Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-05
Good Times Predicted
For Business in Peace
~ Frederic ]. Haskjn

experts of the War Industries Board
| and the United States. Department ot
| Labor, who say that the country ~
about to enter into the greatest corp-
| mcrcial era in ita history
There will be no financial depression
the Federal Reserve Banking law has
put panic out Of the question. II there
is any industrial depression, and CON
seguent unemployment, due v the
difficulties of change from war basis
to one of peace, it will be of narrow scope
and of short duration. BY spring the
experts look for the greatest industrial
boom the country has ever known. II
will be greater than the war boom, be-
cause less artificial and less nervous. by
the same token il will be entirely con
structive or reconstructive.
WAGES AND PRICES TO HOLD.
Both wages and prices will remain
at their present high standards. For
come time to come materials VIII be
MS scarce and expensive as now; but,
gradually. with The reorganization Of
shipping. and the elimination Of Moloch,
War as an Unsuitable devourer Of mateii-
ale Of all kinds, and with war efficiency
methods turned toward peacctime pro
duction, the cost Of living will 90 down
Possibly, the reduction will not be per
ceptible for several years, and 1t seems
unlikely that the cost Of living viii ever
drop to it's pre-war level But this is
balanced by the fart that wages will
also remain high.
There arr hundreds Of munitions
factories in tins country confronted
! with the knowledge that the market
for their output has vanished, as 1t were,
overnight But the lathea which have
been turning shells, can be made TO turn
car wheels, and the tools used for adj
jtisting fIses can be used for adjusting
parts Of agricu turai machinery. Many
munitions factories were prepared for
peace, and ready 10 change their outputs
on short notice. To the few manufac-
turers who were not prepared, the gov
eminent is now pointing ont the way
to make the change.
The railroads alone can keep many
factories busy. When the government
took over the railroads, both the road
beds and rolling stock were IN corn-
paratively poor condition. During the
months which the government has opera
ted the roads conditions have unavold-
ably grown worse There wa. no skilled
labor tn be had for the round houses
and hardly any unskilled labor for the
section gangs With the evcr-grou1ng
demand for moro locomotives and cars,
the rolling stock could not he spared
from the rails long enough TO give 10 the
ovcrhaubngs needed
yTx ENGINES WITH TurwE.
Instances have been cited where parts
of a locomotive have been bound to-
gether with bits Of tvine because there
were neither the materials nor the men
10 make adequate repairs Wooden
passenger cars have been pressed into
service because steel enough TO make
new steel cars could not be spared. An
immense number OF locomotives will
have TO be scrapped, road beds must be
fixed, bridges must be built and new
rails laid. There will be need Of al the
steel thus country can produce for years
to come.
Agricultural machinery furnishes an
other big opportunity FOR American
industry. In all Of the war-ridden
countries, it has been necessary TO g
place the shortage Of labor With machin-
cry. As 4 result American agricultural
implements have found their wav into
a hundred new markets, and from now
on these markets Will be permanently
ouen to them. This IS particularly
true OF France, where American reapers
and binders haA done much toward
avertlng famine. and where the great
devastated area IS now awaiting the
For the shipyards the course is even
clearer
For once in the history Of the country.
SAID an industrial expert recently, ne
have enough shlpyards. Only . compare
tiyely insignificant number OF ships
have been built UP to the present time.
but one important thing has been AZ
compliShed We have established reg
ular and svstenatized output, and there
Is no reason whl. IN few years, thls
output OF tonnage should not make lis
the greatest maritime natlon OF the world.
The tonnage of the world Is estimated
at 60,0O0. .000, and tonnage OF 20.000,-
900 would give Us a thIr of all. Adequate
" TO carry on our ooaStwlSe trade alone
requires from eight TO ten million tons.
1t is possible that the shipyards may
revert for time TO single shifts, but
the prospect Is that the double SHIFT viii
be restored before long.
For the garment manufacturers the
problem OF read!ustment has been 80
simple as to be scarcely problem at all
1t has been announced that discharged
soldiers will have three monthS in which
to find theIns Ives civilian clothing. Il
goes without saying that the manu- ,
facturers will not lose any time In help
ing them meet this requirement.
The price of clothing probably viii not
drop for some time. The drop Will come |
when american shipping IS IN position
To relieve the wool shortage by reinforcing
our supply with wool from Australia and |
the Argentine
OF course some of the munitions plants !
will shut down few have done SO al |
ready But this is a matter that the govern !
ment IS already taking care Of. Through /
the training section Of the Department Of /.
Labor 1t has made a study of the various I
trades released by Suspension Of war /
work, aud a study of plants where workers !
skilled in the same trades are IN deInani |
for peace-time production. The results /
Of these studies shall be turned over 70
the United States Employment Service, /
and the workmen transferred to new JOBS
America can hope to win larger place
IN world trade only by increasing her
There will be leisure now 70
study new methods, and opportunity
to put war efficiency to new uses. The
government is hoping that specialization
will be carried to q higher degree, and that
departments of specialized training Will be
instituted In all manufacturing plants
Df the country
Above all the country cannot ahord
TO cut the wages and opportunities OF
abor. and there IS little tendency 70
10 so. Our returned soldiers must and Will