Evening star., 1921-09-05
Big Squirt in Business
Noted in the Southwest
BY JAMES r.. RECOR
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
FORT WORTH. Tex, September s.
Business in the southwest, both re-
tail and jobbing, has taken the first
big spurt in the last two years within
the past week. The big general re-
firing Of debts at the banks has set
in, coincident with the revival of
trade. This has been due to the rise
in the price of cotton and the sub
sequent selling of that staple by farm
ers and holders of warehouse re-
ceipts. That business was good"
was admitted for the first time in
many weary months.
Cotton sold in the streets all over
north and west Texas for prices rang
ing from 18 to IS cents pound. and
seed has had a proportionate advance.
The chief feature OF the release of
this flow of money was the retirement
of old debts. At points where cotton
has been stored by the hundreds OF
bales since last fall. trucks and We
hicles of every description have been
pressed into service to get the staple
to the railroads and thence to export
points.
Trade opened SO well last week that
merchants who had stocked up for the
goods and it Is expected that trade
will be up to normal throughout
most of the southwest during the re-
mainder of the year.
The improvement in business is be-
ing felt by the railroads and sew
eral systems have increased their
shop forces. More men were at
work last week than at any time
since last fall.
Business Topics.
ST. LOUIS, September (SpeciaD.
measures are being taken
in many cities and towns in this ter
ritory to induce liquidation of costs
1.E In off nrf
tn q, stimulate building. There is a
tremendous amount of capital await
ing investment in building enterprises
when prices come down and when
that result is attained it is predicted
building in this section will go for
ward on a record-breaking scale.
PHILADELPHIA, September (Spe-
ciaD.-The board of engineers OF the
war Department has declined to re-
move the port of Philadelphia from
federal control This control was
Imposed when the facilities of the
mort were greatly taxed after the
war. Previously a state board of
commissioners was in charge OF the
harbor. The engineer board bases
it's refusal on the grounds that 0e
harbor here concerns New Jersay and
Delaware as much as it does the state
of Pennsylvania, and that the United
States coast guard service must
therefore continue to look after an
chorages and other harbor details.
The same reasoning, they say. would
apply to the harbors of New York
and Baltimore.
NEW YORK, September Especially.
A conference will be begun here next
Wednesday to determine the scale of
pay for the longshoremen for the next
year at ports on the Atlantic coast.
Representatives of the steamship COM
panies, the Shipping Board and the
Iongshoremen's union will be present.
It is understood that the dock workers
are ready to accept some reduction
from the present scale of 80 cents an
hour. The Shipping Board. 1t is be-
lieved, will suggest reduction of Is
per cent, and the steamship companies
are declared to favor still greater
cut. The present agreement expires
October /. About $4,000 men are in
voived.
HARRISBURG, Pa. September S
(SpeciaD.-Work on the highways of
this state is being pushed vigorously
in the effort to raise construction fig
ures to 500 miles for the season.
About 440 miles have been completed
lnx d