Arizona republican., 1918-11-02
BUSINESS BETTER IN TWELFTH FEDERAL
 RESERVE DISTRICT

tIdl reserve agent Ol lUe Ntll LII lcN- eral reserve district. War industries are continually enlarging their plants, but are limited by a shortage of labor and inability to secure necessary ma terials. In the agricultural districts slow liquidation on grain crops is caus- ing inconvenience to farmers and bankers. Seeding of grain crops has begun in Idaho, Washington and Ore gon. Wholesale and retail trade is re- ported good in most parts of the dis trict. with small stocks on hand. Col leetons are good.
 Interest rates continue firm at per cent in industrial and : per cent in agricultural centers
 Bank clearings for 19 principal cities of the district in September amounted to S10S5. .7900 900. an increase of 2S per cent over the corresponding month Of 1917.
 Building permits for the same 19 cities were S5.1SS000, an increase of 39 per cent over September. 1917. Seattle Oakland. Portland and Tacoma showed the only increases. with 217, 1SS, 159 and 121 per cent respectively, due to industrial plant extensions for war work and the erection of houses for workers
 During August. according to R. c. Dun & O.. there were only SS com mercial failures in this district, with liabilities of $769 160. compared with 145 failures with liabilities of $1.641.- 107 for the corresponding month Of last year, reduction of 5 per cent. In the whole country, for the same period, there was reduction of 56 per cent, the number of failures being the small est since July, 1901, and the total in 1 debtedness the lowest since September, 1906
 A crop of rice estimated al 6.45s.000 bushels is now being harvested in Cali fornia. This is 15 per cent of the coun- try's total production. The 1917 crop was 5,600000 bushels. The price fixed for the growers is s416 to SAP per 1 hundred pounds, or S1.60 to $l90 per ! bushel. according to the quality The California walnut crop this year is estimated at $500 tons. compared with 15,000 tons in 1917. Prices are 2Sc ! per pound for the first grade. compared with about 2Oc in 1917 and 1515c in | 1916.
 The almond crop is estimated at ! 4.S15 tons. the largest ever produced. 1 In 1917 the production was $500 tons Although the estimated production ! of apples for the whole country is nearly 10 per cent greater than last | year. the crop in this district shows 1 a reduction ranging from per cent in | California to 20 per cent in Utah and l S5 per cent in Idaho. Quality. however | is better than usual and prices are from l5 to 25 per cent higher than last i year. The following figures show the estimated crop on october l, 1918, and l total production last year in boxes:
 1918 1917. | Washington ......12, ,039, 900 13.S60, 900 California ........ S,380.000 3,520,0O0 | oregon ........... 1,S30.000 2,139,000 | Utah .............. 453,O00 900 Idaho ........ 390.000 2,11S.00O Carload shipments of fresh fruits. in | cludinG cherries, apricots. peaches, plums, pears and grapes from Cali fornia this year have been heavier than in any previous year. Following are the figures on October ,. 1918, and on the corresponding date for the past five years:
 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1918 20.SS2 167j9 13.777 11.979 12.719 10.S56
 The damage to the California prune crop by untimely rains during Septem Der was more serious than indicated by early reports. Estimates of a normal crop of 150000,000 pounds are new re-
 duced to about 5O,0OO,O00 pounds All sizes from 30 to 90 to the pound are to
 be taken by the government, leaving
 for civilian consumption not more than
 15;000000 pounds of the larger and
 smaller sizes. Eighty per cent of the
 oregon and Washington bumper cror
 estimated at 50OO0OOO pounds will also
 be taken by the government.
 The rains in September also injured
 table wine and raisin grapes in Cali
 fOrnia, but the extent of the damage
 has not yet been definitely determined
 Earlier in the season a crop of raisins
 equal to the 1917 bumper crop of 163,- , 900 tons was expected.
 CalifOrnia's bean crop now beine
 harvested. was estimated on October
 at S,S50,000 bushels, consisting o1
 2,6l0,000 bushels of limas and 5,740.00t
 bushels of all other varieties. The 191-
 production was S,091,000 bushels The present crop is about 45 per cent O. the cOuntrys total estimated yield Prices received by growers vary iron 6c per pound for the blackeye variet, tc II l2c per pound for limas. It is in,
 teresting to note that these prices ar, . from 10 to 25 per cent lowe rthan las ! year.
 ] Lumber mills of the Pacific north ! west furnished 16,S75,0 900 feet of fin
 ished aircraft stock in September. com
 pared with 2,6S3.000 feet in September
 1917. The governments monthly re , quirements have been increased iron J i0,000.000 feet to 30.000000 feet month
 ly. The mills are facing serious sit
 nation through their inability to mar
 ket the surplus side-cut lumber re
 maining from the production of air
 craft stock and large ship timbers A
 a result several smaller mills hay,
 -1ar
 their crews. The yards are congeste, with stocks and have no additiona . storage space. It is asserted that thi situation has been greatly aggravate,
 by the fact that the war industrie | I board has allotted orders for smalle timbers to other lumber producing sec : tions.
 j. Production of crude petroleum il
 California during August was s,712.S6 : barrels, a decrease of 24,769 barrel from July. The output of August 1917, was S,424,405 barrels. During tn
 month of August stored stocks de l creased from 25,632,S23 to 25,464,97 !, barrels.
 | Reports from Alaska indicate tha . the output of gold in that territory wi = not exceed s10.O0O,o0o this year. com 7. pared with s17.241,715 in 1916. The de e crease is due in part to the scarcity c labor. increased cost of supplies an . the flooding of the Alaska -Treadwe s mine last year.
 r The shipping board recently an S nounced that from August 3, 1917 t - September 15. 1918. the shipyards c n the Pacific coast had delivered to V 137 vessels with a cargo capacity C "a l,011,l60 deadweight tons. out of a totf Q of 356 vessels with a cargo capacit q of 2,045,s75 tons delivered to it by a h shipyards of the United States. Of ves