The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-06
RISING TIDE OF
BUSINESS ACTIVITY
MANUFACTURER OF ALL SEC
TIONS TELL OF THE ERA
REMARKABLE PROS
pERITl.

Especial TO the Richmond Nlrginlanl
BALTIMORE. Oct. 5.---Ten pages
of letters from manufacturers in all
parts ef the country published IN
this weeks issue of the Manufac-
turers' Record tell of remarkable ae=
tivity everywhere and in every line
of industry Summing up these let
ters, the Manufacturers Record says:
A rapid expansion in business In
,erests. increasing activity every
where. factories oyerta1ed with or
ders beyond their capacity 10 I'LL. a
growing scarcity OF labor, especially
of skilled mechanics, a car shortage
which, in many cases, is greatly re-
tarding shipments. shortage 80
pressing in some cases that one re-
port tells of cement being delivered
by the use of passenger cars as wen
as cattle cars-suoh is the condition
OF business throughout the country
as voiced by leading manufacturers
in every section in letters TO the
Manufacturers Record. The story
is one of exceeding interest as a
whole. while many of these individ-
ual letters throw an illumination
upon business questions which makes
them OF more than usual interest.
In some sections there is as yet no
car shortage reported, in others. the
railroads are reported as wholly I'M
equal to cope with the business, and
manufacturers crowded with orders
THAT they cannot fill because of the
lack of transportation facilities. This
a.. -Iv cd n
tiers that II should command tine I'm
mediate attention of every railroad
man in the country as well as OF
every business man and politician
for all must unite to find some way
by which the. money needed for
vast expansion of railroad facilities
can be secured. Though we are ap'
iparently only al the beginning OF a
period of great activity. and the coun
try is not yet in the full swing OF us
highest tide Of prosperity, franc Is
running far beyond transportatioT
facilities. How great the difficulties
of transportation will be with a con
,tinuance of few months longer o
present activities 1t is difficult tC
y estimate. Tho prossle<a Is oae. tina,
will tax the best effort OF the rail
roads and the heartiest cooperation
iof the people of the whole country
Not day il TO be lost in trying u
find a remedy for this situation
Almost over night there has CONF
upon the country, silently and scarce
V foreseen, even by the shrewdest Il
nanciers and business men, mar
selous change from inactivity u
great activity The steel works o
the country are wholly unable Il
meet promptly the demand for stee
products Building operations arr
everywhere delayed by the inabilit,
lof contractors TO secure reinforcing
bars for concrete construction AM
architectural work. Cement manu-
facturers, who since 1907 have hat
Ia hard struggle to find trade. AM
what they found was generally a
a loss. are now overwhelmed witt
business at advancing prices, ant
the only difficulty in the cement bust
ness is the fact that railroads can
mot, begin TO provide cars enough
Ito handle the product.
Many OF these letters emphasiz
the point that, Notwithstanding TIL
fact that this Is a presidential year
business men are ignoring politica
problems and are attending strict.
TO business. Apparently. political &C
Invites are having no effect what
lever, as in former years, in retardinl
business or in preventing manufac
turers from spending money 10 pro
wide for enlarged facilities. Every
whese, with rare exceptions. the de
lnand for labor Is reported as &C
tive In some cases ii is said tina
thousands OF additional laborer
Icould find immediate employment
while in others there is no scarcit,
reported of unskilled labor, but ;
great scarcity of skilled mechanics
The facts presented in these let
tiers from so many manufacturers
covering so wide a range of indus
tries, are of more than national in
lterest. The Manufacturers RECORD
Icommends a study of these letters tt
every business man in the country.