The Little River news., 1919-09-03
THE LABOR SITUATlOM
 SHOWS SOME CHANGE
Some Decline in Food Prrducts Is Noted on the Wholesale
 Markets.

New York, Aug. 31-The labor sit Uatlon has passed into a new phase with surprising quickness, supplying ground for hopes that radical counsels arc to be submerged in sane. economi- cal consideration of current problems
 The return of Samuel Gompers from Europe last week was coincident with new developments which promise a far-reaching application, although it may hardly be said that the influence of the most influencial labor leader marked the change His presence, however, was welcomed by both capi- past difficult periods promise careful weighing of decision by organized workers Tn view of the unrest in evidence for many weeks. and in the light of scores of scattered strikes. which have occurred, it is hardly to be expected that industrial peace will oc clr right away. but great deal has been accomplished in the last few dsys
 Shop Strike at Least Delayed.
 What amounts to three months truce between railway shopmen and the railroads, representated be inc railroad administration. has been Ar ranged on the basis of moderate in crease of pay and upon the promise that results must be obtained in re- ducing living cost The steel unions have put their case in the presidents hands, procedure which was inter- preted afterward in financial circles as a virtual postponment Of a strike call The voice of authority spoke near the end of the week in the South ern California railway strike, and the penalties it mentioned in store for workers who failed to return to their places bore all the more force be- cause the admonition was supplement- ed by a premature order of railway brotherhoods to the strikers to act with the unions.
 Although a long step forward has been taken since last Monday morning. If labor generally proves willing to abide by the test of the next 90 days, whicn the shopmen have accepted, it would seem that permanent results would come from the campaign to lower cost of necessities. But this means that labor part will be much more than refraining from strikes it means that labor must exert efforts to increase production of goods and ser vices Without this it is difficult to see now any great headway can be made and the comment of prominent tabor men, to mention Chiefs Stone and Lee of the railroad brotherhoods, shows that the underlying factors of the situation are fully understood by them.
 Market Shows Improvement.
 The stock market reflected the inn look The advance of quotations in the closing days probably denoted considerable short covering, but this iu itself, reflected a change of ends which upset the calculations of trad CTS who had thought to profit by continued unsettlement over labor, Tue market was not especially active, but the strength of prices was per sistent Bonds, too acted better than in several weeks, and especially rail- read issues, whose course marked the satisfaction of buyers over the admin istration's stand in regard to the de- mands of groups of workers. It would be unsafe of course. to assume that the rise of stocks indicated lengthy up turn of the market, for real move nent so called, can be judged in re- suits and not in promises.
 Pri es stal DOwnI ard.
 food and commodity prices, it is worth while citing some of the recent occur rences in market quotations. Before the government undertook to lower the cost of living speculation for the rise was rampant in grain and meat products. Since then the main effort of the spectators has been decline and normal factors of supply and demand have helped to work prices down. ward. December corn at the end of last week was more than 30 cents be- low the peak of the recent advance. Cash corn was down 16 cents or so per bushel. In two days last week Chicago dispatches recorded a fall of $2 to S2.75 per hundred pounds in hog prices, the movement paralleling the decline of corn. Pork has receded about SIP berrel in the last month and lard has lost several cents per pound
 Cattle fell from $125 to $150 per hundred pounds last week Sheep and I.,. He 1l hD