The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-07-25
Good Times Ahead.

Boston News Bureau: The head of
the United Shoe Machinery COMPANY
hat testified that Fndicott. Johnson &
Co. are the largest shoe manufacturers
In the world and as the shoe machin-
cry corporation must have the record
from its machines 1t must know, Hen
ry B.. Endlcott. the head Of this firm,
IS evidently working on h principle
that the shoemaker should stick to his
last and efforts to get him to ehsr re
In the current pessimism are lust as
futile as are all efforts to get him ia
invest outside his own business. One
or his customers recently wrote asking
his views on the general situation. Mr.
Endicott's response is SO at variance
with the pessimism one hears in Wall
street and State street that we have
1t in full, as follows:
Answering your inquiry as to how
feel In regard to future business con
d1tions. would say that I believe we are
on the eve Of a very large business ex-
panston.
Critics, 1t always seems to me. have
an Easy job. l attended a. basebaI
game yesterday, and sat on the bleach
ers' and It was surprising how much
more the game the men around
me knew, than the umpire or the p1ay-
ers. ~
Such being the case in the baseball
business, 1t ts not Surprising to find
SO many men that think they can i'm.
prove upon the job of the president.
I am not writing you this LETTER 70
defend the president. / question wheth-
err any defense from me would do any
good, but I do beheve that a lot Of
try as a whole. spending too much
time ortttcising the present admins
tratton.
There can be no doubt but what the
Ialtroaos nave had a very hard time.
They may have formed In times past,
extravaganza habits in the way of man
agement, which Of course are hard to
change.
There can be no question but what
the expense of operating the railroads
has gone UP tremendously.
l think most of US believe that they
are trying to adopt economies and they
should be encouraged by an advance in
rate.
1t is quite possible of course that the
railroads have allowed their equipment
and plants to down more than they
were actually obliged to.
NOW 1t seems TO me that the two in
dustrles that have really been serious
~ affected in this country are steel and
lumber, both very much dependent upon
the railroads for business.
1t also seems to me with a little
SNOAdSo AuElllSlcu the Td1IrOdUB In the
way of an Increase in rate that they
would purchase very literally. This
OF course will change conditions in the
two industries referred to above.
There Is no need for me to write you
about the crops and the effect this will
have upon the purchasing power OF tn Q
country. These effects are exploited
every day in the papers, but, In my
Judgment, 1t Is the combination OF all
these things mentioned that will bring
forth the large AX1anainn t0 hTriuoud
which I firmly believe iS coming to
this country.
My BELIEF Ia, that # the American
people, as a whole, whether they are
for or against the administration,
whether they are free traders or pro
tectionists, whether they are trust pres
idents or day laborers, will Just stop
wasting their time talking about the
hard things that have come to us, and
realize the facts as they are, we will
see the largest business thai this coun-
try has ever had.
I don't mean by h ABOVE statements
that I think we are going to have an
easy time doing business In this coun-
try. On the contrary, I think COM
petition Will be keene than ever, but
the business houses built on economical
lines will be in shape to meet this COM
petition. In my Judgment. the old
fashioned e~xtravagantly managed con-
Germs win have to fall by the wayside.
I believe that by October we shall
see a very heavy business in full swing
and I advise conducting our own bust
ness on that basis Yours very truly.
rs'".r.'''- I'll. B. ENDICoT~T.