The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-21
GREAT STRIDES ARE
MADE BY NATION
Survey of United States by Franklin
x. Lane Shows Progress in
Many Branches.

ment making public a summary Of
what he calls the first comprehensive.
carefully made and approximately ac-
eurate picture Of Industrial, agricultu-
raj, financial and political conditions
throughout the United States. 1t dis
covers, In the foreground, he says,
that both major political parties have
overlooked the great shows. He states
that the country is on a sound eco
nomic basis, with the wave of extrav-
agance subsiding, saving increasing.
Wholesalers and retailers are optimis-
tic over the winter outlook and there
Is growing disposition for hard work,
although the individual productivity OF
labor is not yet showing much evi-
dence Of increase.
Mr.. Lanes statement summarizes a
survey made through 900 field repre-
sentatives OF the Fidelity and Deposit
Company of Maryland, and covers ey-
cry section of the country. Manufac-
turers, merchants. chambers Of COM
merce, bankers, lawyers, business men
and farmers were questioned in the eff
fort to mirror the immediate economic
and political situation and obtain a
consensus of representative opinion
as to the future. The replies from
all localities were made simultaneous
ly by telegraph in preface to his
analysis Of the survey. Mr.. Lane
says with the presidential election but
six weeks away, and the winter rapidly
approaching many thoughtful people
stand hesitant and undecided, having
difficulty, because OF the general lack
of knowledge of business conditions
outside their own locality or interests.
The general tendency has been to see
what the next man thinks, with the
uncomfortable feeling that his guess
is no better than another's.
Il believe, for this reason, the pic
ture presented in the tabulated analy-
sis made by the Fidelity and Deposit
company is of interest to every bust
ness man and voter. While it is not,
of course, perfect in detail and exact in
prophecy, it is as clear and valuable a
conspectus of present conditions as
can be gathered under the heading of
industrial conditions"
Mr. Lane says economically the
United States is shown to be better
off than any other country in the
world. There is no evidence of idle
ness. Our people have the opportun-
ity to work and are at work. There
Is no shortage of raw materials suffi-
cient to curtail production reported
from any of the nine geographical dis
tricts into which the country was di-
yfded for the purpose of the survey.
Only in the district including Mime
sofa, the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Ne
braska and Wisconsin is there evil
dence OF lack OF orders. New England
industries report a number of cancel
lations, but there, as elsewhere, man
for their product.
Transportation conditions are i'm
proving everywhere and a substantial
reduction in the freight car shortage
is reported In every district except in
the Rocky Mountain states, in the
kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and
Mississippi, although an improvement
8 noted in the latter district.
"A shortage of coal and the failure
Of labor to increase individual pro-
ductivity appear to be the only two
unfavorable aspects in the immediate
industrial situation. The Rocky Noun
tain and Pacific states report a suffi-
cient supply of fuel. All other sections
of the country are feeling the short
age, but it is apparently least felt by
the South Atlantic states, although Ia
Dor is costing still more than it did
last year. it apparently is producing
no more.
Wages have advanced from 10 to
so per cent in the last twelve months,
and yet nowhere is there reported in
crease In productivity per man. Il
am not expecting that the cost of Ia
Dor will fall off even in the worst of
times to it's pre-war stage, for l be-
lieve that the real differential between
directing labor and manual labor will
never again be as great as ii has been
so far as the distribution of labor is
concerned The situation nationally
appears to be well equalized. A
shortage OF labor is found only in the
Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic
states, and this is largely Of unskilled
workers. In the rest OF the country,
the demand and supply appear bal
anced. Only in some sections of the
Middle Atlantic states is any unem-
ployment reported and this is in GER
tain of the skilled trades, chiefly the
building and shipbuilding trades"
An important disclosure of the sur
vey is the seriousness OF the housing
situation. In many of the larger in
dustrial ceaters 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 loudest
&om the most essential places OF man
afacture rather than from the retail
centers, and is for low-priced dwell
inru Ruildfupr continuation Ia inrrea a.