Norwich bulletin., 1919-04-14
Business is Below
 Pre-War Condition
Cnly Five Out of g Principal Industries Report General Prosperity.


 New York. April 13-Only five out of twentytwo principal industrial groups throughout the country report ed a condition of general business prosperity in replies to a question nare sent to it's 4.400 members by the National Association of Manufactur- CTS, A digest of the replies, issued to- 1 day by the association showed that | sixteen out of the twenty two groups into which it's membership was di- vided reported business below fifty per cenc. of normal pre-war conditions. The seventeenth, leather and leather manufacturers reported trade about l equally divided between fair and good.
 In response to a request for sugges- uons to help general prosperity the re- lplies enumerated a total of eleven ob- stacles laying in the path Of a return to normal conditions. The causes in the following order of importance: CD Delay in signing the treaty of peace; CD general high cost of labor and material: (3) sudden cessation of war buying operations by the United States and foreign governments; (D thand- to- mouth buying by jobberS re- t2llers and consumers awaiting eX lpected price reductions: (5) continued government control, management and : operation of railroad. etc; (6) sudden imposition of heavy war revenue tax burdens on industry; @ labor unrest. agitation and industrial strife; (S) high prices of wheat due to govern } ment guarantee; (9) unemployment and poor distribution of labor forces released from naval or military ser l vice; (10) delay in settlement by fed t eral government of claims for pay : ment under informal war contracts: GID partial shutting off of important I s trade embaTgoes by Great Britain ] France and Italy.
 The digest thus summarizes the . opinions of the association members as e to what is needed to promote natiOna prosperity and q return to normal bus mess conditions:
 Y Stop war time eXuavagance: re Y turn the railroads and the wires to the . lOWners; modify taxes on industry le
 the government bear the losses or l twheat-the foundation of food prices - abolish war period regulating agcn. Q cies; let increased production justify - high wages; have the government pay
 its war bills; inaugurate public works n educate the public in the elements O Q economies
 Q The digest does not give a very op $ timistic outlook in respect to improved V bushes conditions for this year. Af
 
 e iron and steel is universally regarde e in bushes circles as the most reliabI V trade barometer it says that the re is plies from this industry show trade i Q. a state of comparative lethargy Whil y 67 per cent. of the steel and fro
 manufacturing plants do not regar il trade prospects for 1919 as bright. Tn
 widely spread belief that the cessatio 10 of war would bring great volume c I orders from the war deyasted coun ii tries of Europe receives little supper " The digest brought out the curiou le fact that there is q regular boom a e- over the country in photographs, au
 tom0biles and jewelry, especially i = the big industrial regions.
 An overwhelming percentage of tn le members. one hundred per cent e. seven groups and above ninety-fi five pc r. cent. i'll the remainder. declared them
 selves in opposition to any form ge government ownership and urged tn al return of the railroads to their privat a owners. Government regulation wa rs approved in eighty per cent. of the tc or tai replies received.
 nj The labor problem was dealt with v- these questions:
 1 Do you favor or oppose a legal
 constituted national board for the aG
 Ijudication of labor disputes?"
 Are you in favor of legislation in posing legal responsibility on trat " unions %
 es Do you favor or oppose the rope ed of the La Toilette seamen's act?" iI- The vote on the first question show by ed 6+ per cent. in favor of nation tv adjudication board but some impor ys' ant qualifications were made The d O. gest declares that the commen
 showed general dissatisfaction with u ee present National War tabor Board O. the ground that it conceded too muc nd to the labor side in a dispute and tn an many manufacturers directly chargc at that the board had failed to be in
 partial judicial or conciliatory" ice The greatest unanimity shown ue any question was in regard to u in placing of statutory responsibility of trade unions for their contracts al H. the acts of their agents. Less ths
 one-haIf of one per cent. of the r he plies were negative.
 .n- The opposition to the repeal of Il Iy. La Toilette seamen's law was al of very small