Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
DURATION Of TRADE
REACTION REMAINS
DOUBTFUL MATTER
Hoover Committee Works Out
Chart Showing Former
Movements of Industry.
END OF PRESENT CYCLE
MAY COME IN NOVEMBER
But Exact Forecasts Are Impossi.
BILE Because Of Many Factors
Involved.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 17-How long viii
the present trade reaction last?
President Hoover's committee on eco
nomic changes recently worked out Q
chart showing the duration of all in
fiation and defiation movements since
the war.
The first infiationary movement lasted
from May, 1919, to January, 1920. Q
period of nine months. A depression
followed, which lasted from February,
1920. to September. 1921, 20 months.
The second cycle showed business
expansion from October, 1921, to May,
1928, 20 months. Then the drop move
ment. from June. 1923. until July, 1924,
cane-14 months.
The third cycle showed an expansion
running from August, 1924, to october,
1925, q months, while the depression
which occurred from November, 1926,
to December, 1927, lasted II months.
The fourth and last expansion move
ment occurred from December, 1927, to
September, 1929, 20 months. And the
decline from October, 1929, to-what?
Based on the movements Of the other
cycles the receding movement should
year, or IA months. OF course, It
might last 20 months, in which case
the drop would not end until May,
1891.
Timing such movements Is far from
scientific and exact-yet.
Price Lining.
Price liningl Upon such does q
change in retail merchandising largely
depend-at the moment.
Price lining may be defined as the
concentration and offering Of mer-
chandtse at specific demand-price levels,
It means q more serious attempt to
parallel stock with the price level of
customers.
A New York executive, finding that
81 per cent Of his sales in his hand bag
department were for items selling at
only 40 per cent OF his entire stock
only $45 per cent Of his entire stock
were In such items.
In other words, IS per cent was in
vested In stock over $40. whereas only
19 per cent of his sales were of bags at
that price or over" he said
Seeing the slowing up Of business not
due to outside conditions at all, but
directly to conditions within his own
organization, he set to work, reorgan-
lied his department on the basis to
square his stock with the current price,
lining conditions. Result--sales took o
jump!
What is true Of handbags, is true In
many other lines. No better time to
study the price-lining than right now.
Future Meat Markets.
Picture the coming meat market
beautiful walnut and glass show cases,
instead OF the old meat ak and stand,
with rugs on the floor instead Of saw
dust. and meat sold. in neat, attractive
packages.
This kind of meat store is already
operating in certain sections Of the
larger cities, but it has not spread out
very far yet in the country
Fresh meat, scientifically cut at the
packing plant" says. the author of this
new venture in business, as imme-
diate1y sealed in trade-marked, cello
phane- boxes. Each retail cut
Is graded by Government inspector as
choice or good under q new system
Of grading recently introduced. Refrig-
Grated motor trucks make daily deliv-
cries 10 retail stores where the meats
are sold from Government-approved re-
frigeEatsd plate glass display cases
called 'Butcherterias'"
But the COSTS it more or less than
under the old SYSTEM" he was asked.
"To the consumer or cents less
per pound than loose meat Of a SIM
liar grade" he replied. why? Be-
cause under the new system more cuts
per quarter are procured; the trim
mings form valuable by-product to
the packer instead Of retail butcher
are eliminated entirely, as the products
60 untouched by hand from packer to
consumer through but one intermediate
step-the retail store"
. New Russian Railway.
The Turkish Railway, built by the
Soviet government under the direction
Of q former Chicago anarchist, tapping
Central Asia with its 1,700 miles Of
road, Is open for business, three months
ahead of schedule.
This new railroad presents access to
great areas Of cotton land in Russian
Turkestan. giving the Soviet govern
ment q chance to get its cotton from
this section rather than import 1t from
does now to the tune Of about $70,-
600 900 q year. That's real news to the
American cotton planter.
But this Is not all. The wheat farm
ers, too, will be interested. For this
section Of the country, through which
the railroad Is passing, is wheat I'M
porting center.
with this road in completion. wheat
imports may be supplied from the cen.
trail part of Siberia, which, on account
of remote distance from the seacoast
ana the freight cost involved, have
never been q factor in the world ex-
port market
Then Russia can send the wheat
that she formerly sent into Turkestan
bat AIRA Ixr
oversupplied.
(Copyrisht, 1880, by North American News