Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-11-10
BUSINESS
Unprecedented Volume of Business
soring Prices-The Reason Is the
American Workingman's Condition
Really Bettered?-A Coming EN-
ergency and How To Meet It.

It is worthy of note that the bust
ness of the United States continues
Its large volume in spite of a presi-
dental election and steadily increas-
ing costs. Buying for current and
future requirements outstrips facili
ties for production and distribution.
Scarcity of materials and labor con-
ditions are impeding the volume of
manufactures. Restriction of fuel
supplies incidental to car shortage
make shipments backward, but the
trend of prices in strongly upward
and producers have come to the point
where promises for future deliveries
are given with utmost reluctance, and
an increasing number of profitable
contracts are being rejected. Bank
clearings were 80 per cent. larger last
week than one year ago. While ex-
travagant predictions of earnings of
the Steel Corporation have not been
realized, new high record has been
established the total earnings for the
third quarter of the year being $685.
100000, double the previous highest
point reached in any quarter Capa-
city operations in textile mills, and
footwear factories is the rule and
some manufacturers are refusing con-
tracts for goods to be delivered next
Spring, at any price Coal prices are
up and still soaring. Anthracite coal
reached the unexpected figure of $11,
per ton F. O. B. New York harbor
last week and bituminous was selling
at $500 per ton. The United King
dom of Great Britain and Ireland has
placed on sale in the United States
$300,000,000 of secured loan gold
notes interest at 514 per cent payable
in three and five years in United
States gold coin, so there is an op-
portunity for the investment of the
surplus cash that has been flowing
into this country. It goes without
saying that the reason for this seem
ing business prosperity is the sus-
pension of a large proportion of the
industries and commerce of Europe
due to the war.
1t may be an open question as to
whether the American workingman
who in the last analysis is the pro-
i ducer of the merchandise that is so
much in demand and which is bring
ing the balance of trade this way is
any better off than he would be with
a smaller and assuredly permanent
volume of business. True he has
plenty of work and his wage scale
has increased but he has to pay more
for all that he and his family eat,
drink and wear to say nothing of the
i fuel he must buy and the rent he must
pay. And when the end comes, as
come it must sooner or later, one is
led to wonder what these same Ameri-
can workingmen are going to do and
y4yh of thai7. oo7,di+ior, will Ia Tho 7,ao
pie who have been making the profits
, through commerce or manufactures
may fall back upon the accumulated
surplus Of these profits, the capital
. lists and investors who have garnered
in the dividends from 25 per cent to
100 per cent. may fall back on. the
earnings of their capital but the
Workingman whose sole stock in
trade and capital is the ability to
work is not apt to lay aside very
, much for such al emergency as will
:, come in this cotntry with the close
of the European War and consequent
cessation Of "war orders" coupled
with the renewal of industry in the
I countries now at war.
1t is something more than political
; campaign talk it is real condition
which this nation must meet and the
problem is, how shall we meet it 1t
lis a problem for the American peo-
pie to graple and solve, citizens and
|, statesmen, capitalists and labors,
business men professional men,
merchants and farmers all alike are
interested, for in this commonwealth
of ours no class or portion of the peo-
pie can suffer without affecting every
class, and every portion "Forewarn-
ed is forearmed'' and the serious con-
sideration of this coming emergency
leading to intelligent preparation fol
it is not only good business it may be
the means of averting a national ca
III astronhe