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Show ! I BUSINESS INDUSTRY AND j FINANCE IN UNITED STATES i Business over the U. S. during cur- ( rent month has shown improvement 1 of voluntary unemployment has been i greatly reduced and wages have , shown a distinct upward tendency. Mining output increased about three ' per cent during August and has also i shown a tremendous expansion dur- ! ing September, due to the reopening ' of most of the bituminous and anthr- i acite coal mines. The general price I level has remained constant during ' the month. The August index number i of the Federal Reserve Board was the i same as that for July. Manufacturing was slightly cur- I I tailed in August but has recovered i ' during September. Iron furnaces ! and steel mills are increasing their i j .t rate of production to satisfy the continued con-tinued large demand of railroads and automobile companies. Cotton mills and knit goods factories have increased increas-ed their output, woolen machinery is slight.ly more active, and August silk consumption was the largest for any month since 1919. The continued contin-ued building has resulted in an improved im-proved demand for lumber, cement and other building materials The average condition of farm crops declined somewhat during August. Au-gust. The cotton crop has suffered severe damage from boll weevils and from drought. The estimates of the corn crop have been much reduced, but the prospects for spring wheat have considerably improved. Wholesale trade Improved substantially substan-tially during August in all reporting lines. Every district reported increases in-creases in dry goods sales which averaged av-eraged almost 50 per cent higher than in July. Retail trade improved considerably during August and the volume of business was larger in most sections than in August 1921. The banks are in a strong position aad are meeting the seasonal demand for credit with ease. The seasonal demand de-mand has lead to increases in rates for both call and time money at New York. European exchange rates have generally declined during September and there has also been a slight decline de-cline in Asiatic exchanges. |