Haulage Opportunities
Page 59
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Retail Trade 4.8 Per Cent. Higher. Heavy Industries Promising. Drapery and Clothing Demand Active. Footwear Business Brighter
THE generally improved state of trade is strikingly indicated by Egures just published by the Bank of England, which show that during August retail sales averaged 4.8 per cent. more than those in August last year.
The state of the heavy industries remains good and promising. Last week all eyes were directed to the Clyde, and it is, therefore, of interest to note that shipbuilding in that area continues active, with particular reference to the manufacture of Diesel engines. So far as heavy engineering is concerned, the following summarizes the reports from the principal centres of activity.
Yorkshire and North-east Coast : business with home good; inquiries from overseas increasing ; makers of semi-finished and finished iron and steel busily employed. Midlands: conditions becoming more active ; some concerns will be making regular deliveries throughout the next few months. Scotland: steady demand for engineering materials from the home market, particularly for boiler and tube making ; export business showing signs of improvement..
Sheet Steel.
The sheet-steel market seems to be fairly active. From the Midlands and Glasgow it is repotted that orders for black sheets are coming in freely, but business in galvanized sheets is dull. Swansea reports that business in tinplates is moderate.
Cotton and Wool
The textile industries are still quiet. There is a fair amount of business in the home cotton trade, particularly in respect of overall cloths, poplins and artificial-silk goads. There is a little more business in yarns for home manufacturers, but export -business, both in yarns and piece goods, is poor.
The best that can be said about the woollen industry is that there are certain signs of an early improvement. There is a little business in hosiery yarn for the home market, but little else of note.
Drapery and Clothing.
In peculiar contrast to the foregoing, wholesalers in the drapery and clothing business say that they are much busier. They are in receipt of large numbers of orders, particularly for women's garments; mostly for immediate delivery. The colder weather has had an immediate beneficial effect on the knitted-wear business.
Timber and Building.
The movement of timber from the docks remains as active as ever, whilst building-trade conditions are good. An important feature of the timber market is the considerable increase in the tonnage of plywood arriving at the London docks. A fair amount of bridge building is in prospect over the Clyde during the winter months. There is a proposal to build a high-level bridge over the Clyde at Glasgow, another strecture at Falkirk and a new swing bridge over the Forth and Clyde Canal, Old Kilpatrick.
Amongst large works contemplated are the following: Schools at Bedford and Stockton (233,000 and £92,000 respectively) ; a maternity, clinic, etc., at Bristol (£40,600), and a swimming pool at Southend-on-Sea (2140,000).
Crompton proposes spending £25,435 on a housing scheme; 182 houses are to be built at Blyth ; 783 at Cardiff 3,000 at Edinburgh; 250 at Filey ; 150 at Forfar ; 130 at Glasgow ; 408 at Solihull, 1,000 at Leeds, and 220 houses, etc., in Renfrewshire. The proposed quay extensions at Newcastle-on-Tyne will cost £210,000. Durham County P.A.C. is to consider a scheme for a new hospital at Dryburn, the estimated cost of which is £240,000.
Amongst contracts actually placed are the following :—Messrs. T. Weekes and Sons, Ashton Gate, Bristol, have secured the contract for the public abattoir at Greenbank, for Bristol T.C.
(224,242). Industrial Builders, Ltd., is to erect houses and shops on the Giptori, Potternewton, Middleton and Osmondthorpe estates, for Leeds T.C. (223,411). Messrs. D. J. Rees, Maes yr-haf, Nantgarw, Glamorganshire, are building 102 houses at Maesglas estate. Hospital improvements and the erection of a nurses' home at Newry are to be carried out by W. Dowling, Ltd., Cromwell Road, Belfast (R23,793).
Mr. Thomas Thomson, Bramblebank, Blairgowrie, has purchased Ashgrove Spinning Works, Blairgowrie, where new machinery is to be installed. Dumfries T.C. is to erect 120 houses at Nithside, and is to reconstruct Bucclench Street Bridge (£9,0(30). Dundee Corporation has decided to construct streets on Mid Craigie Estate, etc. Thomas Gebbie and Co., Ltd., 53, Waterloo Street, Glasgow, is to reconstruct the bridge over Kerse Lane for Falkirk T.C. and London and North Eastern Railway Co. (210,475).
The Lanarkshire authority is now inviting tenders for the erection of the new county library headquarters in Hamilton and is to proceed with the construction of roads at Logan Street and Hunthill Road housing sites, Blantyre. Lanark C.C., is also to build 80 houses at Bargeddie.
Edinburgh T.C. has placed contracts in connection with the erection of 902 houses under the five-year programme. Glasgow Corporation has accepted a tender for boiler-plant installation at Kingston power station by John. Thomson, Ltd., Wolverhampton, at a cost of £51,376.
Pottery.
A steady improvement is to be noticed in the pottery trade, recent returns being particularly encouraging.
Coal.
The effect of the cool weather is already to be noticed in an improvement in the demand for coal for domestic use. This report is fairly general, but particularly good from Cardiff and the North-east Coast.
Boots and Shoes: Leather.
In Northampton and Norwich, makers of high-grade shoes are finding business improving and the general increase in activity is spreading into the smaller towns.
The Unproved business in boots and shoes is now being reflected in the leather trade, which is much more active than it has been for some time. The market for sole leather is also greatly improved.
London Docks.
The following is the number of ships arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from October 5-13 inclusive :— DOCIKS.—King George V, 8; Royal Albert, 4; Royal Victoria, 4; Surrey Commercial, 9; West India, 2; East India, 1; Tilbury, 9; Tilbury Stage, 1; Millwall, 7; London, 4. Wnextves. —Hayes, 10; Regent's Canal, 1; Titbury Jetty, 2.