the undercurrent of bet
terment in certain quarters, according
to the weekly reviews of business and
trade. A slight improvement has been
noted in some industrial areas. particu-
larly in the Central West and East.
r. g. Dun & Co.'S weekly review OF
business says in part:
No broad revival of business has thus
far appeared, nor was it to be expected
so soon, yet something has been added
to the gains that came with the turn
OF the new year. That progress, while
limited In scope, has been achieved de-
spite different retarding influences,
among which commodity price unsettle-
ment has remained prominent.
With the main movement of whole
sale quotations still in the direction
of decline, although at a moderated pace
this week, purchases which might be
stimulated by more stable conditions
are either being deferred or restricted
to small lots to cover immediate and
clearly defined needs. Isolated excep-
tions to that policy are not of deep
significance, the general situation
being clearly marked by caution in
concrete indications of probable future
trends. Hence a wide resumption of
activity continues in allegiance, and sta
tiStical records still reveal the deleteri-
Gus effects of last Autumns speculative
disturbances.
Steel Situation Improves.
1.-THE major consideration now, how
ever, is in what lies ahead, and the
great steel industry, which is an i'm
portant barometer, is giving an en-
couraging demonstration of recovery. A
rise OF 20 per cent or more In the aver
age rtae of output from the low point
Of December is impressive, and the more
so because it has resulted from actual
demands and not from preparations for
potential orders.
THE balancing of production with
consumption in that field is a procedure
which is being followed in many other
channels, but curtailment, rather than
increase, is the prevailing phase while
adjustments are being completed. Dis
tribution at retail, which obviously has
an essential bearing on manufacturing
operations, is more uneven, yet much
Of its variableness has been due to
weather handicaps, especially in West
ern and Southern sections"
Bradstreet's State of Trade says, In
part:
Industry, led by the heavier trades,
notably iron, steel and automobile manu-
featuring and coal mining, the latter
rejecting exceedingly cold weather, has
made quite fair advances, considering
the extent Of the quieting down visible
in December. In some of the lighter
trades, as, for instance, shoes, leather
manufacturing, silk and rayon manu-
featuring, operations have also
70 80, {war-
still runs under close curtailment, and
in the mining industry copper produc-
ton is held down, pending a clearer
view of future price conditions and of
stocks of metal on hand. Low prices
for zinc have brought out good buying.
Machine tool buying is more active.
Gains in Auto Production.
THE steel industries broadening of
buying demand is most visible in lines
used in automobile, railway and struc-
tural lines, with even more price easing
noted. especially in plates, sheets and
shapes. Cruder forms of steel and of
iron show little reflection of this. de-
spite hints that the weakness in fin
ished lines may foreshadow shading of
prices of the former. In the largest
automobile centers operations, especially
in lower-priced cars, have expanded,
oohAPAC Va bAlAo OLAIS AlhQ III QSI%
ceptible gain in operations over Janu-
airy l.
Some of the other features Of the
week include reports of a good snow
cover over the bulk of the Northern
Winter wheat area, especially west of
the Mississippi from Kansas northward
Heavy rains In Texas and Oklahoma
are also reported, but low temperatures
have been diScouraging to rural trade
and a good deal of damage has been
done TO vegetables and truck as far
down as the Gulf coast of Texas and
to sugar cane in the fields in louisiana
Cold weather and rains or SHOWS
have held down lumber production in
the Pacific Northwest, but rains have
benefited Central and Southern Cali
fornia crops. especially oranges in the
lower part of that State, which were
thought liable to injury from earlier
cool weather Lumber output in parts
Of the Northwest is reported only one
quarter of capacity. while copper pro-
duction in Montana Is reported one
third off -