The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-12-30


ucts a matter OF necessity?
At least three great commodities
spring to our thought when this ques-
ton is raised. There are cotton. wheat
and copper. We have neccr consumed,
nor oan we consume, anything like
the quantities Of these which We pro-
or shall we sell the surplus we always
have in. the only available markets,
which are. the foreign markets? Tie
once see, vital to the prosperity OF our
agricultural and mining interests that
we have a large and steady foreign
market for these commodities. The
home OF every farmer and mother is
directly affected by the conditions in
our export trade. !. 80;
This foreign commerce has neither
been large nor steady in recent months
and the result appears in every cop
per-mining town and on every cotton
plantation and wherever wheat is
grown. None are SO foolish az to- say
that an export market IL not essential
to the prosperity of both the capital
and thel abor concerned in the produce
ton Of cotton, copper and wheat
But these three are in some degree
typical of others. We sell abroad such
commodities as lumber. Gil and steel,
and each in different forms or states
OF manufacture. Why are they sold
abroad? Is it not because there is no
sufficient market for them at home?
Is It not. Therefore, also true that the
steady employment OF labor, the reg
ular return upon capital both require
that foreign market shall be found
for the products which they Jointly
make. and that itssi certain that cap
ital cannot continuously earn and la
Dor be continuously employed unless
such markets are found for any sur
plus over the consuming capacity Of
our own country?
Leaving these major items which
some might saw were seiccted ones,
we find that before the war there had
been steady growth in our export
sales of partly or fully finished manu-
features until these had become the
largest elemnts in our outward for
eign business. Why was this so: The
foreign markets are not usually those
In which excessive prices can be had
and therefore It is hardly true that
our manufacturers sold these goods to
the value of many hundreds of millions
Of dollars yearly in other lands In or
der to- make Il larger profit upon them
than could be had at home. On the
contrary evryone familiar with the
subject knows that before the war our
industrial output had become so large
that our Ownm arkets could net con-
tinuously absorb it when the factories
ran full time. Therefore. the alterna-
tive was to find Il market In other
countries or to shut down in whole
or part for portion of the time. In
other words, manufa cturers knew that
If they would run steadily they must
| find foreign markets fer a portion of
the goods they made. Everyone who
gives the subject thought knows, also.
that during the war in this country.
as in all other industrial, ones. the
capacity of our plants was greatly IN
| creased. This increase varied in diff
| ferent industries. but the demands CT
the Allies and later of our own forces
| covered substantially all the wants OF
man and 1t is therefore true that some
increase in productive capacity was
| we'll night universal. In certain in.
dustries the increase was large: more
than a few entirely new fact cries were
constructed.
| The war is over, These new and en-.
| larged plants are here and some a
least are idle, While others are work
ing but part time. Capital is invested
in them. The men who own this cap
ital would like to employ / Dor to tn,
fun capacity of these plants in orde1
that they may earn Interest unon thei
investment. The men who are cut q
work today wonld also like to be EN-
plOyed in these plants in order tina
they may earn food and clothing 70
their families. How shall Ibis employ
ment be provided: Can orders be foun
in the United States in these time
sufficient to keep these plants moving
Everyone knows that they can no.
Can orders be found at any time i
the United States sufficient to keep a
these plants moving steadily at thei
fun capacity? Everybody knows this
this also can not be done. We coul
. not assume the product of these plant
continuously before they We're enlare
ed. Now that they are greatly grow
we are much less able to absorb a
:, their products There has not bee
y time for the national consumption
y grow up to the national industrial pr
y duction and until cur home consum
tion shall equal our home productio
g markets must either be found abro'
= or the plants must operate part tin
y or run at reduced production. This
y as ineXcarble as fate: as certain
&c sravitation.
y 1t is easy to see the process in
~ details. \ great plant in a city of t
- central west. employing some thou
81 ands of men, is idle. Far in dista
lie land skilled industrial officer neg
g tiates a large order for the product
;" that plant with foreign governme
% Forthwith the plant springs to Ii
IN Thousands ofm en- find productive tt
Is Their families are able to purchs
ne needed supplies and clothing. and b,
I'd mess revives. In still ane Their la
OF a great municipality requiers lal
lot of American apparatus. Necessi
ne arrangements being made for the
nacing Of the order, 1t is placed
fd another city in the centralw est.
nd once the SAME process APPEARS. \
is so back to work and their families