Evening star., 1921-06-01

trade 10 decidedly favorable.
nc osa Snniness so- ss ,s od in
disposed to look az far ahead as next
winter and, II he does, he decides to
wait. General manufacturing 10 slow
and fuel demands correspondingly
ii.ht. Wnole;.ls s,ro grocer. ,n.n complain m lain
certain prices and shrinkage in
values"
. Buldlng L. StagnaAt.
Employment in Chicago has not
changed and pay rolls have declined.
Building. due to strikes as well as
costs. is stagnant. The desire to
ers report conditions are still un-
favorable. even IL labor accepted
lower wages.
Business men have studied every
thing they could hnd in relation to
foreign trade, and interest seems to
long-term credit is interpreted to
mean an indefinite time.
Grain Exchange Planned.
Steps have been taken to organ
ixe at Oakland a grain exchange
through which practically all the
grain of California will be handled.
This exchange will be the organiza-
tion Of the Farmers Cooperative As,
sociations and 1t will be controlled
by the chosen representatives Of the
growers The farmers have already
leased a large elevator In Oakland
harbor and hereafter all grain will be
hauled in bulk instead of in sacks
as formerly was the custom.
The shipping tie-up, added to the
building lockout, which has been in
effect for over a month. has materially
retarded business in this section and
there Is little hope of a revival. busi-
ness men say. until these conflicts are
ended. Scores of ships are tied up in
tbs harbor. In fact only a few tank
panies have sailed since the strike
began.
PHILADELPHIA. June loving to
the high cost of building construction
and the upwillingness of men in the
building trades to work at lower
wage. construction in this city has
dropped to an extent which cuts
down the pay roll in that line eoo from ron
Prior to 1917 the average number OF
dwellings erected here each year was
$500, at an average cost Of $S.SSe
During the four following years con-
struction was reduced to an average
Of $500 dwellings. while the cost IN
average. Men in the building trades
have struck against a reduction In
pay. and the daily pay roll has shrunk
from $3.50, 900 to about $4,000.
have rejected a smaller wage cut
than has been made and accepted in
New England. and only one-half Of
Phjladelphia's 10000 operatives are
at work. Pressmen refuse to work
in the printing trades. because em-
hour week Job work hangs fire and
magazine publishers are sending
work to other cities. Vigilant labor
pickets are preventing persons Will
ing to work from doing so In the
Cramps shipyard.
NOTES.
NEW YORK, June There is said
to be little or no prospect for a
liquidation" Of hotel rates in the
near future, despite the demands that
are being made by business men who
travel Likewise there is little pros
pect for a reduction of passenger
rates on the railroads or Of the trou-
blesome surcharge on Pullman tick
cts. The result is that the travelling
man finds two of his principal items
Of expense virtually frozen" Hotel
keepers are blaming prohibition for
their inability to reduce room rates.
They claim that restaurant charges
have been lowered.
4 Il \
PHILADELPHIA, June Taxes
| wages and railroad rates are the
! three "black beasts" of the present
business and industrial situation in
the United States. according to busi-
ness men who have been in confer
ence recently in this city. Until they
are debated" to a considerable de-
gree. prosperity in the nation will
continue to be "spotty" and lacking
in stability. Business is beginning to
realize that tax dehation is more
of a dream than possibility of the
near future. The more the situation
is studied the less relief seems to
be in sight