The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-22
new EVIDENCE
POINTS TO CAIN
IN TRADE PACE
Removal of Menace of Rub
Der Strike, Metal Markets
Pickup Aid.
BIZ Times Special

bU imtS NUttluI
NEW YORK, April 22.-Business
sentiment is taking better tone as
evidence piles up that the country
is not going to the dogs after all,
Business Week says in its issue to-
day
The threatened strike in rubber
plants was neatly averted at the
last minute, it continued. Steel &C
tivity has called halt to the spring
decline. Detroit has abolished the
blues. Metal markets feel the pick
up all along the line. Stock and
commodity markets are on the up
ward grade.
Electric power production" the
Review said. reached a new high
for the week. Private heavy en-
gineering construction began the
current month with the largest VOL
ume Of contracts in over two years.
Lumber production in the first week
Of April was the highest since last
October. On the other hand, coal
production took the expected nose
dive when the strike threat crum-
bled, shaking down our general
business index temporarily.
Coal Carloadings OFF
"Carloadings, too, suffered when
coal shipments were cut in half,
but are likely to recover in the next
few weeks. Dust storms and I'M
seasonably cold weather over large
parts of the country are no help to
Easter retail sales.
March employment in the in
dustrial states of New York and
Michigan made better than usual
gains over February, while pay rolls
made even better showings as hours
worked increased. In New York, the
largest additions to working stats
occurred in lime, cement, plaster,
saw and planning mills. In Mich
igan, sharp increases appeared in
Shlpbuilding, electric machinery
lumber, stamped and enamel ware
chemical and clothing plants.
Enthusiasm around the motor
centerS continues to run high. Peak
production is expected to be reached
this month with assemblies of ATS
GOO compared with 447561 estimated
for March. May will be nearly as
good, tentatively placed at 100000
with June at 325,000 This Will bring
the second quarter up to 100000
cars against 100000 in the first
three months of 1885.
Buying Exceeds Hopes
Nor are these cars hanging heavy
on dealers hands. Buying by the
public has exceeded the fondest
expectations of the industry. Pas
Senger cars sold for the first three
months of 1885 are estimated at
47000, Sc per cent increase over
the same period of 1884. Truck
sales exceed 100000, "a per cent
ahead of last year
March department store sales
jumped 38 per cent from February
levels, but one less business day in
March, 1885, together with the East
er influence in March, 1884, con-
spired to keep the dollar sales VOL
ume 8 per cent below a year ago for
the country as a whole. Only the
Chicago district overcame these in
f1uences and showed a l per cent
gain.
For the first three months, dollar
sales were no larger than in 1884
in Minneapolis and st. Louis dis
tricts, from 4 per cent to 8 per cent
below 1884 in the three northeastern
seaboard areas, and from l to 7 per
cent above the first quarter of 1884
in the balance of the country. Va
riety stores CSC to SD found sales
Az per cent lower in the first quar-
ter of this year compared with last,
while rural merchandise sales in
creased Is per cent in the same
period"