The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-05
POLITICAL PROFIT OUT
OF MAGNIFYING EVILS"
Is the Way Secretary Redfeld Describes
Business Depression in Northeast.
ern and Central Sections Of
the United States.

, Raleigh, N. c.. June 5.---Secretary Of
Commerce Redfeld, in a speech here yes.
terday before the Chamber of Commerce
discussed business conditions throughout
the country. In part he said
III we would place the business at
mosphere of the country ON sort of
commercial weather map such as is used
by the weather service we should find a
curious condition. In the extreme south
east and southwest would be areas where
the business barometer is high. All
through the great central part of the
country, where the bulk of our wheat is
grown, would be another great area of
fair weather and high pressure. Over
the great cotton areas of the South
would be no depression, not even unset
tied conditions, but normal looking for
great agricultural favors expected to
come. High barometer also prevails
where automobiles are made in and
about the lake area. Over the north
eastern states would be found a section
of low barometer and marked depression.
| If the state of mind of the different
parts of our country could be shaded in
colors, the great body of the west would
| be white, while an area of dull gray
would represent our northeastern states
"One does not mean to deride a de-
pressed state of mind in speaking of it
as psychological condition. The PEG
pie that feel that way feel Just as badly
about it as if the condition were physi-
cal rather than psychological The hope
lies in the fact that the realities of the
physical condition may so assert them
selves ere long that the mental state will
adjust itself to them and be relieved"
After citing reports of depression in
various foreign countries, Mr.. Rcdfeld
continued.
Few men would be so bold as to deny
the worldwide conditions which have been
suggested This is not an age in which
the nations are separated. Their COM
mereial and industrial alliances on the
one hand and competitions on the other
are close. That which affects one adj
versely is reflected upon the others. II
is the merest ehiIdishness to select one
of them ont from the Others and deal
with it as if its own internal procedure
were the sole cause OF the conditions
found in it.
I'm like manner any argument to the
effect that the alleged attitude of our
government toward big business is the
causesof such depression as exists here
is met by the fact that in Germany,
where trusts and cartels are legalized
and the government assists both, the de-
preston il even more severe than il has
been here.
ANY worldwide view. therefore, of the
great intricate mass of interloeked trans
actions which we call the worlds bus
mess finds it in a state of depression |
almost everywhere, with ocean freights !
so low because OF the shortage of inter !
national traffic on the sea that ship own
ers are beginning to consider whether il !
is not cheaper to lay their vessels up !
than to run them at a material loss
"A good deal has been made Of the |
fact that our foreign business during |
the month OF April shows decrease in |
the exports of about S37 100000 and an |
increase in the imports of about ST. |
100000, and that the merchandise trans
actions for that month show an appar- i
ent balance against us somewhat in ex
cess of Sll,000,0O0, and gleeful concur
sions as to the effects OF the tariff law |
are drawn by high-speed thinkers from
rather meagre data Looking plainly at
the facts, we find them to be as follows
During April the increase of imports,
which we have seen amounted to about |
S27 ,500,0 600. is found to be in the follow
ing items:
Crude materials for use in our manu-
features, Sl2,500,000.
Crude foodstuffs, over S400O000
partly manufactured foodstuffs, near
~ s7000,000.
Here is an aggregate of S23, 5000
out of total increase of 81, 800, 900,
which is entirely in foods and materials
which our manufacturers use. The bal
lnce is made up of an increase in finished
OF S5,000,000, less de-
,rease in partly finished manufactures of
s., 100000, showing a net increase in all |,
manufactures of S3,000,000, or
about five per cent as compared with
he month Of April year ago.
Turning now TO the exports for the
month of April. in which there is de-
.rease of S37 ,0000 600 for that month, we
ind SlO.000,000 of it in crude materials
or manufactures; Sl4.000,000 of it in
God stuffs; over S5000000 In partly
inishcd manufactures; making a total
II S29,000.OO0 Eight millions out of
'37 100000 is in fully finished manufac !
ures, this last item showing the small
st ratio of decrease for the month of i
my of the great groups named. In 9th :
r words, it is in the line of fully fin :
shed manufactures that we have held /,
'ur proportion of business best
"On the day when this was written, e,
he secretary of labor read in the cab :
net in my presence a telegram from the
abor authorities of Missouri, stating :
hat 10000 men were needed in that .
tate to help harvest the crops. Anoth-
r telegram from the labor commissioner
+ the state of Kansas calling for 10000 :
nen for that state for a like purpose
las read, and at the previous session he
ad read despatch from the labor com
missioner of Oklahoma stating that l5,- l
90 men were needed there. E
at is true that a psychological de- i
ression is none the less depression be. q
ause it is psychological. We may
therefore, fairly look into other condi-