The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-22
PROSPEROUS AMERICA.

No one capable Of reading. the barometer of
business can mistake the signs.
Here they are:
l. In the months of January and February
the building and engineering contracts signed in
that portion of America east Of the Missouri
river and north of the Ohio exceeded in amount
those of the corresponding months for the last
ten years, except 1917 and 1913 when we spent
extraordinary sums munition plants and war
structures. They are nearly 45 per cent greater
than the January February average for the
seven years 1900-19O6 inclusive. What is more
significant is that, while January Of this year
showed well, the swell did not begin to show
fully until February. March gives promise Of
still greater increase.
e. Commodity prices continue to decline.
8. Trade reports show pronounced demand
for overalls and worlxingmen's shirts.
a. Wall stress, which always is able to fore
cast prosperity or depression, has given evidence
through the stock market OF pronounced re-
vival.
There is not an even distribution Of the con-
tracts. In Ohio. Western Pennsylvania and
West Virginia they are below par.
In Illinois, Iowa, Indiana Wisconsin, Michigan,
Missouri and Eastern Kansas. they are bigger
than ever recorded in corresponding months.
In New England they are below the average.
In New York they are fair.
In Philadelphia Baltimore and Washington
they are nearly twice the normal amount.
The northwest has not begun to feel the i'm
pulse.
The president of a great university estimates
that this country is SIS, 00O, 100000 behind
quirements in building and engineering opera
tions. His estimate may be high, but there is no
doubt we are in need of more CONSTRUCTION than
ever before in our history.
Now that beginning has been made the SEN
timental and material effect will spread through
every branch of industry.
Railroads and trolley lines are in urgent need
of 100000 tons of steel this year. Their finan-
cial condition has been improved greatly by the
mildness of the winter. Hundreds of trolley
companies that faced bankruptcy few months
ago now see daylight ahead. Snow costs the rail-
road and trolley companies many millions of
dollars ordinarily The comparative lack of snow
and ice not only sired them from tremendous
expenditures this winter but traffic was unpre-
cedentedly large owing to the good weather
General trade is reported far better than mer-
chants expected. A banner winter wheat crop
is predicted and never, in fifty years. were food
animals in such good condition after winter.
All this does not mean that active, prosperous
times are coming with rush. There are many
works of readjustment to be completed The
dislocation of labor still presents difficult
ties. Prices of goods, wages of men and other
questions remain to be settled in many lines of
industry
But the turn has come. The tide no longer
GIBBS. It has begun to rise. That is as certain
as anything can be from the evidence before us.
Americas recovery from ''the shock of peace
has been marvelously rapid. Few students of
world affairs expected definite signs of it before
May l. Now the proof is here, more than a |
month ahead of the most optimistic expecta- |
tons.
America never had more work to do than it
must do in the period now dawning It must
feed. clothe, furnish and finance goodly portion