Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-18
UNCERTAIN TREND
NOTED IN BUSINESS
Weekly Reviews Report ADJ
vances in Some Lines and
Declines Elsewhere.

Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, October Conflicting
trends continue TO characterize general
business conditions, according to the re-
views of the last week by the trade pub
LEGATIONS. Warm weather in some sec
tons is found as a deterrent to Fall
buying, and while wholesalers report
fair orders from statesmen on the road,
the lack of any appreciable forward
movement in industry Is given as a rea-
son for inability to make any prophecies
as to the future
Dun's Review says. in part:
while trade movements are still
somewhat uncertain, there is less hest
fancy in number of branches. Steel
operations have not FULFILLED the PROM
Uses made and price pressure has been
renewed. Automobile output has been
further reduced. chiefly in the low
priced car divisions. In New England
there has been a slight seasonal inn
provement, with some industries max
ing fair showing, but others still ex-
periencing very slack business. The
cotton goods market is not quite 50
active as it was several weeks ago, but
the mills have orders on hand to run
for some time on their present sched-
ules. The instability In commodity
prices is continuing to have much in
fiuence in maintaining industry IN a
rather neutral position.
Effect Of Politics.
while Duns list shows that there
has been a slight upturn during the
week in building materials. indications
Of stable point having been reached
are not definite.
early economic readiustments are
meeting the hampering force of upset
fpOlitfno1 offoirc YldTsfc nf fl4n
world, unstable commodity quotations
and an unemployment situation that Is
not without its appfehensive aspects.
Money market conditions have con-
tinued extremely easy. in view of the
fact that early october normally brings
the keenest demand for credit of the
year. A somewhat better sentiment
appears in some agricultural districts,
where rain during the week has amelio-
rated the farmers condition to some
extent
"A little larger movement OF mer-
chandise from the United States to
foreign countries occurred in September
than in August; likewise, shipments into
the United States from foreign ports
for that month also increased. Mer-
chandise exports last month were
valued at $31S,000,000 and imports
1927, 200. 900, gain as to exports over
August of $20,0o0,000 and imports Of
SO, 100000.
Cotton Exports.
Exports of raw cotton alone In Sep
TENDER were valued at more than $35,-
100000 in excess of the cotton move
ment abroad in the preceding month,
hence exports other than cotton in
September suffered a considerable de-
cline, even considering the reduced fig-
ures of the preceding month. Further
more, September exports this year were
S119, 000, 900 less than in that month last
year, while for imports there was
decline of S124,300,000 covering the
same period
Bradstreet's says in part:
IAN increase in, rather than q de-
crease OF, contrary trade currents Is
visible in the weeks news, with warm
weather and the relatively slow pace of
industrial production assigned as prin-
cipal reasons for the 1eisurely rate Of
FAN buying. The buying of apparel has
hardly been equal to average f1ticipa-
tons. for which generally warm weather
women's wear has figured most prom
inently, both at wholesale and retail,
with heavyweight goods returning least
satisfactory reports, except where cool
weather has Supervened, as in the
Northern tier of States and in North
ern Rocky Mountain States, where the
first real Winter weather has appeared.
Cross Currents.
among the industries cross cur
rents are visible in gain reported
for September OF IL per cent in cot
ton consumption over August, with
a decrease of 81 per cent visible from
September year ago, whereas current
reports as to iron and steel point to
a slight lowering of steel output and q
weakening of scrap and to lesser ex-,
tent pig-iron prices, which the buying
of steel rails noted last week, and this
has not been sufficient to Offset.
"Carloadings for the first week OF
october rallied rather sharply to the
second largest total of the year, but
the average weekly loadings for Sep
TENDER were slightly below those of
August, with small export demand and
low prices for grains, tending to dis
courage marketing and hence rail
shipments. In this connection reports
of numerous idle cars and of reduced
work in railway shops has been an ac-
comparatively unfavorable influence"