The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-10-01

worst or times to ITS pre-War stage,
for | believe that the real differental
between directing labor and manual
labor will never again be as great as
Z has been.
$50 far as the distribution of labor
is concerned the situation nationally
appears to he well equalized. A short
age af labor is found only in the Mid
le Atlantic and South Atlantic states
and this is largely Of unskilled work
ers. In the rest of the country the
demand and supply appear balanced.
Only in some sections Of the Middle
Atlantic states is any unemployment
reported and this is in certain Of the
skilled trades, chiefly the building and
sbipbuilding trades
"An important disclosure of the
survey is the seriousness of the houS-
ing situation. In many of the larger
industrial centers where the shortage
has been most acute the investigation
of the Fidelity and Deposit Company
has disclosed building operations to be
decreasing instead Of increasing.
"The call for buildings comes loud
ct from the most essential places of
manufacture rather than from the re-
tail centers and is for low priced
dwellings. Building construction IS
increasing in New England, but the
hulk of the construction IS of factos-
les. warehouses and stores. New
York. Pennsylvania and most of the
other great industrial states Of the
Fast and Middle West show a falling
off in building operations There is
Improvement in the housing situation
IN Southern and Pacific Coast indus
trial centers with special emphasis or
the erection of workmen's homes.
I'm no section Of the country did tn
Investigators find sentiment in favor
Of government ownership of rail
roads; and everywhere better trans
portation conditions are reported.
agriculture is generally recogn;z-
Cd as the backbone of the country, and
the farming condition is eXcellent
from no section has an unfavorable
report been received. Our farmers
appear everywhere to be in too happy
a mood to permit the cynicism, The
farmer is always grumbling' They
are we'll supplied with funds from the
sale of this years crop. but they are
wise in that they know that more IA
vorable marketing conditions can be
created.
"The recent drop in grain prices is
reported to have had no effect except
N the Rocky Mountain states. Farm
ers of Illinois. Indiana. Michigan, Wis
consn and other Central states are
Withholding grain
an the financial field, money :
tight That may mean several things:
FIRST, that the people want money &c
put into producing activities; second
that the banks attempt to get what
ever the traffic will bear shearing
close to the skin; third that there is
an adequate supply of money, or
fourth that those who have money
lack confidence. There are other rea
sons. no doubt, and among them that
the dollar now buys less than hereto
fore, people with money wish TO
charge more for the service than
money gives. No one can accurately
say which of these causes is the most
Important factor, but probably all con-
tribute to the present situation.
"The telegraphic reports from every
section of the country state that tie
banks are well loaned up. although
money is available in the East and
Central districts at from six to eight
per cent interest. The Southwest,
Rocky Mountain and Pacific states re-
port the highest interest rates aver
aging fromS to 10 per cent, and in the
mountain district as high as 70 per
cent.
"There is great encouragement
However to be drawn from the fact
flat in only one Of the nine geogra-
phieal divisions. the Rocky Mountain.
has there been a decrease in bank de-
uosits during the last six months.
While the general increase includes
corporation deposits, individual say
ings accounts show a more marked
improvement everywhere This
seems to show clearly that the orgy
Of spending and extravaganza is over.
"Discounting Of bills by industrial
concerns is universally reported EX-
cept in the Middle Atlantic, South
western and Pacific Coast States, man
ufacturers appear to be carrying
large amounts of customers paper.
"The country does not like the pres
ent taxation system. The excess prof
is tax is in bad favor everywhere
Opinion IS divided. however. as to a
substitute. In the East and Central
West sentiment runs strongly for a
ales tax, but elsewhere opinion as 70
substitute is divided.
I'VE are not yet masters of the art
Of distribution of product. TIE fact
tbat the farmers uniformly report a