Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-04
Editor of ''American Indus
tries" Polls Manufacturers.
RELIABLE REPLIES GIVEN
Members of National Association Are
Conservative.
BUSINESS STEADILY IMPROVES
Good Tidings From General Electric
Company-Electricity Replacing
Steam-Treasury Ruling Hurts.

BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
NEW YORK. December . 1908
Henry Harrison Lewis is editor OF
American INDUSTRIES magazine pub
iished sem-monthly by the National AS
ISOLATION of Manufacturers and has re-
Gently made a canvass of the members OF
that organization concerning their indus
trial activities and business conditions.
1.-THE most impressive result of our in
vestigation is the strong trend toward
conservat ism,' said Mr.. Lewis, in reply
to my inauir! the other day. This is
quite noticeable in comparison with the
statements made year ago during the
panic. when American Industries secured
the opinions of trade conditions and flu
ture possibilities from the 5000 members
of the association. Then our manufac-
turers were practically sparring for wind
in fact. they were very much up in the
air. and each said that business was nor
NAL because he wanted it to be so.
Information Given Reliable Now.
This fall we asked our members four
questions. the most important being the
amount of increase or decrease in their
particular business during the ten months
from January l, 1908. That is pretty
leading question, you must acknowledge,
especially when the answer is for pub
LEGATION, where ones competitors or bank
NAV read it. a year ago the same queS-
ton was ignored or an optimistic reply
given. but this year very frank statements
were forthcoming.
1.-The membership of the National ASso-
citation of Manufacturers represents prac-
tically every known American industry
and almost every state in the country.
The total capitalization is enormous PROD
ably exceeding sSOO0,OO0.0OO. and the 3,No
members employ an aggregate OF ooo'Voo
ment 1t will be seen from this that the
nresent conditions of trade and posslbil-
tiles for future increases-by future L
mean the coming year-as reported by our
members, will be pretty comprehensive
and reliable.
members revealed a spirit of optimism
which. although conservative, is unde-
niable' There is no evidence OF a boom
and no indication that business Will dou-
BILE or treble itself during the next ninety
days, or. in fact, until we'll INTO the ne"
year.
Steady Increase Reported.
THE association members report
steady increase in many lines, notably in
AGRICULTURAL implements and food prod
ucts, but there is evidence that much OF
this activity comes from the filling or
large number of orders held back await
ing the result of the election. When these
belated orders have been filled, there may
possibly be a temporary lull, but 1t Will
only be temporary.
'.Our members, many Of them, are posi-
tive that normal business is surely. II
slowly. returning. and that not even the
indications of an important tar1n read
justment can create enough agitation to
stop the onward progress. Manufacturers
of railway supplies who have felt some
what severely the effect of state and ma
tional legislation are now becoming more
hopeful. Reports from this industry do
not show indications of sudden and gen
erous increase; but railways must keep
their roads in working order. and. as one
of our members expressed it. There is
no doubt that money. made tight through
boarding and for fear of adverse and
disuuieting legislation. will soon be
loosened Crops are moving, and the call
for transportation will reduce the number
of idle ears to point where new rolling
stock will be required. An increase In
railroad activity naturally means a de-
cided increase in the manufacture Of rail
way supplies
Some of the newspapers have publish
ed reports apparently showing slacken-
ing in the demand for transportation.
that is. n slackening compared with the
two weeks ending October 30 This is
true in part, and must be charged to the
present unreasonable weather, which has
retarded the movement of winter freight
and coal. This condition will change as
soon as cold weather sets In.
Postpone Wage Reduction.
"A very significant sign of returning
prosperity was the action of the Fall
River cotton manufacturers. many of
whom are members of the National AS
ISOLATION of Manufacturers. The action
of the cotton people in voting to post
pone indefinitely the 8 per cent cut in the
wages of the operatives. which was to
go into effect by agreement with the
operatives December I. not only indicates
d strong belief in business increase but
also expresses a laudable feeling of inter
est in the welfare of the working classes.
The only genuine prosperity is that which
is shared alike by capital and labor
"A reflection of the trade agreement
with Germany was shown by the state
the textile people. particularly the hosiery
trades The percentage of replies from
textile manufacturers gave 6S per cent
enjoying good present business condi-
tons: II per cent having had an increase
in trade during the past ten months and
continue to increase. These percentages
will be better appreciated when ii is
known that the same table showed agri-
cultural implements 100 per cent. food
products 50 per cent and leather manu-
features 81 per cent.
Treasury Ruling Ruinous.
Many hosiery manufacturers stated,
that German competition, made possible
by the recent trade agreement. was ruin
ing their business. One of our members
located in Illinois wrote:
The Treasury Department rulings in
the matter of the German trade agree
ment has enabled the bringing TO this
country of vast amount of German no.
siery which has been sold at prices below
the cost of production in the United
States The consequence is the factories
competing with these foreign goods are
either shutting down or running only in
part and without profit
Probably the most definite manner in
which to gauge the actual increase in
business is in the number of men en-
ployed and the number of mills resuming
work" continued Mr.. Lewis The an
swer Is best found in the metal trades.
Oue-third of the associations members are
connected with the metal manufactur
The big steel companies are understood
to be running now at about 6S per cent
of their capacity. as compared with IS
per cent November /. Some Of the smaller