The Detroit times., 1914-11-27


careful study OF conditions. has Just
responded as follows to the nation
wide prosperity survey" which Ii
being made:
in general way Il may be said
that In this great Industrial district
sentiment as regards the future Is
as optimistic as In the most favored
sections OF the country.
THE reason that Pittsburgh feels
optimistic for the future despite the
trade contraction Of the present Is
that our manufacturers are close stu
dents Of history. They know that
there Is a limit TO retrenchment, and
they are looking forward to increased
business based upon the necessities
OF their customers"
Another leading business man who
Is jubilant ovf the outlook and wants
everybody TO know Il, Is II. II. Mer-
rick, head OF the credit department OF
Armour Il Co., the great Chicago
packers.
The new firm--We. u. 8. & Co.
has world trade at Its feet" Merrick
says. 1T comes home to us that
our present Is safe, our future GER
tain.
big business from now on is fact
and not q theory. Depression in some
lines Is more than counterbalanced
by the boom In other lines. The DC
tober export balance IN favor Of Amer
lean trade was over S60,000,000. as
against $l6.000.000 In September
Domestic trade is increasing in
almost all lines. Easy money-which
Is assured-plus confidence, plus tire.
mendous exports on a cash basis,
make prosperity In domestic trade q
certainty. For US opportunity vio-
lates tradition and thunders at our
doors. II cannot be denied admis-
sion."
War orders have brought optimism
to another packing house-the Cudahy
company-which Is about TO open for
the frst time In several years its big
canning plant In South Omaha, Neb.,
In order TO fll q British order for
100000 one-pound tins OF canned
beef.
Another tremendous order from
Great Britain has just been brought
back by Frederick 8. Fish, president
OF the Studebaker corporation. OF
South Bend, Ind. To supply more
than $15.000,000 worth of automobiles.
wagons, sleds, harness and other
equipment Is the prize Job which he
picked up abroad. Filling 1t will bring
employment TO thousands of men.
Kenosha. Wis, also gets big auto
mobile order-for 500 trucks-and an
other-for $1,000,O00 worth of auto
mobiles for France--has just been
received In Jackson. Mich.
Thus. many sections Of the nation
are sharing in the big boom. One OF
the most interesting OF the war orders
is that now being filed In st. Paul.
by concern which has agreed to
supply the French army with 1000
sheepskin coats week-at IS apiece!
That means $32 1000 a week TO go TO
the Twin Cities for this industry
alone!
At Swanton, VT, belligerent pow
er has placed within the last few
days an order for $2,500.000 worth OF
rife cartridges A $4,000,000 award
for bullets has gone to concern In
East st. Louis. The Pratt a. Whitney
Co., OF Hartford, Conn, is engaged in
filling a $l,500.000 order fran China
for gunmaking tools. Big knitting
mills at Delavan, Wis, are working
full force on an order Of 100000
sweaters for a European army
At Bridgeport and New Haven
Conn, Alton, Ill, Boston and Pitts
burgh. are other factories which have
started work within the last few days
on huge orders for cartridges. shells,
bullets and rifles. Eighteen million
dollars worth will be made in Bos'
ton alone!
The coal fields are sharing in the
revival, the United States steel cor
poration having just ordered all its
West Virginia coal mines TO resume
full-time operations at once.
In fields not directly affected by the
European demand many signs Of bet
ter-than-ever times are seen. Federal
authorities will soon be able to lift
completely the quarantine on live
stock The Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa
and Minnesota banks report that
farmers in that region have an extra
quality corn crop, and will receive
record prices for It, The cotton men
of the south find that, according 70
iool WCCh % hBhACbb COhlOh ChPOlto di
now practically at the weekly mark
Of last year.
The American Telephone & Tele.
graph Co. says traffic has again reach
ed the average of last year, showing
normal business conditions. From
the great lakes copper region comes
news that every available pound OF
copper Is at last being shipped. the
orders being for immediate delivery
and domestic consumption.
Finally, dispatches indicate that the
loosening of credit and quickening OF
trade movement as direct result OF
the opening OF the federal reserve
banking system Is becoming more and
more obvious In all sections OF the
country.