The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03

butcher steers and stock and feeder
steers dropped IS cents each, Butcher
Table No. 3 gives the quotations.
Wholesale produce prices OF twenty
one important articles In the Minneapolis
market indicated seven decreases, two
increases, and the rensdning prices un-
changed in April as compared with
March. The decreases were IN putter'
veal and - four-pound hens, while the
only increases were in lettuce ana
Building Operations
Projected building operations in nine, nine
measured by the number of permits ana
valuation. increased in April as compar-
ed with March. The increase in the
in valuation about ia per cent. All OF
the cities experienced increases in the
number OF building permits except
M MassGn'"' T S'~ Variation Of permits in
creased in April over the March ngurSs
in seven cities while decr Misseula co ama
Srsh5 f he per%ts for 'eSu
tons in April. 1921. with April. 1920, it
appears that both in number and in
valuation the 1921 building volume was
mits in April, 1921. was IS per cent
above the number in April. 1920. and
the valuation of permits was about 20
per cent over the 1920 valuation.
A closer analysis of the reports shows
that the valuation of the permits given
for new construction in April was ten
per cent more in proportion to the total
than the average proportion during the
April 80. 1921. The valuation of per
mits for new construction in April was
about 80 per cent of the total valuation
as compared with the average OF about
81 per cent. while the number or per-
mits for new construction in April was
more than So per cent of the total per
mits issued as compared with 81 per
cent as the average for the preceding
eleven months. , oo,
was s., $50 as compared with an average
permit of $3,3S6 for the eleven months
from June. 1920. to April, 1921. inclusive.
The same tendency is shown IN anaiyz
ing the permits issued for repairs. in
which the April average was 1854 ana
the eleven months average was $l.2S5.
Some of this decline in the average
valuation is due to reductions In costs
of materials and labor.
A recent survey of building prices
conducted by this office showed that the
majority of building costs have decreas-
ed between May l, 1920, and May l, 1921.
Lumber prices are down from one
fourth to two thirds. 1t appears that
rough lumber has declined the least:
more more than ten per cent below the 1920
prices. Brick. sand and Portland ce-
ment were higher on May l. 1921. than
they were year ago s according ling to tn re-
as to prices paid by them. delivered on
the job. which includes transportation
costs Of all kinds. COMPARING; OBJ building ,1g
1914 prices. it appears that all prices
were about pre-war level. Steel and
common brick were about twice the 1914
The cost of labor in the building in
dustry dropped twenty per cent in Min
nesota on May 1, 1921. There has been
some controversy since between union
as to the amount of wage cut and the
conditions OF employment. but from
present indications, the employers OF
and the great majority of members of
the building trades are now working on
an open shop basis and at the reduced
wages
From an ANALYSIS of the want ads in
two large Minnea polls daily papers it
appears that the housing situation now
is not as critical as in May a year ago.
There are about fifty per cent more lines
of advertising of houses for rent this
month than last year at this season and
the inquiries resulting from such adVer-
Using are not as satisfactory as year
The Lake Shipping Season Opens at
Duluth
The favorable circumstance of open
ing navigation at the head of the lakes
twelve days earlier in 1921 than in 1920
has caused a considerable increase in
business activity at Duluth tweayn nes
cent in the four weeks ending April 9th
over the previous four weeks. Grain re,
ceipts were 50 per cent larger in April
than in April year ago. Shipments
of all grains were nearly seven times as
large in April as in March, although
Shipments in April, 1920 Receipts of
flour at Duluth of more than 100000
barrels during April were one-third
larger than receipts in April a year ago.
received during
the month of March. 1921. Flour ship
ments at Duluth in April 1921. were 200
per cent larger than in March, and 16S
Coal receipts at the head Of the lakes
were IS times as large in April, 1921, as
in April year ago.
Milling and Flour Movement
Flour production of mills manufacture
ing Is per cent of the -four produced in
this district increased four per cent in
the FIVE weeks ending April 30th over
the 5 weeks ending March Goth, while
the April. 1921. production was rs per
cent larger than the production in April.
1920. The increase locally from 1914 to
1920 in April production as compared
with the production in March was in
contra st with decrease of about 4 per
cent between April and March shown in
United States over 6-year period. The
| reporting mills in this district were
operating at about 43 per cent of their
capacity during the month of April 1921:
Flour shipments from Minneapolis and
Duluth were two per cent larger in April
than in March and 80 per cent larger
than in April a year ago. Owing to
the opening of navigation at Duluth.
over 200. 900 barrels of flour were feceiv
| ed at that point and shipments from
| Duluth increased 200 per cent The
amount of -four exported by Minneapolis
mills as reported by the Northwestern
Miller. was three times as large in April
| 1921 as in April. 1920. The total exports
| from Minneapolis mills for the eight
months beginning with September. 1920
We're so per cent larger than exports in
the eight months beginning with Sep
| TENDER, 1919.
The Retail Trade
Retail trade measured in dollars and
cents decreased in volume ga per cent
| in April. 1921. compared with April
| 1920. and the cumulative volume from
January 1 to April 80 this year de-
creased nearly eleven per cent compar-
| ed with the same period y'sr ago.
Stocks on hand at the end of April COM
pared, with a year ago evidenced a de-
cline of nineteen per cent. A slight inn
provement in April over March is shown
| by the fact that the turnover declined
| from 1854 in March to 1872 in April
| while stock on hand exhibited three
| per cent decrease.
| Business mortality in April 1921 in
| creased as compared with March and
| with April, a year ago.
Employment Conditions
Information secured from various
sources shows that unemployment in the
Ninth Federal Reserve District increas-
! ed in April over March. Reports from