The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-02-06

ship between employees and The
management are being tested.
/ Demand For Building Materials.
The demand for building materi-
ais is quite active. Lumber espe-
cialy, is in keen demand and hard
to obtain. Oak finishing lumber is
becoming scarce. Reports of diff
Guilty in obtaining lath have been re-
ceived, and factories engaged on mill
work are very busy.
Lumber operations are active with
a fair prospect Of normal season
CT production. Shipments of lumber
from the west are in good volume
and not much affected by the car
shortage. The lumber trade does not
anticipate lower in prices for some
time to come.
Winter operations in the mining
districts of northern Minnesota, Mon
tana, northern Michigan and the
Black Hills show comparatively little
change. The Black Hills district is
very quiet. The copper mines of
northern Michigan and Montana are
active with an improved sale OF cop
per although still at low price. The
copper outlook has improved within
tie last thirty days, and the posi-
bility of a reduction in the output on
account of market conditions has
largely been obviated.
Wholesalers had satisfactory
year in 1919, and without exception,
report a considerable scarcity of
goods. Shipping conditions have
been bad during the past thirty days
which has hampered trade to a con-
siderable extent. Free movement of
goods cannot be expected, in the OPP
inion of representatives Of many
lines of trade, until the scarcity of
many staple lines of goods can be
overcome by larger production.
No material reduction in wholesale
prices is apparent, and is not likely
to result, in the opinion of most OBJ
servers, until a more favorable Ia
Der and raw material market ex-
lists.
Broad Market Ahead.
There is undoubtedly a very broad
market ahead. Shortages which
show themselves in housing accom-
modations at the larger centers ex-
tend to practically every commodity,
and observers in wholesale lines OF
trade believe that people as whole
are prepared to go into the market
for a considerable volume OF pur-
chases, namely. shoes, clothing, and
articles of utility, as soon as the
price situation is more favorable.
The agricultural outlook is good.
The western half of the district has
been covered with good blanket of
snow which has disappeared under
warm winds, but most OF the mols-
ture has gone into the ground. me
eastern half of the district is still
covered by a heavy snow blanket,
which is very favorable to winter
wheat and rye. The seed wheat sit
uation in the spring is causing some
concern. but millers, bankers, and
others interested have given the
problem early attention and are con-
solidating the agricultural organiza-
lions in the district behind an &C
tive campaign to locate and identity
all available seed and prepare for
such distribution Of supplies as may
be required when spring planting
lccmes around again. Much or the
available seed is of doubtful germin :
ating quality, and the larger part OF
the wheat received at terminal mar
kets is light in weight and shrunken.
Expert authorities are inclined 10
believe that the shortage Will not De
acute if the present plans are sue
cessfully worked out, and the sale
and .lilling of wheat fit for seed pur-
poses can be stopped.