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Show I deFABTMENT OF COMMERCE WEEKLY BUSINESS SURVE Business reacted briskly In areas f where weather was favorable and in niost cases the volume was ahead oi last year with th exception ot wholesale lines which continued to lag as buyers remained weatherbound, weather-bound, according to reports to the Department of Commerce from 32 important cities. Inventories of winter merchandise on retail shelves shelv-es were lower than in many years and, in some cases, merchants had difficulty In replenshing. Building permits reflected a continued strong construction sentiment In spite of severe weather and activity, particularly partic-ularly In home-building, was greater than last year. Steady operations were being maintained In the steel centers as additional railroad orders were placed. Bank clearings reced-S reced-S ed. from the previous week In some cities, but in most all cases, there were impressive gains over last year. While New York reported business busi-ness spotty, department store sales were 9.6 per cent above last year. Chicago retailers experienced a light week with occasional buying rushes as weather moderated. Setbacks Set-backs were reported by Portland, Oreiion, Birmingham, Detroit, San Francesco and Indianapolis with retail re-tail trade lighter than the previous week and the 1935 week. That the trend of business was to favorable weather areas was . indicated by reports re-ports of sharp gains, running as high as 50 percent over the previous previ-ous and 1935 weeks, in Dallas. New Orleans, Houston, Wilmington, Cleveland Clev-eland and Atlanta. Leading wholesale centers were preparing for bunch orders, in view of low inventories and delayed buying, buy-ing, but orders lagged during the week as severe weather Induced buyers to stay at home. Quietude prevailed in most New York wholesale whole-sale houses with apparel lines suffering suf-fering and the disturbance in the dress manufacturing industry subsided sub-sided without stimulating an increase in-crease in orders. Chicago, Kansas City, Boston an Cincinnati markets were feeling the effect of restrained buying, while sharp gains were reported re-ported by Houston and New Or- leans. While outdoor work was impeded imped-ed in areas having zero temperatures, tempera-tures, construction activity moved briskly "ahead of last' year in residential, resi-dential, commercial and Industrial building. Philadelphia reported purchase pur-chase of site by Crown Cork and Seal Company for erection of first unit of plant of Iron Fireman Mfg. Co. Permits issued In Houston so far this year more than half the total for the entire year 1935, with opening of new $500,000 flour mill announced. Most steel canters were slightly ; more active than the previous week and the .Detroit employment index receded from January, and was several sev-eral points lower than a year ago. Louisville repbrtcd L & N R R Co. ; carload ings highest for any month : in the last 4 years with coal movements move-ments accounting for much of the gain. Boston reported charters were granted 30 new corporations in Massachusetts during week; 18 new firms opened in Atlanta since the first of the year; Louisville reported report-ed 18 new factories last year and 63 plant expansions. Los Angeles reported sale of California Cali-fornia farm products last year of $473,000,000 and Charleston reported report-ed $10,000,000 from South Carolina's fruit and vegetable crop. Jacksonville Jackson-ville reported heavy tourist travel to , Florida. January sales of 28 chain store companies and two mail order houses were 8.8 per cent greater than the same month last year with a total volume of $168,000,000. January Jan-uary cotton consumption of 591,-000 591,-000 bales was the largest since July Ju-ly 1933. |