New Britain herald., 1919-03-22
Henry Clel
 Weekly Lef1
Especial to Herald. }

announced that the peace treaty
 the League of Nations will be
 complished facts within q very 3Ql
 weeks. This is highly encoura&sask1
 information which, let us hope,
 prove true, The transcendent
 portance of these events, so dexG
 desired, can hardly be- underA
 mated Only four short months M elapsed since the ;rmistice
 signed, and no one ever believed XII the terms of peace following s11rAE huge cataclysm would be adjuSt$ within so brief period. When peHS is accomplished, demoblization vii proceed more rapidly than eveN&
 Armies will be disbanded; millions s01 mon will turn from wasteful to pro8 ductive occupations; idle industrieaa and commerce will resume, and thea civilized world will once more b84 free to operate under normal con-a ditions. Of course, grave difficultiesa will arise and innumerable readjusts5 ments must incite no little frictiOn.S COnSidera ble losses will have to be- written off; labor is sure to be mores or jess ruffled by the return oTS millions seeking re-employme ent: in-s dustry will still have to be suitably reorganized; transportation cannot bes re-established without delays, there will be many differences of opinions as to how much of what is new Of old in business should be retained and comm cree will have to be largely re- constructed upon new lines. But these and many other prOhIems are sure to be attacked in an unshaken belief that despite present risks and dan- gers the civilized world is moving ir- YnS S.iStiI I,1 fO T stable social and economic order than the one which the war so saw agely uprooted. One striking result of the war is the development of marked spirit of courage in the bus mess world; all kinds of difficulties being faced with a confidence that 1 would have been considered sheer recklessness four years ago. How l ever disturbing the outlook may seem l to be, it is still evident that the
 worst has been passed and that the ] tide has turned albeit the goal may 1 not be reached without some further ! dangers and losses.
 Home affairs are in a state of ex- 1 traordinary f1uX Our government l has been thrown into a condition of l intense perpleXity by the neglect of 1 congress to make necessary appro- 1 priations before adjournment. Public ] opinion is consequently growing more l and more urgent for an early special l session of congress, which may con- l pei President Wilson to return earlier 1 than he desired; for the ship of state 1 may need it's only pilot at no distant l date. Many of the governm ent's 1 necessary functions are now being l delayed for want of funds; the rail- 1 roads being very seriously incon- i Venienced by demands which the l government imposed upon them and l is mortally obliged to meet De- l mobilization of the army Is in reality 1 a comparatively simple operation
 which our military machine is abun- l dantly able to handle; but the com | pulsory withdrawal of the govern 1 ment from the innumerable business l enterprises into which it was drawn l by war is a far more complicated and | delicate process. All our industries are enormously inflated; so, too, arc values, which are reccding: though l the downward movement is slow. and 1 it will be years before the pre-war 1 basis is reached, if ever. Wages are not receding, and labor difficulties may be expected indefinitely because until values drop materially there can ! be no material change in wages It is conceded that labor will receive @ larger share in the total product than heretofore. This object has already been partially accomplished and will not be resisted by intelligent em- Dloyers, provided the change is rea- sonable and brought about gradually. instead of by violence that would simply destroy capital and leave labor in a worse position than ever. Time, a spirit of fair dealing and mutual consideration, if allowed free play will surely solve these difficulties Business men, though perplexed, are not discouraged, and while cautious are generally optimistic. Industry is slack in spots; but, given steady prices on a lower basis. as well as fairly stable labor conditions, it would quickly revive. Big distributing mer. chants are in a similar position 1 Generally they are carrying small stocks of finished goods, and are pre- pared to buy freely when satisfied that prices are upon a more stable l !, basis. Some large producers, such as the copper men and some of the leading textile manufacturers, have 1 cOgnized this factor and deliberate- " fnade heaVE sales at a loss in order i | to start things moving and stabilize l
 prices. Over a million pieces of print {
 cloths were sold during the last ten l ] days at the new prices. Steel manu- ! facturers have made concessions of !. 10 to II per cent in prices to meet l | the situation AS for agriculturists, i they are in a class by themselves 1 1 Their prosperity for another year at l , least is positively assured. We must 1 | feed Europe at all hazards and t1,af i