Evening star., 1940-03-10
Industry Gains
Support From
Spring Trade
Vanguard Of Buying
Movement Appears
During Week
BY FRANK MacMILLEN,

BY FRANK MacMILLEN,
Associated Press Business Writer.
NEW YORK, March 9-The van-
guard of the spring buying move-
ment in retail and other markets
gave timely support to the Nations
industry this week.
Indications multiplied that busi-
ness was finding flrmer ground
after yielding much of the gains re-
corded in the autumn war buying
boom.
Losses in most business indices
were small and new buying ap-
peared in steel, textiles and other
markets recently becalmed by cur
tailment of demand as the after
math of the September October
race to accumulate inventories.
Conservative analysts were in
clined to await for additional evi-
dence that the turn was more than
seasonal furry before conclud-
ing business was headed for another
period of expansion.
Despite the sharp decline in steel
and other industries the last two
months, most trade barometers re.
manned we'll above comparable levels
year ago.
Motor Output Rises.
The huge motor industry, leader
of major business turns in recent
years, made one of the strongest
March props for factory activity.
Speeding production to satisfy
the greatest demand for cars since
1887, and with chances of good
spring and summer market might
make the biggest sales since 1929.
motor, assembly lines raised the
weeks outturn to 103,560 cars and
trucks compared with 100,855 the
previous week and 84,095 in the
1889 week.
February motor production was
the largest on record. The weeks
stepup, consequently, was somewhat
smaller than usual for this season
because manufacturers got an early
start in building dealers stocks for
spring trade.
Nevertheless, Detroit saw assem-
bly, lines turned for the heaviest first
quarter production since the peak
year. 1929. General Motors reported
its February sales to users in the
United States amounted to 1884
units, compared with 83,251 IN
February, 1889.
Likewise cited by trade observers
as evidence of increased public
spending, fed by expansion of fac
tory pay rolls in the last year, was
an upturn in sales of Easter hats.
Millinery Demand Good.
Dun g. Bradstreet cheered mer-
chants who stocked shelves for q
larger Easter trade with the follow
ing:
"A good demand was noted for
millinery in the higher-price brack-
cts, with flower turbans, halo hats
and Flemish sailors the preferred
models.
BLACK patent shoes and hand
bags, the new longer-length gloves
and costume jewelry in silver or
pastels attracted strong response"
Joined with the usual buying OF
spring clothes when the SHOWS and
ice disappear, the earliest Easter
date in a quarter of century was
expected to boost March trade totals
to the highest figures in years.
A sleet storm in the East coated
the landscape with ice and snow,
kept shoppers out of retail districts
and delayed Easter trade. Else
where, however, sales Of spring mer-
chandise were reported on the rise,
with sales in some communities as
much as 80 per cent ahead of
fyear ago.
Manufacturers counted on the
Easter sales to reduce stocks of goods
purchased the last six months and
to hasten the time for replenishment
of inventories.
While a moderate upturn was
noted in textile and other primary
markets. nothing like the tremen-
dous orders placed last autumn was
seen.
War Orders Awaited.
The heavy industries, where cur
tailment has centered lately, con-
tinued to wait for proof Europe's
war would bring lucrative orders.
Plenty of more business was PROM
ised for American aircraft and tool
makers for account of warning coun.
htries but export prospects for in
dustry generally still were rated in
business circles uncertain as Eng
land sought to widen its own export
markets to finance war purchases.
Among British measures to enrich
the allied war chest was further
tightening of exchange control in
an attempt to force the United
States and other countries to buy
rubber, tin and such imports at the
official sterling rate, rather than at
the lower quotations available in the
so-called free" exchange market.
Peace maneuvers in the Finnish
Russo War and the uninterrupted
stalmate on the western front added
to the haze of doubt surrounding ex-
port markets.
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