Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-19
TONIC EFFECT ON BUSINESS.
Results of the Election of
MIR. Taft.
Baltimore American.

Baltimore American.
"Mr. Taft's election is a tonic to the
country" declared Governor Hughes In a
post-election speech to the Young Mems
Republican club Of Albany. That briefly
and aptly describes the effect which has
been quickly produced upon the general
business situation by the election result.
There has been a general and complete
toning up of the organized and correlated
branches of the country's commercial and
industrial system. The railroads are get
ting busy simply because the mills and the
mines are getting busy, and the mills and
mines are resuming healthy activity be-
cause confidence has been restored, and
confidence has been restored because Taft
has been elected.
A trade journal-Amerlcan Industries
which is the organ Of the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers, has collected from
1900 members of the association specific
statements concerning how many additional
men will probably be set to work in the
near future as a consequence of Taft's
election. Many of the replies to mailed
inquiries are to be published in the number
of the journal issued this week. 1t is in
dictated from the answers that an average
of 1876 men will be added to the industries
comprising membership of the association.
The editor of the publication declares that
The percentages show that at least one
half of the 1900 members of the National
Association of Manufacturers expect to add
to their present force more than 200, 900
workmen."
Taking the 800 membership Of the asso-
citation as a basis to figure upon, 1t is
assumed tha the 1900 manufacturing
concerns which. according to the census
of 1900, employed an average of 100 men or
over, will add at least so per cent to their
prediction force. making a total in round
figures of $4,000 men. The smaller indus
tries will probably make increase in their
working force in equivalent proportion.
Including the manufacturing enterprises of
the entire country, great and small. nj the
reckoning. 1t is deduced that with the
continuance OF business confidence more
than 100000 Of workmen will be added
to the force that was engaged in the
country's manufacturing industries a week
before election. And It is predicted that
this great army will be engaged before
the first of the year 1909.
An official of one of the big railroad
systems has been recently quoted as say
ing that the railroads of the United
States will spend within a comparatively
short period $3.50, 10000 for rails and new
equipment. So great a sum will not be
used simply for keeping up repairs; what
is implied is that activities in new con-
struction are soon to be resumed. I'm
mense orders were placed during the past
week by several trunk line roads for steel
rails. Among these orders is included
that which the Atlantic Coast Line has
placed with the Maryland Steel company
for 10000 tons. The furnaces at Spar
rows Point will be in full blast in a
few days, and there is prospect for work
up to the full capacity of the plant for
an indefinitely long period.
The election of Mr., Taft has had a
tonic effect upon all kinds Of Industrial
enterprise, 1t is practically assured that
there will be four years of business ac-
tivity and of consequent general prosperity.