The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-31

treaty will be concluded and brought
 back to the United States early in April. There need be no positive ex- pectations on this score, however,
 since diplomatic procedure is notori-
 ously slow. Events in Southern Ell-
 rope are such as to necesSitate
 prompt action and, while they are In themselves discOuraging, indicating as ! they 10 a continuous prospect of dis tu1tbauce. vigorous measures are evil
 dently being concerted for dealing with them. The stock market has
 felt the Encouragement growing out of the spread of radical control in the
 Southern European countries, and in vest ors have shown their concern by exhibiting less active interest in the
 market during the latter part of the week. They must remember, how ever, that if investments in the Unit ed States are not safe there is no
 safety in the world. Conservatism and caution in the choice of securities are always to be impressed upon the minds of intending buyers, but they
 may be carried to 8, point where they become injurious rather than protec- ] tive in their influence.
 | Prices of commodities still show a healthy downward tendency, as ex- emplified in the disposition of man Iufacturers to meet the government i half way in the price fixing or price 1 suggesting process which Is now going on. The decline in prices has tbeen only about ten points from the thigh level, however, and shows no ! sign of proceeding so fast as to dis organize any business activity---in- Ideed it might we'll be hoped that somewhat marked declines in values should occur. Such declines would ! operate to bring about a real reduc-
 tion in cost of living, and to relieve
 the small and medium consumer and 1 iinvestor and thereby enlarge his say 1 i1ngs margin. That this process will
 gradually be worked out there can be
 but small doubt. So far as 1t has
 gone it has been helpful rather than
 the reverse, despite the views of
 some observers who seem indisposed i to look deeply into the logic of the
 situation.
 i With the return of spring, retail trade is reported good throughout the l country, and there has been a distinct start within the past few days in buy
 ing and distributing consumption
 goods. Dealers generally are short of supplies, and this a,ugurs a longer pe- : riod of spring demand than Is ordi-
 narily expected. Agricultural pros ! PcCLS S1A4AlNJSL everywhere SESIl 10 De
 unpreced dentad1y favorable, while l there is but little indication of
 marked decline in food values The farmer should be a strong buyer of all classes of goods during this year, 1 and should, moreover, be a source of i substantial funds for savings or in- vestment. As for labor. it is unrnis-
 takably true that the floating supply 1 Is being absorbed, and that less trou- i ble from unemployment than seemed
 to be in prospect 30 days ago Is now l being experienced. It would be easy | to cause 8. setback in this favorable : outlook by unwise government pol | iicies. The situation is delicate and will call for careful handling for some months, but conditions today are cer-
 tainly increasingly favorable This
 should help materially in bringing
 about an earlier resumption of nor
 nal industry. Financially conditions
 are as sound as could be reasonably expected The new Government loan,
 whose terms are shortly to be an- nounced, will be a, severe draft upon the investors powers, but he will be encouraged to renew d effort by the
 fact that the Secretary of the Treas ury has assured the country that this will be the last of the series of Lib erty loans and that in no future bor-
 rowing will there be the same wide spread appeal to the rank and file of the country.
 ] A couraseous attitude on the part of the public and a demand for strict economy in governmental finance. icou1led with avoidance of private ex- travagance and supported by genuine saving and conservative invest nlent should insure early resumption of prosperous conditions