Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-29
CONDITIONS IN INDIANA.
What Assistant Postmaster Gcue~nl
Heath Saw ON His Trim

First Assistant Postmaster General
HeStn has lately spent some time at his
homo I'm Indiana, and while there took
pains TO inquire into business conditions
There is as complete a revival Of bust
ness in Indiana at this time" Mr.. Heath
said to a Star reporter today. "as followed
the passage of the Mckinley tariff law in
1880. six months later than this time. 1
visited five or six of the leading natural
gas cities in Indiana, Including my own
city. Muncie. the largest Of them; Ander-
son, Marion. Kokomo and Tipton, and
everywhere the factories were running on
full time. More than half of them are run
EinS double time. One year ago three
fourths OF these factories were running on
snort time. That condition of affairs con-
tinued until about six weeks ago, possibly
eight weeks ago. when the factories began
running on full time. and then orders came
IN thick and fast until double force was
put on In almost every establishment. 1
met the head OF the largest merchant iron
mill in the natural gas belt, and he told me
mat FOR three years he did not have more
than thirty days of orders ahead at any
time, that he now had orders that would
run MIN double time nine months When
l. asked him to what he attributed this
wonderful revival of business when there
was so much stock on hand everywhere
and comparatively little building going on,
he said II was simply due to a return 81
confidence. He said dealers in merchant
iron We're everywhere stocking up with a
view to building
The wages of men are not higher than
they ASere a year ago. That Is the most
discouraging part of the revival of the
times. was told everywhere that wages
always appreciated at the tail end of A
revival OF business; that IL was COMPETE
ton In labor that always increased wages
and there was so much idle labor al The
lime of the beginning OF this revival that
no appreciation mad been felt vet, and n
TOOK some time until the demand for labor
could not readily be supplied when there
would be increased wages for labor I,,,t
the cost Of living is lower than Il has eyer
been In the history of the country There
Is an abundance OF everything TO eat at
very low prices, and this revival of bust
ness has filled the stores with goods that
are being sold of for what merchants
can get for them, in order to give place 10
new stock. I saw suits of clothes being
SOLD Tor S.N, and any gentleman would
not hesitate to wear them in New York OF
washington. All through indiana there
mas Been very remarka BILE crop of every
ming the farmers raise and they are get
ing profit out of their crops equal TO the
prices at which they held their farms two
years ago.
When 1 was in Munoie in the early mart
OF FEBRUARY Of this year" continued Mr..
Heath, Il met farmer who was in Great
distress. He was an old friend with .,;I
acres OF as good land can be found any,
"here- IL was mortgaged for several thou
sana dollars, and he offered to sell his
equity at an almost nominal figure When
was home last week 1 thought / wound
ike to buy the equity in that farm 1 went
cut 10 the place and upon approaching the
farm 4 was surprised TO see the farmer on
Top OF a new house. beautiful structure.
surrounded by a new fence, and when I
called him down and asked IL he still want
ed 10 sell his farm he tod me the farm
was not for sale: that he had made enough
out OF II 10 settle up his interest account.
pay on a part of his debt and build that
new house. He had renewed his mort
gage at per cent lower than he had been
paying"