Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31
Outlook Good
For Big Harvest
In Northwest
Rail Official Who Tours Ter.
ritory Finds New Spirit
OF Hope; Lumber Only
Stagnant Industry.
By HOLLAND.

Howard Elliott, chairman OF the
Board OF the Northern Pacific Rail-
way company. has returned to New
York after having completed 5000
miles travel over the railroads OF
the northwest, 5000 miles OF which
were on the lines and in the country
I served by the Northern Pacific rail-
ivy. With Mr.. Elliott were num-
SeT Of men interested in or associated
with the growth OF the country
stretching from the Great Lakes to
the Pacific.
Mr.. Elliott and his associates have
returned to New York bringing an
encouraging message which is based
upon the information they gained
while upon this prolonged excursion.
They speak with enthusiasm OF the
power, the resources and the lurking
potentialities of the United States
and especially that great section OF
the country which stretches between
Lake Superior and Puget Sound and
also includes the Columbia river
basin. Within the next Is years no
conceivable obstacle can be raised
to stand in the way of wonderful
development OF this region.
Harvest Outlook Good.
Mr.. Elliott ana his party met many in
fluential men while on this Journey In
shat way he was able to gain Information
respecting present conditions as well as
the outlook for the future these men
rpoke of It. They found at Winnipeg,
Tor they crossed the Canadian boundary.
That the people were very hopeful, con-
ffdent that depressian has gone and pros
perty has begun.
ION the return from Winnipeg the party
made Its way to the Pacific coast. stop
ping at various places They found that
the outlook for the harvest is very good in
that great region. Minnesotss harvest
they learned will be above the average.
North Dakota will also harvest fair
crop. That state, however, has suffered
somewhat from excessive OF unusual cli-
mate conditions. The heat has been al
most unbearable and with it has GENE a
t,ons have somewhat impaired North Da- |
kota's crops In that respect the state |
seems TO differ from other and neighbor- |
ing states Montana. Idaho, Oregon nnd !
Washington will harvest grain, grass and !
fruit considerably above the average.
New Spirit Of Hope.
: Personal Investigation extended |
throughout that region justified Mr.. FL |
hott in saying upon his return that the |
crops in all the northern Pacific states |
Will be very good. Therein lies one of |
the reasons for the encourag ement which |
the farmers in those states now confess |
that they feel There were many infor- |
NAL gatherings and few which were |
more formal AT these gatherings the !
new spirit Of hope and even confidence |
that conditions were improving and would |
continue to improve was very noticeable, !
In fact only in a few cases was any
ilga he afrrra nj
observed.
One OF the encouraging features asso-
ciated with this long journey was the evil
dence that the economic upheaval which |
threatened almost to psralyze North Da-
Eota will compare, relatively, with neigh
boring states In it's attitude toward tax
alton and industry. The people Of North |
Dakota appear to have enough of the |
communist experiment which they began
20 make year or two ago,
!. One Stagnant industry.
+" Mr.. Elliott discovered that the lumber
Industry in the northwest is just now
.%sfs sui His personal observations con-
firm the reports which have told of the |
stagnation which prevails in this indus
try. Yet it is a most important industry. |
Especially in Montana, Idaho, Washing
ton and Oregon. There is no doubt that |
repressed demand for lumber really exists
and that 1t will be felt as rs read |
tustment conditions are perfected Mr., |
Elliott is confident that as soon as the |
crops are marketed and when the wage |
scale in the building trades is properly |
read justed the lumber industry in the |
northwest will be revived.
Not a little criticism Of ana consider |
able resentment for the Adarnson law was |
freely admitted by merchants, farmers |
and lumbermen throuehou the northwest. |
They spoke Of their belief that this law |
creates unjust basis in a growing re- |
gion like the Pacific northwest. They |
spoke of their belief that this law Gre |
Rtes an unjust basis in q growing region |
hike the Pacific northwest. It is a |
region where strong men are needed, men |
who can work efficiently for more than |
eight hours a day. Farmers complain |
that this law ana the so-caled full crew |
law" are having a harmful effect upc
the cost Of cultivating and harvesting the i
crops.
Farmers Can Pay Debts.
If the agricultural output OF the north.
west, which in the aggregate is 10 be |
enormous. possibly record breaking, ca |
be marketed promptly, although at prices |
which appear to be low in comparison |
with those quoted one or two years ago, |
60 INTO the Pacific northwest. This will |
make II possible for the farmers TO cancel |
their loans at the banks and also TO pay !
the socounts which they have been com
PEELED to run up with retail merchants
1t is probable that money VIII be so |
plentiful that the farmers Will be able to
renew their purchases OF farming equip
nsnt and Of automobiles.
Mr.. Elliott found that the track sta |
tien and terminal facilities Of the North !
ern Pacific as well as the locomotives are
n he were able 10 say as much about
The freight cars. Railway managers
everywhere are learning that freight cars
were sadly misused when the roads were
under government operation. A good deal
Of work and expense will be entailed in
order to put the freight cars into good
condition again.