Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-04-09
Shortage of Houses is General
Throughout the
Country
SUGAR SHORTAGE NEXT
FALL IS FORECAST
Nation is Exporting Food and Manu-
featured Goods and Importing
Raw Materials

1.-THE valuable information in the
following article on Business COndi-
tiOns in this country is furnished the
News Budget by the Eau Claire Ma
tiOnal Bank
The outstanding features of the pres
ent situation are record building Oper-
atiOns and an unusually heavy con-
sumption of foods and apparels. The
out turn of the principal factories ana
mills as here recorded show almost a
full return TO normal production. The
volume of trade is somewhat less i'll the
Central South and the Central west
and materially less in the North and
North West
Exports of Merchandise during Jan
uary- were valued at 1913 million dollars
compared with 6S2 million dollars the
previous month and 623 million dollars
in January of last year. Merchandise
Imports were 474 million dollars COM
nared with 3S1 million dollars the pre-
yi0us month and only 213 million dol
lars in January 1919. leaving Balance
Of Trade in our favor of 209 million
dollars compared with 301 million dol
lars the previous month and 40 mil
lion dollars in January of last year.
The small increase in exports coupled
with the considerable increase in i'm
ports which materially reduced our
favorable trade balance for the month
was Il prime factor in the uplift OF for
eign exchange recently recorded. Feb
ruary exports included Isl million dol
lars worth of fOOdStuffs and 219 million
dollars worth of manufactured articles.
The imports included 40 million dol
lars of fOOdStuffS and 81 million dol
lars of wholly manufactured articles
the largest single item was crude ma
terialS for Use in manufacturing
which were valued at 21j million dol
lars In these figures we have a clear
Indication that eur foreign trade is
getting OH the sOundest possible basis
as the bulk of our exports are food
stuffs and wholly manufactured az
ticIes and the bulk of orr imports raw
materials: for the protection OF Amer
lean industry and labor this is as 1t
should be.
Gross Earnings of steam railroads
for January were 495 million dollars
Compared with 1913 million dollars for
January of last year. Net Earnings
were Sc million dollars compared with
IS million dollars Il year ago. showing
- gain in net earnings of 30 million dol
lars A further exhibit. however. and
- n
ating expenses which were 4t9 million
dollars compared with 800 million dol
lars a wear ago. Taken as while, this
January report of railroad earnings is
the best months report which has been
returned since the beginning OF Gov
eminent operation. Fully one-halt OF
the gain in gross. however. ana all OF
the gain in Net Earnings is accounted
for i'm over fifty million dollars in back
nav for 1915 and 1919 allowed in Jan
uary 1920 by the Government; there
will he no extra item of this character
to help out the February showing
which will compare less favorabiy
with Il year ago.
Building Operations of the principal
cities for January amounted TO I55
million dollars, gain OF more tiiah
100 millions over the same month
wear AGO and nearly 100 millions over
the same month two years ago. Oh
the principal cities of the country ITO
rcuort decided increases i'll buidlnS
over the same month last year Inc
continuation of the heavy Dulldlllg
movement through the winter months
in nearly all sections of the country
and even where great handicaps have
Eccn suffered from mclement weather
indiratc tremendous operations Wlth
the first breath of spring: this is par
ticularly true of house ana apartment
I,uiIding as nearly every city is suffer-
ing from inadequate housing. ms
applies not only to the larger centers
but to the smaller manufacturing citles
and to rural communities as well.
The Lumber cut for February as re-
ported by the seven principal lumber
producing associations was 49, million
feet compared with 800 million feet III
February of last year: shipments were
loo
million feet a year ago and orders
booked during the month tOtaled CIV
million feet compared with 374 million
feet in February of last year. During
the month of February orders hooked
were IL per cent less than lumber
shipped and shipments were per Gem
less than production. In spite of the
heavy building operations available
lumber seems to be on the increase
Lower prices have already been set by
one of the principal producers opera
ting nine of the largest mills of thu
Northwest.
Pig Iron production for Februar!
tataled 2.079 thousand tons compared
with 3.a15 thousand tons the previous
month and 2940 thousand tons in Feb
quarry of last year. thus showing
gain in production for the month owe
a year ago. The extra day in Thu
years February more than accounted