Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-27
TRADE ISCROWINC
ALL OVER NATION
Investigation by chicago News
paper Discloses Optimism
of Business Men.
WAR PROVING AN IMPETUS
Orders Flowing in Cause Employers to
Take on Thousands of Work
ers to Meet Demands

Chicago. ILL.,, Nov. PA survey OF
the business and trade conditions
! throughout the country indicates an
upward tendency comparable with
| that which has been reported in the
Chicago district.
In many smaller manufacturing cit
les the plants that make material
needed by the armies of Europe are
experiencing more of a rush of busi-
ness than the factories whose output
is for other purposes.
However, the reports from CORE
spondents in industrial centers,
such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland,
and Detroit are invariably optim-
istic. In nearly all cases the improv-
ed conditions are indicated by tangi-
BILE evidences such as the increased
employment of men, the reopening Of
plants and the receipts of large Or
ders.
Factory forces are being enlarged
cautiously and in such industries as
steel and railway equipment the re-
turn to normal is still a matter for
the future.
Nevertheless a canvass of the in
Vulnerable small manufacturing cities,
especially of the middle west, shows
an undoubted turn to better times.
The mild weather has held back ac-
tivity in demand for winter garments
and goods, except where orders have
come from Europe.
The extent to which American fac
tories are providing supplies for Eur
ope, of a sort that usually would be
furnished in Europe itself, is an i'm
pressive feature of the reports.
Conditions Favorable Here.
An evidence of the conditions in the
Chicago territory is shown this week
by the addition of % new members to
the Chicago Association of Commerce
For the last three weeks the num-
Der Of new members added to the rolls
of the commercial organizations
amounts to more than 100. Officers
of the association say that no better
of the business -condi-
tions of the city can be found than
the membership additions to the asso-
citation
tory in Piqua, Ohio, which enrolled
under the new ruling of the associa-
ton permitting firms outside of the
city to join for participation in the
foreign trade campaigns of the asso-
citation.
From Quincy, ILL.,. comes word of
in the shape of orders for
l. R. Calkins, president of
a steel wagon and wheel manufactur-
ing company in that city, said his con-
Germ in the last few days had received
orders which caused them to operate
at capacity. The orders came from !
all sections of the country, and were |
for parts which other factories use in |
Assem- bling various kinds of machin- |
cry.
The only difference 1 have MOTTO |
I'd between this summer and previous |
seasons has been the dislike on the |
part of purchasers to sign up for long /,
line contracts" Mr.. Calkfns said.
Now, however, we are getting down
o contract business with larger or
iers than usual.
"In addition, our company has sent
salesman to South America to study
itay a year without making an effort
o get orders. Other manufacturing
,lants in our territory are doing more
business because of foreign orders
han they ever did before" II
A manufacturer OF electrical ma
hinery in North Chicago. chiefly mag
etos. talked a month ago about clos
ng his factory. Now he is running ]
light and day, with larger orders than +;
e ever received before. This is the !
ime OF year that the farm implement |
start full blast on their (
pring machinery. Reports from cit
es where these plants are located {
tate that a large number of them I
ave been placed at work. {
The farmers of the middle west are {
the implement manufac- {
lrers report. They have the money I
, buy just as heavily next spring as I
hey ever have. {
The manufacturing industries look
1rward TO a spring as prosperous as !
nv in the history of the nation {