Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-24
REDFIELD ASSERTS
BOOM" IS HERE
Secretary of Labor Tells OF Bet
ter Business in Message
to Nation.

WHEELING. ". Va Feb. "a
Marked improvement IN condition ia
che industrial and commercial regions
of the country has come, reviving
courage and destroying alarm; re
moval of tariff duties has resulted N
q tendency clearly and openly in the
direction OF reduction in the cost OF
food and clothing; and climatic con-
dltions, not business depression, are
responsible for the number OF. unem-
Moved in New York City and other
large Industrial centres.
This was the message delivered TO
the nation last night BY William y,
Reddeld. the administration spokes-
man on commercial and Industrial
problems. before the Wheeling Board
of Trade, Every statement the
speaker made was fortified by ofhclal
statistics and reports.
Mr.. Redheld defended the tarlu act,
Iauded the currency law and, with de-
cided emphasis. assure his audience
that the government intends to help
and not hinder legitimate business.
Depression Not Surprising.
1T was not strange that the serious
depression all over Europe as Wei as
in South America should have oeeh
slightly reflected upon us in the Iat-
Ter part of last year" he said. It
is not surprising that careIul Iheh
moved cautiously in business matters
pending the necessary readjustments
from the new tariff. or that they
shouId have hesitated until the ma
Sorn of the currency bill was known.
It is not strange either that the men
should want to know the attitude OF
tbe government toward legitimate
business.
"The tendency Is clearly and open
~ in the direction OF a reduction IN
the cost OF food and clothing through
the removal of the tariff tax II may
be well to point out, however. ina
the costly processes OF DISTRIBUTION
Law tremendous tax upon our con
sumers. and that in my judgment the
single and httie-discussed factor OF
carriage alone lays heavier ouraei,
upou our people than the totai
amount paid for railway freights.
Unemployment.
.sIt remains to discuss briefly two
other elements of the existing situa-
tion, the prices of commodities ana
the matter Of unemployment. during
The winter months thousands OF LABOR
ers are thrown out of work for ell
roatic reasons in all our Northern
states. and it is normal that they
should concentrate as for years past
they have done in our large cities ana
Industrial centres. Statements nave
been made and denied TO the enect
that there are more unemployed IN
New York this year than usual This
NAV be true without meaning that
there is any abnormal excess OF I'M
EMPLOYED in the whole country. New
York city is known to be in the act
OF spending several hundred millions
upon subway construction.
.Furthermore it is well known that
New York provides literally for the
through its vast private
and public charities, and this is an
factor to some out of work.
All these factors would naturally
draw the unemployed to that city in
numbers even in excess of possible
The fact that they have
SO gathered there or in other cities in
large numbers this year may or may
not have direct bearing upon the
of Industry. A large part
of the unemployed are probably not
those who work in factories. but
rather those who follow the kinds of
labor which the inclemency of the
season forbids continuing and which
are always suspended at this time Of
the year.
s'The reopening of idle mills
throughout the Central West has i'm
proved conditions. It is certainly true
that many of those who were out of
work when the year opened are now
busy again, and the tendency is to
employ more. With the opening of
the spring many avenues to work that
the season now closes will reopen.
Thus the normal passage Of time acts
TO solve the problem.
Now it Is the fact that in recent
years the tariff tax has so operated
on food as to make it visibly more
costly. There was a time recently
when potatoes were imported when
our supply was scant, and when the
tariff tax on potatoes was equal to
about so per cent, on their price, and
increased their cost. On
the other hand it is the fact now that
Argentine beef Is being shipped to
New York free of the tariff tax, and
this has resulted in a decline in the
wholesale New York market for beef
of about four cents a pound"