| Show GENE GENERAL RAI BUSINESS conditions by courtesy of richfield Eich field commercial savings bank the month of march has strengthened the convictions conviction of those who believe that the factors making for good bu business ine g are still in the ascendancy late in 1926 business experienced letup let up which was cause for considerable questioning among business men as to whether the long expected termination mi nation of prosperity were not at hand since the flie new year however hoever business has been slowly but steadily improving until it is now pretty clear that the recovery has been genuine favorable spring weather luring during most of march has been a factor in the better feeling prevailing in bua business czi circles and has been particularly stimulating to the automobile and tire indus industries ries motor sales sale have been boosted sharply by the warm weather and tire manufacturers have been running on heavy schedules to fill the demand from dealer other activities due to gain from a continuation of mild weather are oil consumption retail buying building and seasonal agricultural ri work all of which a year ago were handicapped by the long cold spring industrial production though heavy in individual lines such as iron and steel and tires has not been generally up to the levels of 1926 output however has shown a good increase since the first of the year and is in gool good volume as measured by the totals of most previous years year some caution in expanding production is a healthy sign as there is nothing to suggest the likelihood that manufacturing will experience any sc serious riou letdown let down distribution trib ution is going on in large volume and ami as low stocks are the order of the lay day new goods must be made up to replace those going into consumption retail trade measured by dehait ment store an and d chain store sales is is showing a fair gain over a year ago and promises to be better with a continuance ti nuance of good weather conditions mail order sales though running below those of a year ago are making a by no means unsatisfactory showing if consideration is given to the lower catalogue prices and the difficulties through which many of the farming fanning sections have been passing bank checks dr drawn nan and cashed throughout the country and railway traffic continue at high levels bank debit as aa the former figures are called for principal reporting cities aggregated for the four ended march 23 29 I 1 compared with for the corresponding period of last year an increase of 53 per cent despite the lower level of prices railway passed the million mark for the first time this year in the week of march 12 or nearly nine weeks earlier barlier than last year while objection many be made that shipments of coal in anticipation of a strike are largely responsible for these heavy loadings the movement of merchandise and alid miscellaneous freight has bas continued at record levels the threatened suspension of coal mining took place april I 1 in the central competitive field nc luding western pennsylvania ohio indiana and illinois mine owners and workers have been unable to agree on a contract to replace the expiring jacksonville wage agreement the operators demanding concessions to enable them to compete with nonunion non union fields paying a lower scale and the union being firm against any reduction whatsoever with reserve supplies of soft coal estimated at and SO 80 tows tons and with two thirds of the coal production recently estimated as controlled by nonunion non union labor the country is showing little nes over immediate strike possibilities and coal prices have continued to ease case gradually to levels far below peak levels of last year I 1 clearly business generally is still above the normal and there is nothing now in sight to indicate that it may not go on this way for some time that it will overtop the record of 1926 seems seeing unlikely in view of the improbability of a further expansion in the building and automobile industries that it will fall seriously below that of 1926 seems equally unlikely so long as credit supplies continue in their present abundance |
