The Alaska daily empire., 1917-07-07
Financial Statement Is Made by B. M. Behrends
 Who Feels Pulse of Community.
GREAT LABOR SCARCITY
Fishing Business Shows Increase; Post Office Receipts Also Show
 Great Increase.

That business conditions in Ju- neau have been better during the first six months of 1917, than for the corresponding period of 1916 is the statement of B. M. Behrends and was made today during a dis cussion of business conditions in Ju- neau.
 If I make the statement that the general business of the city is greatly increased over the same per iod of last year, and also that our bank deposits show much more money to the accounts of our de- positors than last year will be tell ing an absolute truth without any exaggeration" he said.
 The foregoing remark was made to a reporter from The Empire in reply to a query about business con- ditions. When asked to explain why business was better, MT. Behr- ends admitted that he was at loss exaggeration," he said.
 Our bank has lost thousands of dollars which have been withdrawn by people leaving this section, but the increased amounts deposited with us by business men and citizens in general has more than offset any loss in deposits" he continued. Our store business is also greater. ."If the supply of labor for the mines in this section was ample one could safely say that Juneau would be experiencing one of the most prosperous periods of its his- tory. The periods of doubt are all behind Juneau and I am perfectly satisfied with the outlook for the future.
 "At the present time there is big demand for labor. l have been assured that the two mines on this side of the channel would employ 500 or more men between them if the men could be secured. If they were here, and they will be as soon as conditions come back to normal, Juneau would be booming as she never has before.
 Tt is a mere matter of time un- til the men come back the pros- pectors who are now in the hills, some of the men who are at the fishing camps and those on home steads and employed in other sum- mer work, will start to drift back within few weeks. Many of those who have left here for the States to work in the copper camps and other places where wages are high will come back in time, as the high wages there will not last forever. At the end of the present war, or even before business conditions will adjust themselves in the business world and when that time comes la- bor will be again on the move
 FISHING IS IMPROVING.
 "The fishing business of Ju- neau is gradually increasing which makes for prosperity and it is we'll known that as soon as prices of supplies reach their proper level there will be more mines in this section opened up. On the whole I am satisfied with conditions as l find them" he ended.
 POST OFFICE SHOWS GAINS.
 A visit to the post office brought forth the information that postal savings deposits for the months of April, May and June of 1917 ex- ceeded the deposits of the same per iod last year by $3.927 During the three months in 1916 the sum of $19,314 was deposited while this year in the same time $23,231 was put in the savings bank. This money all comes through the Ju- neau post office and does not in- clude deposits made through this