OCR Text |
Show December Retail Trade Best in Many Years December retail trade was un-doubetly un-doubetly the best in a long time. In a number of large cities, ho'i-day ho'i-day trade, helped by public and civic works expenditures, was reported re-ported a virtual "sell out." In country coun-try districts higher prices than a year ago for many products was ii stimulant. After Christmas, a normally dull week, trade was enlivened by tho coldest weather in years accompanied accompa-nied by snow, which spurred sales of heavy wearing apparel, rubber goods and sport articles. Repeal aided powerfully to swell expenditures. expendi-tures. In some areas an important share of the total retail expenditure expendi-ture was credited to the letting down of legal bars. Wholesale lines found stocks of goods lightened more than normally. The Barometer Line Business Activity Barometer rose to late August levels. Electric power production was at its relative best since late October and the car-loii car-loii dings index was only equalled in one week since early August. The steel production index was the highest since early October. All five of the series covered by the Barometer Bar-ometer were well ahead of 1932 with steel leading. The Barometer average aver-age for December was 20 per cent ahead of the like month a year ago. The Barometer Line covers the following: fol-lowing: steel, carloadings, electric power, bank clearings and price Index. |