Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-21
SPRING PURCHASES
GAINING STEADILY
Pickup Especially Notice
able in Wearing Apparel
and Garment Trades.
BY ]. c. ROYLE.

bsatlng OF breasts DeIOre tne income La>
waiting Wall has now about died away
Bank debts naturally indicate the with
draWal of sums to meet these income
tax payments but the drop in banl
deposits illustrates other and more
cheerful trends. The dscline undoubted'
ly is more extensive than has beer
necessitated by the income tax period
These additional declines indicate
pretty plainly to Government official:
that there has been a decided with
drawal of funds for the purpose o.
restocking goods for the family needs
This has reflected itself also in the
Wholesale trade. Retailers have paic
their bills to wholesalers. Wholesalers
have paid their bills to manufacturers
This does not show in the bank de-
posits 1t simply means the retirement
of a certain amount Of commercial
pap.r but its influence on the business
situation is undoubtedly tremendous.
Pickup Is Steady.
Retail trade is picking up not by fits
and starts but steadily If gradually
This is noticeable especially in the
garment trades and in all types of wear
ing apparel. Some of this incr aSe is
to be expected at this time of the year
but the bstterment has been greater
than was anticipated. The hsadS of the
largest steel corporations are sponsors
for the statement that the outlook for
that key industry is excellent. This
feeling is not confined to them alone
but ind pendentS are improving plants
and increasing capacities in certain
lines in anticipation OF better business
The retail automobile trade has i'm
proved rapidly in the last few weeks
The comforting thing about this de-
v-lopment is the fact that the new
machines are going directly into the
hands of consumers with little or no
hesitation in the show rooms Of the
dealers.
Building construction is gradually
picking up This tendency seems to be
thoroughly seasonable since the increase
in housing construction is still far be-
low the record of recent years. The
soft coal industry is expected to benefit
from the forthcoming opening of lake
traffic, when coal will commsnce to
move to the Northwest. Output, how
ever, is more than balancing the con-
sumptive demands at the moment.
Petroleum Industry.
A score of different factors are pulling
in opposite directions in the petroleum
industry. Some Government depart
ments are endeavoring to induce the
big importers to cut down their ship
mentS into the United States from
Latin America. The importers in gen.
eral have expressed the willingness to
do what they could, but they have been
far from definite and If they come to
a decision as to whether they will please
their Atlantic Coast customers and con-
sumers or the Middle West producers
and Government officials, there is very
little doubt as to which way the policy
will be directed. In the meantime, the
Federal Trade Commission has vitiated
all but three CT the trade practice rules
for the retailing of petroleum products
and the industry is extremely anxious
to have this action revoked.
The outstanding factor Of the bust
ness world at the moment is the i'm
provement of the cotton textile situ-
alton. Stocks Of cotton textile goods
are lower than they have been in three
years and some buyers are paying a
premium for immediate delivery. Stocks
are 235 900, 900 yards lower than year
ago. and untitled orders have increased
107,0o0,000 yards in the last few months.
Rail Merger Plans.
Shippers opinion, both publicly and
privately expressed, is likely to be the
dominant factor in determining the
future of railroad consolidation in New
England. A careful survey by the
writer, which has embraced the ship
pers and traffic managers of five New
England States, indicates plainly that
this very trend of shippers opinion is
inclined toward the opening of New
England gateways to all the four great
traffic systems of the Atlantic Seaboard
There is distinct effort on the part
of one or two localities to tie up the
New England railroad situation and de-
liver it in that condition to the
Pennsylvania lines and the New York
Central. This has encountered a de-
cided effort on both sides of the inter-
national boundary to permit free and
adequate competition through the ad-
mission CT the Baltimore & Ohio and
the Chesapeake & Ohio systems. The
Pennsylvania Railroad through the
Pennroad Cooperation is a dominant
factor in the New York. New Haven &
Hartford. 1t is increasing its holdings
in that corporation. 1t also has a very
considerable interest in the Boston &,
Maine.
The New York Central Lines are
connected with the New England StateI
through the Boston g. Albany The
outlet through the New York Contra
for the New England shippers anc
manufacturers is mainly TO the Wes
and can be in no other direction. Ship
pers take the viewpoint that If the
Pennsylvania is TO dominate the Bos'
ton & Maine and the New York, New
Haven & Hartford their foreign bust.
ness and their water shipments will bt
placed at the mercy of carrier un'
faced by competition.
It is a notable fact that the New
England Council itself admits tina
Portland and Boston handle only {
very small part of the water-carrieC
shipments of the New England States
A certain portion Of these shipments q
over the two Canadian lines through
Montreal and the Gulf Of st. Lawrenc
or in the Winter time st. John, New
Brunswick.
The Northern New England State
ship very vigorously through New York
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk ant
other Atlantic ports, as well as to tn
westward. A large portion of the water
bound traffic from Massachusetts ttse.
is diverted TO New York. The Southern
New England States in almost ever,
instance. route the distribution OF Jnei
products through the Southern port
rather than through Boston and Port
land.
Bridge Lines.
In order to secure the adequate com
petition and service which such com
petition enforces, these shippers nav
come in a large measure to the belle
that the entry Of the Baltimore q OH
and the Chesapeak & Ohio systems
essential TO New England manufac
lures. If the so-called bridge lines ar
opened the way would be clear for IN
Chesapeake g. Ohio to combine W.T.
the Boston g. Maine and for the Ba
timore 81 Ohio 10 take over sectio
of the traffic now passing over the Ne
York. New Haven g. Hartford.
In addition, the manufacturing plant
of New England would receive serve
on incoming raw material shipment
i,sthnrfA hapV9 unknown
that territory. It is known, of cGurs
4nat the PennsNINan MIA is Steadllv IN