Arizona republican., 1919-04-14
FIRES BROADs|DE INT ]
 BOARD METHODS
Condemn Government Own ership - Extravaganza Scored-Return of Roads and Wires Demanded Make U. s. Pay War Bills Labor Problem Dis cussed.
TRepublican A. p. Leased Wirel


 NEW YORK, April 13.-Only five out of twenty-two principal industrial groups throughout the country report ed a condition of general business pros- perity in reply to a questiOnnaire sent to it's 440 members by the National As sociation of Manufacturers. A digest of the replies, issued today by the as sOciation, showed that sixteen out of the twenty-two groups, into which it's membership was divided, reported bus mess below 50 per cent of normal pre- war conditions. The seventeenth, the leather and leather goods manufactur CTS, reported trade about equally divid- ed between fair and good. In response for request for suggestions 10 help general prosperity, the replies enumer- ated a total of II obstacles lying in the path of a return to normal condition. Michael J Hickey, who prepared the digest for the association, placed the Il in the following order of importance, estimated according to the relative emphasis laid upon them by the associ- ation members:
 CD Delay in signing the treaty Of peace; (2) general high cost of
 labor and material; (3) sudden ces | sation of war buying operations by
 
 ! ernment; (4) hand to mouth buying 1 by jobbers, retailers and consumers 1 awaiting expected price reductions; (5) continued government control, | management and operation of rail-
 roads, etc.; (6) sudden imposition 1 of heavy war revenue tax burdens | on industry; (7) labor unrest, az
 tation and industrial strife; (8) hiqh prices of wheat due to govern
 ment guarantee; (9) unemploy-
 ment and poor distribution of labor forces released from navy or mili-
 tary service; (10) delay in settle ment by federal government of
 claims for payment under informal
 war contracts; GID partial shut
 ting off of important European
 markets, due to import trade em-
 bareoes by Great Britain, France
 and Italy.
 State Plans for Future
 The digest thus summarizes opinions of the association members, as to what is needed to promote national pros perity and a return to normal business conditions.
 Stop war time extravaganza;
 return the railroads and the wires
 to the owners; modify taxes on in ! ieL Lne government USdE
 the losses on Wheat-the founds-
 ticn of food prices; abolish war
 price period regulating agencies;
 let increased production justify
 high wages; have the government
 pay its war bills; inaugurate public works; educate the public in tire | elements of economies"
 The digest does not give very opti-
  business conditions for this year. After remarking that the production of iron and steel is universally regarded in l business circles as the most reliable trade barometer it says that the re- plies from this industry show trade in a state of comparative lethargy and prospects for 1919 not bright.
 An overwhelming percentage of the members one hundred per cent in sev- en groups and above ninety five per cent in the remainder, declared them selves opposed to any form of govern ment ownership and urged the return of>the railroads to their private owners Government regulation was approved in eighty per cent of the total replies received.
 Labor Questions Asked
 The labor problem was dealt with
 in three questions:
 "Do you favor or oppose legal Iy constituted national board for
 the adjudication of labor disputes?"
 "Are you in favor of legislation
 imposing legal responsibility on
 trade unions?"
 DO you favor or oppose the re-
 peal of the La Toilette seamen's
 act?"
 The vote on the first question showed 64 per cent in favor of q national ad- judication board, but some important qualifications were made. The Giges declares that the comments showed general dissatisfaction with the pres ent national war labor board, on tho ground that it has conceded too mucl to the labor side. The greatest unan- unity shown on any question was 1T regard to the placing of statutory re- sponsibility on trade unions for theil contracts and the acts of their agents Less than one-half of one per cent O the replies were negative.
 The opposition to the repeal of thu La Toilette seamen's $ law was also yer! small, being less than seven and hal per cent.