The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-12

!
 business men of the United States of the
 reasons why they are persuaded that combinations formed solely for the pur-
 pose of maintaining and increasing for eign trade are expedient and beneficial. | He will listen patiently to whatever re- liable business men may have to say upon ] this point. Having in that way become I Informed and having added to the infor- nation in such other ways as seem to him opportune, the President will be able I to make up his mind. If he finds that 1 the business view of such combinations l is of merit he may be persuaded to recom- mend to Congress that there be such l amendment of the Sherman law will l, permit these eombina tons to be made.
 In that way the issue would no longer ex-
 ist if Congress approved the recommen- dation so that there would need 10 be no appeal to the supreme court
 The President and His Listeners Some of those who look part in the
 meeting at Washington. of the United States Chamber of Commerce are speak ing now of the general impression made upon the members of the organization by the Presidents address. It seemed to many of them that the Pro sident is gradually abandoning the political trans cendentalism which was so conspicuous a mental condition of his in the first 3 said that if President Wilson is able 10 bring his ideas which are a form of 1 transcendentalism into full sympathy with facts. accurate knowledge profounl understanding of the principles and meth ods which have characterized American business life so far as that has been influential in bringing prosperity to the United States, then he will be revealed as one of the master minds of public l life in the United States. One com ment made by a lawyer of ability was
 this: If President Wilson can now 1 bridge the chasm between ideaism and practical thorough as well as profound 1 information he will make for himself en- ! during fame and gain for the people great successes"
 l This Is an impression which some of 1 those and possibly all who hearl his ad- l dress received not only from his spoken words, but from 8 certain mystic atti- I tude for which there is no language which serves more greatly to persuade than does unanswerable argument.
 Real Congestion Now Prevails l Not only in the movement of wheat l from the harvest fields to the markets and from the export cities is there now l real congestion, but that condition is characteristic of many of the American
 manufactories which have received large orders from the belligerant and neutral l nations. It is commonly said in the fin- ancial district that the corporation which I Charles M. Schwab Is president would now be congested by reason of the over whelming business it has undertaken if l it had not limited it's acceptance of orders | to the capacity of it's plants. There were 1 in several of the offices of the large corporations in this city now actively l occupied with filling foreign orders strong evidence of the danger of con- 1 gestion. For instance, one of the large l industries received by cable a proposi- 1 ton for commodities with the proviso 1 that they were to be delivered at a cer i tain fixed time. Had the order been
 taken, the plants of this company would l have been congested. On the following day d similar order came from across the l sea, and it was absolutely necessary to decline it. The aggregate of these two
 orders represented $l50,000 and payment l for the commodities would have been
 made on the date of the delivery of them to the steamship But this indus 1 try is now operating to the capacity of l it's plants and if this capacity were doubled the plants would not be too l large
 1 From various places In New England l come reports that the manufacturing plants are now being operated to their l full capacity and there is no lack of employment in these towns for any who ! are competent to work in the plants.
 If orders recently offered had been ac- cepted then some of the plants would have broken down by reason of con- 1 gestion or else it would have been nec- essary to cancel contracts.
 1 In this second week of February. there <, are evidences that great as are the de- mands which have been made upon the United States for food. fibre and manu- factured commodities these are to be in- l creased, the presumption being that the 1 increase will continue for the rest of 1 this calendar year. at least. We may l be compelled to hold up ha1ting bond, 1 saying to would-be customers in foreign nations, We have reached our capacity l for production and unless you are will 1 ing to wait until orders can conveniently be filled you will be compelled to look elsewhere for the commodities which you seek