The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-12-29


The coal sSaation in the North
west, while far from satisfactory
as shown great improvement dur.
ing the past month. During No
vember more than four times as
much soft coal was resolved at the
head Of the lakes as a year ago, anu
recei :. is off hard coal were up one.
bali: and during the first eleven
days of December. just prior>to the
close of navigation on the Great
Lakes, more than seven timesi us
much soft coal and mo4e thnn three
times as mucN hard coal was reneiv-
cdaas a year. ago during December.
There was, as is customary, a de.
cline in the totals between October
md November and between Noveni.
Der and December receipts. Sum
ming up the season, there were re
Cei' ed al the head OF the lakes 5,
i13S.934 tons of soft coal and $3.50 1852
tons Of hard COAL This volume ~fs
r" ~1'it- W." Thirds aS lHr~n ?S the
averase receipts of soft coal during
the last five years and about one
third Of the average receipts OF
hard coal during this perind.
The volume of retail trade during
November was smaller than dufng
/ October in this district. Sales OF
general merchandise declined one
tenth ard lumber sales declined
one fourth, both. movements being
due to seasonal causes. At the same
time retail stores were buying
smaller quantities of goods from
wholesalers. Lumber manufacturers
in particular sold 80 per cent less
lumber, while all other wholesale
lines and agricultural implements
showed declines, the Smallest oc-
curing in sales OF groceries, where
, he decline was so small that II
might be entirely accounted for by
the shorter month. Merchandise
stocks held by retailers were slight
~ larger for d"nartment stores but
smaller for lumber firms at the end
OF October. AS compared with last
year during November, this years
sales OF general merchandise were
down slightly but lumber sales
were considerably lager. Pur-
chases by retailers. on the other
band, were larger in general, mer-
lnhandise and in agricultural !mnte-
ments, but smaller in lamber.
Stocks Of general merchandise held
by retailers We're SLIGHTLY larger this
year than \, last and lumber stocks
were Oue- tenln lower.
Manufacturing Activity,
Manufacturing activity declined
one[htth in lumber between Octo-
Der and November, but Increased
very slightly in -four, although The
MINNEAPOLIS mills eXnlDitea a small
no. maj decline. The lumber manu-
facturers in this district had twice
as many men in the woods during
November as during OCTOBER and
somewhat smaller crews in the
mills than a month ago, as is Gus
tomary at this time OF the year. DE.
liveries made by. manufacturers in
this district declined slightly be-
tween the two months Tor lumber,
-four and linseed products. Lum
Der stocks held by manufacturers
were Slightly. smaller at the end OF
October. As compared with a year
ago, lumber manufacturing was
twice as active and -four manufac-
turing showed an increase~of one
third in the volumeNof production.
Flour mills were operating at rs per
cent OF capacity this year as com
pared with SO per cent of capacity
a yeaI ago. Deliveries OF lumber.
-four and linseed oil cake were
about as large in November this
year as last, but linseed oil deliver
les were up one half Lumber
stocks held by manufacturers were
down 30 per cent this year as com
pared with last.
Mining activity in this district
showed mixed tendencies during
November. Shipments of iron ore
from upper lake ports declined al
most one half and silver and gold
production was somewhat less in
November than in October. On the
other hand, copper production was
fully as large in Novemberas in
October and coal production showed
an increase of almost one half.
Mining of all kinds showed much
greater totals in November this
year than year ago. Iron ore
shipments and gold production were
eight times as large; copper pro-
auction more than four times as
large and silver production almost
twenty-five times as large; and
there was an increase Of one sixth
In coal production.
Building Activities
Building activity in eighteen I'm
portant cities in this district de.
clined between October and No
veInber in number of permits grant.
ed, but increased in the valuation
of permits, owing to exceptionally
large figures at Minneapolis and
Duluth. Normally, as evidenced by
the experience of the past two
years, both the number and Vaiua-
ton of building permits decline dur.
ing November Permits were higher
in number and valuation than a year
ago. -. =
The employment summary made on
December 1 by the United States
Industrial Enjoyment Survey of the
Federal Department of Labor is
much more cheerful than the survey
OF a year ago at this time. The
prospects are for good volume of
work throughout the E:strfct which
will absorb nearly all but profess
sionals paphandlers" who are al :
ways with. Us" Although there Is
considerable surplus or agricultur-
al labor, the men are rapidly being
+ re- employed by the northern lurn.
Der companies for work in the
I woods. Among the industries, meat
packing, steel manufacturing, and
copper mining show gains; but the
milling industry is affected bv re-
stricted transportation facilities.
Building operations have declined
throughout tho district on account
of the cold weather and snow and
there exists a surplus of skilled
building labor at the present, time.
Volume OF Business
| The volume OF business in this
district measured by bank debts to
individual accounts declined 10 per
cent between October and Novem
Der, owing to seasonal callses In