Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-27
GOOD BUSINESS
CONDITIONS IN
GERMAN EMF IRE
Talking Machine and Piano
Factories Are Making Am
munition for Forces Fight
Ing in Field,

Berlin, Dec. 1.-THE business stu
alton In Germany has undergone a
considerable Improvement since the
first month or two of the war.
outward signs OF this are visible
In Berlin. More trucks laden with
boxes OF goods are moving about the
city now
Christmas shoppers keep the big de-
partment stores well filled. buyers still
show tendency to make large pur-
ehases and the usual attractive win
dows exhibits of Christmas specalties
have not been neglected by mer-
chants
There also Is far less complaint
about people out of employment.
Many factories running on goods for
which there can be little or no de-
mand In war time, were shut down al
the beginning of August. but con-
siderable number of these have now
turned their plants TO other forms OF
production. chiefly for making army
supplies OF some kind.
Strange Uses of Factories.
Curious changes of this nature are
mentioned Thus a talking machine
factory IL busy trimming, shrapnel
shells to prepare them for the explo-
sive filling; a pihno factory makes
cartridges; a bicycle factory turns out
bedstoads for military hospitals.
woodworking establishment makes
TO be set up where wanted
to accommodate prisoners of war. and
4 sewing. machine factory Is produc-
ing shrapncl
Many OF tile rcady-fnade clothing
shops are now producing army unit
al. tfftf q
for the troops. Throughout Germany,
too, many concerns arc running exelu-
sivcly on big army contracts fol
woolcn goods, blankets. tent cloth,
rain coat cloth. and OF course, arms
and ammunition are produced on an
enormous scale.
Unemployment Relieved.
The Improvement In business has To
great extent relieved the non-em-
pleyment that assumed serious d.
mansions by the end Of August. AT
the end OF October the labor unions
of the country were able TO report
that the number Of their members
without work had dropped to less
than half of the number ut the end OF
August In greater Berlin the num-
her Of persons having steady employ
lffSnf WAS iVHsVuu EifNNtt ~ 10y ttsf
die Of November than at the first OF
September,
OF course il goes without saving
that the railroads are taxed with
transportation to their utmost ca
pacity with moving soldiers and milf
tary supplies. besides the ordinary
commercial agricultural demands. The
government railways. are calling Tor
large supplies of coal and the coal
mines are otherwise pressed with or
ders. Owing to the fact thnt more
than half the miners haze heen called
into military ssfVice. the fate OF pro-
duetion of coal has fallen off heavily
Hence. the mines are not able 70 III
orders on time and coal prices re-
Gently have been advanced.
Iron Production Declines.
While Germany was producing more
than l,sa0. 600 tons of pig iron 4
month i'm to the end of July, the
amount made in August and Septem-
Der was less than 100000 tons. but
October showed rally 10 10000 tons
and November. II Is believed. contin-
ued the increase. Within the month
several blast furnaces and steel plants
have resumed reduction. Prices also
have been raised for most forms Of
iron and steel. but the first advances
made Just after the war broke out
have not been maintained.
Tine Berlin stock exchange has re-
manned closed since the first week OF
the war and IT II not possible TO give
in the form OF stock and bond Quota
tons any Idea Of hpw tha.Nar has af-
fected securities Aithpst8ha there y
no official quotation n prices. the
brokers generally meet daily and do