Douglas Island news., 1919-12-12
SILVER SOARING.
 NOW WORTH S1.38
Continued from Page D

llouuuueQ From Page T
 Now. however. there is much less activity n mining. Che result for Che most part, Of O shortage Of io- bor. Hardly a mine In thc country ! has its uu complement of men. and ! that may be Che condition for many months to come Meanwhile tho de-
 mand tor both gold and silver croa- ! tcd by Che war continues Go increase.
 That demand however .is reIo- lively no greater than Che demand chat .s being fclt for food s,uGs and manufactured goods u general The
 world shortage oi an Che things chat ! are essential Go ufo and carrying on |of business. under a modern condi- uou. explains Che prevailing high prices. not only in tho United statu ! but abroad
 If production in thc United States, which Is Che worlds great reservoir Of supply could be brought up Go Che point it held before Che war be- gan. prices would soon begin Co drop. lf One silver mines Of the country. tor instance could be work ed to Che limit enough metal could ! be produced to satisfy China and Ian Che other nations That is true ! also Of food and other things and lt emphasizes Che unwisdom of Ameri- lean labor in asking not only for higher wages. but for shorter hours
 There is no Utopia where wages ! lean increase and tou diminish and sW enjoy Che fruits of prosperity. Organized labor In this country un- ! der radical leadership has thought otherwise. 10 is thought hero that public opinion Is turned against it as much os for anything else. be- cause of Che economic bnmder ts ! |ucw policy y.aualizes. SO inevitable ! is Che trend toward high prices
 whom Che supplies decrease that Che government has been compelled Co revive One operation of Is bureau of food control for Che present with thc view Co keeping sugar at tho point where Che average family can afford Co buy what utle Of it thcre Is on hand Unless there is some way of Increasing supplies Of an standard ! commodities. that control win have | to be extended over a considerable |nart of 1920. or at least uutu Che crops of Che year are available
 Tho opct-oou of Che law of sup- |ply and demand In Che case of sI- yer attracts wide attention because |of what happened twenty-threc years ago. but that operation is not different In principle from that which applies Go every other article which. because Of great demand has ! become scarce. The law is operating more freely I'm Che case of silver chan |it is In Che case Of foodstu0s That ! is because there are uo artificial ! |hindrauces in Che form Of law. As
 long as China continues Go bid against Che rest of Che world for Che small silver stocks now on hand. thc prices win continue to go up. unless other nations follow Che example Of France and Impose export embargoes
 The United States and Mexico have Che largest available supplies of sii-
 yer. Che largest number Of paying silver mines. There is no doubt that prevailing prices win cause mine owners In this country Go bestir thom-
 selves Ther Is not much hope, how ever. of any unusual activity In Mex
 leo. whose silver mines are largely l in Che states which have folt Che
 strong impact Of Che revolution for Che last seven or eight years
 If Che Mexican government could
 bring Che mines Of that country into . mu activity. it would or itself alone
 be able In Q comparatively short time to make supply equal to demand. Tho same thing is true of the mines of Che United States In this coun- try. however. Che difficulty as have said is lack Of labor although that win be overcome if existing high prices promise to be fairly per mannent