Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-20
BUSINESS ERA is
SEEN BY HOUSTON
Immense Wheat Crop to Over
come Depression, Says Sec
rotary of Agriculture.
IDLE MEN TO HAVE WORK
Labor Head Points Necessity of Help
in Harvest Fields Of
the West.

Washington. June 20.-The stimulus
10 industry caused by the immense
wheat crop now being harvested viii
completely overcome business depres-
sion n the United States in the opinion
Of David r. Houston. secretary of agri-
culture
we are passing through a period
OF liquidation. due TO Overtrading.
which extends over the entire world.
the secretary said 1T has been felt
severely in Europe and more banks
have failed in Canada than IN the
United States But there IS certainly
no basis for the statement that we
lack the fundamentals of prosperity
and such depression as exists will
surely be overcome by the stimulus of
the c1op movement
f'gThe- railroads have been the pri- !
mary cause OF depression in this
country. Pending a decision by the
Interstate commerce commission on
their application for a per cent in
crease in freight rates, they have
been buying supplies in as small guam
titles as possible Since the railroads !
are the greatest single purchasing |
agency in the country, this conserya-
tism on their part has reacted upon a 1
great many industries and especially .
the steel trade A decision on the /
freight rate question will be given by
the Interstate commerce commission
in a short time / am told, and what
ever the decision may be. ! believe
the railroads will adjust themselves to
IL and that business will benefit &C
cordingly-
Plan Crop Movement.
IAN unusually heavy crop movement
as a rule has been considered a COM
plication in the financial situation"
continued the secretary in reply to a
question. but I am confident there will j
be no money difficulty this year. The
crop movement was effectively handled
by the treasury department last year
and ii will be again The federal re-
serve system will be organized in time
10 help In the solution of the financial
problem and if there is any difficulty |
resort can be had to the emergency !
currency law.
Il have talked with a number of {
business men in the west and, from ;
all / can learn, I Judge that the bust
ness situation already is on the mend.
except perhaps in certain industries. (;
IN 81 LOul5 SOlA4t Bu1lAt6o men AOlu
me that business was better than last I
year Others said there was a slight Z
falling on just now: but they attribut- {
ed II TO the fact that the farmers are I
too busy with their crops to do any I
buying I
See Work for All. I
Secretary Houston and Secretary OF /
Labor Wilson both expressed the opin- {
ion that the demand from the farming 1
states OF the west would absorb all :
classes OF unemployed except that q
which is trying 10 avoid work
Kansas has asked for 10000 men;
Missouri. Oklahoma and the two Da- a
kotas for $4,000 each. and all these es-
Inmates are below the actual needs OF
the states" said Secretary Wilson
We have given publicity TO this de- |
nand for men by exactly the same L
methods that the United States wealth Il
s- map is distributed. and by some +
others. We have sent bulletins to {
every pOstOfiice In the country. with o
directions that they be posted and n
llso published in the daily and weekly Z
,ress and in foreign language period v
ais The bulletins also have been sent q
o immigrant stations and to colleges. C
s-FaNN7N BAooA-AA III GOAAtC-I
lon with the crop situation is the mat 81
Fl OF transportation. The unemploy- n
d labor OF the country is congested in ia
he great cities. and many of these m
zen are unable 10 pay their way to the a.
est In order to remedy this we have v
ken up with the railroads. through ID
le Interstate commerce commission. U
ie question of establishing very low vi
rates to western points. No
s1nite arrangement has been con-
uded yet. but we hope TO have one in
me to aid the crop movement" 81
Ho~lins Is Denounced ~
Secretary Houston. who also dis -
lssed the labor problem. said that
ere was no unemployment problem co
the United States. and that the on
alamity bowling" which has been tir