Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
BUSINESS MACHINE
MAKING PROGRESS
Wholesale Trade Has Been
Improving Faster Than
Most Retail Lines.

The machine of business is not do
ing any free wheeling" at the moment,
but it is making progress none the less.
The business auto is still on an uphill
course, but although the gears are
meshed in low" the engine is function
ing we'll Retail trade has been
held back somewhat by unreasonable
weather, but the wholesale business of
the country as a whole has shown de-
cided improvement from the last months
of 1880. Some business men have been
so busily engaged in moaning about
conditions that this fact has escaped
their notice.
There is a wide difference between
business which is good and business
which is abnormal. Many executives
grew so accustomed to abnormally good
business in l927-28-29 that they have
lost sight of what is normal. Perhaps
the most important improvement has
been in the position of the farmers. In
the last week the weather has done
much to relieve anxiety of agriCulturists
in the Midwest. In the South, lack of
precipitation is felt, but this is net an
unmixed detriment, since every au-
thority has been urgent that the amount
of cotton produced in 1881 be sharply
reduced from the 1880 level.
Textile Industries.
The textile industries are stepping out
briskly and the methods which they
have taken in the last 18 months to
recitify conditions in their lines, de-
pressed for years, are being widely
copied in production and distribution of
other commodities. Clothing sales. how
ever, are still slack in some sections,
despite the fact that Easter comes early
this year.
Steel is being turned out at slightly
increased rate and this is fully war
ranted, as is shown by the price strength
lines Conditioning of the Great Lakes
feet is just beginning and the opening
CT navigation to the ore and grain car
ries promises to relieve considerable
unemployment in the Midwest.
Some automobile plants are working
full crews five days week. That means
they are almost back at normal pro-
duction. Some plants are working at a
80 per cent higher rate than ON January
/, but the outturn still is lower than it
was year ago. Newly finished cars
are commencing to move along the
railroads and highways to dealers show
rooms, which are almost empty.
The volume of building construction
has not improved as was hoped. Per-
haps the animosity which repeated and
urgent suggestions that building be
pressed as a relief to unemployment
depression may have accounted for some
of the drag the construction industry
has felt. 1t is natural that such ap-
peals may have aroused antagonism and
feeling that other industries as well
should be called on to save the situa-
ton"
Metal Prices.
The position Of the nonferrous metals
continued precarious, while dizziness and
certain amount of weakness were no
ticeable in some of the chemicals and
paint materials. The more severe
weather and expanding industrial OPP
erations have not suff1ced to cause coal
prices to advance. Gasoline prices have
been put up in some sections, but the
position of the industry is still compli-
Gated by controversy as to regulation
of imports.
Manufacturers of explosives anticipate
an active Spring and one of the largest
producers has already ordered boxes for
six months full output at normal rates.
Makers of boxes for soft drink manu-
facturers also are busy. The gain of
over per cent in the net profits of one
of the largest soft drink manufacturers
is attributed not only to efficient man
agement, but to refusal of that manage
ment to become discouraged over con-
ditionS.