Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-25
twelfth RESERVE DISTRICT MAKES
RlP|DPROCREss IN RETURN TOPEACE
BASIS; FINANCIAL SHOWING IS GOOD
Business Meet 20 Per Cent Increase in
Demand With Mill Stocks 8 0 Per Cent Below Normal
shipbuilding Makes flower Advancement Strikes
Have Apparently No Impor tant Effect in This Section

San Francisco Nov. 25.-Read1ust-
ment to a peace basis has progressed
rapidly in the Twelfth Federal Reserve
district in the year following the sign
ing of the armistice. LAUNDERING, snip
building, and mining are among those
Industries in this district which were
most directly affected by the war
stimulus.
All surplus stocks of lumber cut on
government orders have been absorbed.
Mill stocks are 80 per cent below nor
NAL, and sales are 20 per cent In ex-
less of those of year ago.
Demand is SO great as TO practically
prevent replenishment of depleted mil
stocks, and Il number of mills are now
refusing to accept new orders. During
the four weeks ending Nov. l. an aver
age of I22 mills in the Pacific north
west reported production of $50, 577,14O
sfeet--4.2S per cent below normal, as
compared with 7.S3 per cent below nor
NAL during the corresponding period
in 1918 and 5.37 per cent below normal
during the preceding four weeks. Or
ders accepted were 1929 per cent and
shipments 1855 per cent below actual
production as compared with 32.23 per
cent and 21.4S per cent, respectively,
during the preceding four weeks.
MORE BUILDING.
Increased building activity is re-
sponsible for a considerable portion oil
the increased demand for lumber.
Building permits, instead of showing
the usual seasonal decline, have stead
ily increa sed during the fall months, 10
principal cities reporting permits ag-
sregaling $12,l16,0u0 in October, 1919,
as compared with 49, 1871 900 on October,
1918, and $11 ,093,000 in September, 1913.
With few exceptions, the cities of the
district report that building of homes
H. s., lE
for so to 20 per cent of the permits
Thy value).
slower progress in the transition
from IA war status has been made by
the steel shipbuildins industry. Most
OF the wooden shipbuildng yards have
now been closed, their materials sold,
and labor employed absorbed by other
industries. Since the first of october
the steel shipbuilding situation has
been complicated by strikes for in
creased wages in the face of cancella-
ton OF orders, decreased production
and no immediate prospect OF new con-
tracts.
All of the yards in the San Francisco
Bay region have been closed since the
calling of the strike. When operation
is resumed it will be with greatly cur
tailed forces, some yards planning to
run with half the number previously
employed. The yards in Los Angeles
have resumed on an open shop basis,
with a material reduction in number of
men and with an excess of applications
Tor employment.
REDUCE FORCES.
The yards in the Pacific northwest
are materially reducing their forces
In Portland it is reported that the yards
building wooden ships are employing
$50 men, as compared with a maximum
l8aR tl..~ -
building steel ships 1000, as compared
with a maximum of 1000; the Seattle
yards 1920, compared with a maxi
mum of $4,000 Those now employed
in Seattle will be laid off at the rate
of 5000 or more per month until March
|, when all but -four of the ships under
contract will have been completed.
In spite of the large number of men
released from shipbuilding practically
all have been absorbed by other in
6ustries. Portland reports 1000 unem-
pioyed. 700 OF whom are ex-soIdiers;