| Show Extent of Trade Trade- Surprises Keeps Up Regardless of W War ar U. U S S. Orders Sti Still l Increasing V. V VARIED VAlUE A as the economic readjustments hl have e already been the extension sion of federal domination of t tr trade de and industry has continued without interruption and steadily becomes more far reaching ing in ints its influence Not only are the tile wants of the thc government t I greatly exceeding earlier alier expectations and monopolizing a constantly In Increasing r I proportion of the nations nation's producing capacity capacity ca- ca but no precise calculation can be made as to the supplies that will be available for ordinary uses and civilian contracts are promptly set aside whenever whenever whenever when when- ever they Interfere with work of a special spa spa- cial dat character says Dunns Dunn's Review Under the conditions the state of business busi bOsl- ness obviously cannot be gauged by the usual standards and that the notable activity manifested in many quarters re results results re- re suits either elther directly or indirectly from pressure of war needs each we weeks week's ks k's re reports reports reports re- re ports make plainer Yet Tet ens halting tendencies tendencies tendencies ten ten- witnessed In In regular channels while partly to the countrywide countrywide countrywide country country- wide movement toward economy and re retrenchment re- re do not Imply any general lessening of the purchasing ability of consumers consumers consumers con con- sumers and instances are not uncommon where the rising living lI costs have been offset by the frequent and substantial wage advances The fact Is is that buying in many instances has abated for no other reason than that all demands cannot now be satisfied and not only are various lines hines of ot merchandise no longer appearing on the markets but a still further re restriction restriction re- re of so called nonessential outputs outputs outputs out out- puts is clearly foreshadowed Moreover the maintenance of manufacturing operations operations op op- has become increasingly difficult difficult difficult cult with the arrival of real summer weather and the question of filling the depleted ranks o of labor r Is o one that producing producing pro pro- ni so i fl do l interests e s do not find d easy of s tion With the many existing uncertainties uncertain uncertain- ties and inconveniences the marvel is that business reflects so little semblance of disturbance That this nations nation's foreign merchandise movements in the fiscal year recently ended would not equal the 1917 record ecord the monthly reports had clearly i indi- Yet Yet- the reduction was moderate from In round numbers to or less than han 1 per cent and all o of it occurred l in exports which tell fell ti from 1 t o gl to 5 O 0 Contrasted d with this decline ln of 58 per percent percent r I cent In exports three appears an Increase of O. O or 1 per er cent in I im imports imports im- im I rge 9 olo oI ports which rose from o to and the excess of exports over Imports was lowered from to or about 19 per cent cant i In June the value of both exports and imports was less than In either May Mayor or April the shipments shipments' totaling In exact figures 19 and the imports Running far beyond earlier calculations the d ft governments government's l r n t steel e needs 11 for the second sec eec ond half of the year e are estimated by sil the war Industries board at tons of finished products or tons more than the expected output The question of ot price fixing causes hesitation In Jn various quarters and the hide markets have been In a waiting po- po pending official announcement of maximum quotations for the three months beginning with August While White the leather heather I situation Is at present quiet a revival of activity Is looked for with the placing pf of further government shoe contracts and anda a resumption of operations by bv footwear I factories that have lately been chiefly occupied with inventory taking With many In Influences lue combining to tomake tomake tomake I make buyers more cautious than they have been e In a long lang g period o the dry goods t tl I market Is expected p c e only with the removal e I al of various existing uncertainties The I price fixing plans plane of the government are f r proceeding slowly and the reductions recently recently re- re I i announced at mill centers have not yet become effective In Jobbing channels channels chan chan- nels although the upward movement of I quotations has been checked and a a. damper put on speculation In the manufacturing man man- end all alJ energies are convergIng ing In the maintenance of production for forwar forwar forwar r war purposes and where government de deliveries deliveries deliveries de- de liveries are interfered with by lack lack of operatives or by other causes civilian f business is promptly se set set aside |
