Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1920-08-26
BLAME SHORTAGE
BUT FEDERAL RESERVE BULLE-
TIN SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
Hike In Freight Rates Will Remedy
Crippled Transportatien-lSzO
10 Best Crop Year

/ Car shortage Is blamed for cur
| tailment Of activity in large num-
ber Of lines Of business In the month
ly bulletin Of the Tenth Federal Re-
serve district, issued today. Decline
In grain shipments, as compared to
last year, is ascribed to car shortage;
car shortage Is held responsible for
decreased shipments Of livestock
"a very complete curtailment of pro-
duction" Of lead and zinc ores Is held
to be the outcome Of an acute car
shortage, and a decrease Of 36 per
cent in building operations In July
1920 compared with July. 1919, IL
also blamed upon car shortage. Ra-s
tail merchants report continued
slowness obtaining merchandise for
the same reason, and manufacturers
assert that because Of car shortage
they are unable to handle either raw
materials or finished products In sat
isfactory quantity.
1.-THE recent order Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission authorizing
increased freight and passenger
rates." says the bulletin, sis regard
ed as move in the direction Of per-
manent Improvement Of the crippled
railroad service"
Task For America
improvement of the. system Of
transportation to state where the
output Of farms, mines, oil wells and
factories and merchants goods and
wares may be handled expeditiously
is reported as Americas greatest
present task.
1920 Best Crop Year
Agriculture is reported to be In
exceedingly satisfactory condition.
July was. generally speaking, an ex-
ceptionally good month, In spite Of
need for rain toward the close Of /
the month in many parts of the dis
trict. The wheat crop Is expected to
be approximately 281 1,228,00 BUSH
els In the tenth district, as compared
with a final estimate Of 3OO,994,
900 bushels In 1919. Many well in
formed experts insist however that
final threshing will bring the yield
very close to last years total. Corn
has been growing so well as TO make
accurate estimates almost impossible,
It ia added.
Movement OF grain to the markek
OF the district is reported greatIy
reduced in volume as compared with
one year ago. Wheat receipts tor
July 1920 were about 80 per cent 0f
the volume Of July 1919 in Kansas
City. At Omaha, st. Joseph, Wich-
Ita, and Oklahoma City receipts this
year are less than 40 to go per cent.
Car shortage Is blamed.
Much on Drilling
In the oil industry, 1t Is reported
that intensive drilling In Kansas and
Oklahoma fields Is bringing increased
The increase In these
two states in seven months Of 1920
Is compared with the corresponding
period Of 1919 Is 15,181,759 barrels.
In regard to coal the bulletin as
,erts "while coal production is con-
siderable ahead of this time last year
I Is not In line with recent demands,
10Th caused and complicated by the
reight car shortage, which has create
d a condition that appears serious.
while the reports from over the
district indicate that the labor supply
) improving to some extent" the
ulletin concludes, experienced help
a many lines is hard to obtain, par
lcularly in building lines. There are
ery few strikes and these Of a local
haracter."