The Washington herald., 1920-07-14
Men and Business
BY RICHARD SPILLANE-

materials; despite the unsettlement
that usually attends a Presidential
ELECTION year and the slowness with
which the European nations are get
ting back TO works of peace, the
outlook In the United States is i'm
measurably better today than It was
a few months back. Comparatively
few persons appreciate fully what a
remarka BILE change there has been in
this country recently.
The farm is the base of all indus
try. Poor crops this year would have
been disastrous. particularly disas-
trous IL added to the other troubles
that have been the aftermath OF war.
The year opened wretchedly. The
winter had been severe The winter
wheat crop was bad. so bad that a
loss of more than 200 o0O, 900 bushels
was indicated. There were fears
that, owing TO labor shortage, the
spring wheat the corn and other
iCeTtdl CTODS mUCn EndlieT
than usual.
Cotton had one Of the worst, il not
the worst, starts in history. Ex-
cessive rains destroyed the seed of
many Of the early paintings A short
top root left the remainder OF the
crop less hardy than it should be to
withstand the trials Of a hot sum
mer. In every department of the
farm ~ a nrndmrti n
was to be far below the average
4 disaster to the Australian wheat
crop made the wheat outlook of the
world worse. particularly as there
is little HOPE OF Russia being able to
export grain this year.
There has been marvellous
change in the last few months. The
American farmer North, East, South
and West has labored nobly. Crop
reports from all over the country
are far better than were expected.
Spring wheat is doing well. Corn
gives big promise. Cotton has mace
one of the most remarkable i'm
! provements recorded in its history.
The crops are not made. The
harvesting of wheat and corn will
require far more labor than at the
present tHlP IL Sttn1t HosslDlt l'l
the farmers to obtain without earn
est and organized effort.
Cotton has to pass through the
crucial davs of July and August.
( But pluck and luck have been
with the American farmer, follow
( ing very bad beginning. II they
stay with him a little longer this
years farm yield will he consider
! ably bigger than seemed possible
or probable a few months ago.
India has come along with mon
/ ster wheat crop monster being
used in a comparative sense.
/ France, too. has an excellent grain
prospect. Elsewhere in Europe the
situation is not cheering and Aus
tralia. instead OF exporting grain.
has little more than sufficient for
her own needs. In fact, she may
have to import some.
! No country has been favored more
than America. There is reasonappe
hope now Of a moderate size grain
crop and moderate size cotton
crop. That is joyful. considering
how poor the situation appeared a
few months ago.
/ Bread and clothes should not he
so dear as they threatened to re
and would he if the crops were
short.
Give thanks to the sturdy Amer
lean farmer and 10 a kind Provi-
dence.
Charles A. Hazen. editor Of the
FinanCier. says conditions today re-
fute the joke about a tramp refus-
ing Il nickel because he did not have
one to add to il and make possible
the spending of il.
Financial reports of 5 and 10
cent stores. he points out. show a
largely increased business lately.
and pcpular-price restaurants have
30 per cent more patronage than one
year ago. At least the financial
statement Of the largest concern in
this field supports that view.
He thinks that while jewellers.
haberdashers, milliners and the auto
mobile people have plenty Of bust
ness. there is distinct evidence that
the era Of careless buying is wan
ing rapidly and the public is count
ing its money again and once more
appreciative OF the fact that a nickel
is piece of money and SO is dime.
He does not doubt that many pock-
etbooks have been wrecked in the
period of extravaganza. but he be-
lieves a fair proportion of the popu-
lation is saving money.
From the general manager of an
industrial concern Of Bridgeport,
| Pa, comes letter, one paragraph
of which is as follows:
I'VE have an offer in this morn
ing's mail of six carloads of coal
which are here in the Bridgeport
/ yards, at Sl4 per net ton mines
g., which is approximately fourteen
times the price for the same quality
of coal prior to the war. Continued
profiteering of this sort will be dis
astrous."
1t will he disastrous.
The Bridgeport man would do well
to place the facts before the Depart
ment of Justice. Profiteers do not
! like jRils.
Before the war. soft coal at the
J mines cost about 81 per ton In.
! April last the mine costs were found
! to he s2.15 per ton. At that time
! operators were selling coal at from
SO to 81. Since then prices have
| been kited outrsgeously.