The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-24

other elements of the existing situa-
ton, h prices of commodities and the
matter of unemployment. During the
winter months thousands OF laborers
are thrown on. of work for climatic
reasons in all our northern states and
1t Is normal that they should concen-
trate as FOR years past they have done
in our large cities and Industrial cen
ters. Statements ave been made and
denied to the effect that there are
more unemployed in New York this
year than usual. This may be true
without meaning that there Is any alb
normal excess Of unemployed in the
| whole country. New York city is
known to be in the act Of spending
several hundred millions upon subway
construction.
Furthermore it is we'll known that
New York provides literally for the
unemployed through it's vast private
and public charities, and this is an at
tractiva factor to some out Of work.
All these factors would naturally draw
the unemployed to that city in num-
bers even in excess Of possible en-
ployment. The fact that they have so
gathered there or in other cities in
large numbers this year may or may
not have direct bearing upon the pros
perity Of industry. A large part of the
unemployed are probably not those
WIZ WILL Ill laSIOL les Jul Idl4lc1 LkLOSS
who follow the kinds Of labor which
the ~inclemency Of he season forbids
continuing and which are always ,sus-
pended at this time Of the year.
The %reopening Of idle mills through
out the central west has improved
conditions. 1t Is certainly true that
many Of those who were out of work
when the year opened are now busy
again, and the tendency Is to employ
more With tho nnanino re nnTtnQ o.
many to work, that the sea-
son now closes, will reopen. Thus,
the normal passage Of time acts to
solve the problem.
Now it Is the fact that in recent
years the tariff tax has SO operated on
food as to make it visibly more costly.
There was a time recently when pota-
toes we're imported when our supply
vas scant, n when h tariff tax on
potatoes was equal to about SO per
cent on their price, and necessarily in
creased their cost. On the other hand,
1t Is the fact now that Argentine beef
Is being shipped to New York free Of
the tariff tax. and his has resulted in
a decline in the wholesale New York
market for beef of about 4 cents a
pound. This reduction when trans
mitted to the local New York retailer,
a resulted in a reduction of the price
of beef locally in thai city Of about
2 cents a pound. AS beef has gone
outside of that city into the country
at large. the reduction in price has
been absorbed by the dealers and has
little felt as yet.
TT is the fact too that butter has
been reduced in price by the large re-
cent im~portations Of that food, and I
have known that preserved milk has
been offered in this country at lower
prices than those which have hereto
fore prevailed. Furthermore the i'm
p~ortation of Argentine corn has dur
ing the recent winter operated at least
to prevent a rise in the price Of corn
in our Atlantic coast cities IL it has
not directly reduced the price in those
cities. It is a well known fact that
the price of wooden cloth from the
largest makers has been reduced This
winter from ID to Is per cent. The price
lists Of the American Wooden Co and