The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-02
CALAMITY HUNT
 HAS POOR LUCK Seekers For Evidences of Gen. eral Depression Find Lit tie to Justify Their
 PesSiIniSm.
MASS. CONGRESSMAN
 RECEIVES LETTERS
Hopeful Outlook Under Tariff and Currency Laws of
 Democratic Regime.

Washington, Jan. 2.-Curiously in- .teresting. so John Lorance informs the
 Boston Advertiser, from this national i capital vantage point, are the replies i that are being received in large num- bers by Congressman Treadway, who
 has asked the manufacturers of his district in Western Massachusetts. to
 tell him to what extent there is bus
 mess depression if any and how, at
 any rate, their business for the last
 two years compares with that of two
 years before and whether they blame
 the tariff for any reduction in the vol
 urne of business, to what extent the
 employees have been reduced or in
 creased in number and whether or not
 there has been any reduction in wa
 ges.
 i In so far as the correspondence at
 present disc1oses, the congressman will have a rather difficult task making up l his mind about business recession. Many of the manufacturers report- ] ing are very large ones doing business
 both in the United States and Canada.
 and while some in the same line of
 business report slackening up of
 business in so far as they are con- eerned, others report exceptionally
 good times, employ more laborers
 and they look for good times imme-
 diately ahead.
 | No Blame on Tarin Law. Curfously enough no one is blaming the new tariff law directly and no one reports any reduction in wages any where.
 A paper manufactures writes: "Our business has increased 25 per cent. the last six months and we ex-
 pect it to increase another 25 per cent.
 in the next six months. We employ
 one-third more help than we did last year. Wages have increased about 10 per cent.''
 Another paper manufacturer writes: Business has not been as good as the corresponding six months of last
 year. Wages are the same, with an occasional increase. Prices of com-
 modities of life have tended to in crease. The passage of the tariff bill, while not affecting our product ma teria1ly, will affect it indirectly on
 account of the curtailment of ether lines of business. s ssThe unfavorable effect of the tariff
 may be somewhat offset by the pas
 sage of the currency bill, although we I feel the outlook is a little uncertain.
 People in this section are fairly well l employed and at satisfactory wages. y | This Firm Is Gaining. I A large manufacturer of. blank books writes: We have had slight gain this year over any previous year. | The future, as far as we can see, is quite bright. and we anticipate an in- i creasing volume of business for 1914. 1 We have the same number of em- ployes now as we had last year" 1 A machinery concern writes: | esFoundry is only running about halt time. Wages are the same. Indi- cations are that business for the next six months will be worse than the last six, as no new developments are con- templated in either Canada or the 1 United States"
 l A leather busniess house writes: Business much less in volume. Wa l ges trif1e higher. Cost of ordinary 1commodtties of life also advanced. T Prospects of business for the next six months are poor