The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-22
BOSTON.

Boston, May 22.-There Is feel
ing in banking circles here that
New England is on the eve OF
considerable boom in business The
long drawn out textile strikes are
expected to be settled shortly. The
strikers, it Is understood, are pre-
pared to offer considerable conces-
sions and encouraged by the fur
Their Improvement in the market for
cotton goods, manufacturers are
expected to met them half way.
The shoe and leather trades are
showing small but welcome I'M
provement. Most of the shoe fac
tories are well occupied although
no rush of business.
The metal trades also continue to
show improvement and paper pro-
duction is now on a better basis
than for some time. 1t has been
many years since so many large
buildings were under construction
at the same time in Boston. The
fly in the ointment at present Is
the fear that manufacturing activ-
ity may be curtailed il the coal
strike is not settled shortly. At
present there is probably coal
enough in New England to last six
weeks or two months at the present
rate of consumption.
FIT. WORTH.
Fl. Worth, Texas, May %. - 1t
will require $4,000 men working 10
hours a day for two months to har-
vest the small grain crops of Texas
this year. Reapers and binders will
start this week and hum merrily
until the latter part of July. Mu-
nicipal employment agencies estl-
mate that the state can supply its
own farm labor and the advent of
outside workers is being discour-
aged. The value of the crops in
dollars is expected to exceed $780,
000,0 and will supply an immedi-
ate increase in buying power as
soon as harvesting commences.
Retail merchants expect an i'm
mediate stimulus to trade from
this source. The stock men of the
southwest are in much improved
condition. This is shown con-
clusively by reports of the govern
ment loan agencies which an
nounced that for four days last
week, not a single stock grower
made application for financial as
sistance. This is the first time
since the government came to the
aid of tn ranchman that a single
day has passed without an apli-
cation for a loan. Good rains, i'm
proved pasturage and improved
markets are responsible for the
condition.
Retail markets are doing an ex-
cellent business but they are not
carrying big stocks of merchan-
disc. They are reducing their re-
serve stocks to a minimum and de-
pending on small but frequent pur-
chases in the wholesale centers to
keep their shelves full.
Railroad shops at all southwest
ern terminal points are again
working on full time and main
tenance of way work is being
pushed.
SAN FRANCISCO.
San Francisco, May 22.-Easier
money conditions, increasing build
ing activity and the disappearance
OF the army of the unemployed were
here in the last week. The only
cloud on the horizon at present
seems to be the uncertainty of the
situation of the farmers in some
districts.
The unemployment problem dis
appeared just about the time the
machinery devised to solve that
problem began to function. There
are indications now OF an actual
shortage in the supply of farm
workers. Already wages have
been increased on the farms in some
sections over the rates set at the
beginning of spring. In the build
ing trades there is a shortage of
trained men and wage rates are
a secondary consideration on the
part of the employers.
Growers are slow to make con-
tracts for the sale of their fruit
this year. They feel they are in
strong position as associations of
growers control the marketing of
most lines. Purchasers are in
clined to regard the prices now