The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-03
SAX PRANCIsCO.

San Francisco, April IA build
ing boom is developing in the
cities of California, unemployment
has ceased to be q problem in most
places and money is easy. When
the spring crops begin to move, the
Indications are that the improve
ment in the country districts viii
keep pace with that in the cities
A steady increase is noted in the
volume although in some lines, re-
tail buyers still are proceeding
cautiously. Good crops are ex-
pected with better than average
prices. Packing corporations and
state agricultural agents forecast
bumper fruit yields.
There has been a remarkable re-
vival of demand in the automobile
business in the last weeks. Used
cars which have been in plentiful
supply are about cleaned up and
the sales of new machines by some
companies have set records.
Strikes have checked the output
of lumber In some Of the Oregon
and California camps and mills bat
demand is increasing steadily and
prices are firm. The surplus rice
stocks here are being materially
reduced. Rice association manag-
ers are getting better prices than
were anticipated and the market is
firm at higher rates.
The supplies OF canned fruits on
hand are small. Gamers agents
find that farmers are not inclined
to contract their crops in advance
this year.
FIT. WORTH.
FIT. Worth, Texas, April 3.-Con-
tinued rains In the southwest have
put temporary damper on both
retail and jobbing trade but have
served TO increase the optimism
among the farmers and stockmen
in the last few days. Enough rain
fell last week to assure 'stockmen
at least a 80 day supply of water
and range grazing for their herds
and oil drilling operations have
been speeded up as a result of the
increased water supply. Planting
of crops in all the agricultural dis
tricts will be begun this week The
time since 1919.
Although merchants in general
report a slight falling off In trade,
they also report improvement in
collections. A desire to pay OFF old
debts is manifested, they say. The
grain crops will be ready for har-
vesting in about sixty days which
will enable them to fulfill this de-
sire. Cattle trading has been re-
sumed on a larger scale and prices
for steers are ranging from $50 to
$55 head.
Loans to member banks of the
Federal Reserve System in the
southwest are showing an increase.
This money, for the most part, is
going to farmers and stockmen.
BOSTON.
Boston, Mass, April 3.-Business
as a whole in New England lost
ground in March. Textile trades
and boots and shoes which were
the bright spots last fall have
steadily grown less active. Strike
at the cotton mills is now in its
third month and there is no indi-
Gated settlement in sight. 1t is es-
timated that there are 100000 men
out of work as a result of labor
disputes at the Rhode Island, New
Hampshire and Lawrence, Mass,
mills. Although President Wood of
the American Wooden company has
promised employees that there
would be no wage reduction this
season the pay envelopes of the
workers in the wooden mills have
been growing smaller because some
of the mills are on only part time
schedules. The market for wool
ems is not active and worsteds are
selling poorly.
Shoe companies report that sales
men on the road are taking orders
only for immediate delivery. Ordi-
narily at this time of year they
would be booking orders for fall,
but apparently merchants are in
no mood to order ahead.
The building situation is the
brightest spot in the business sky.
Construction operations are much
more active and there is every in
dication that activity will increase
as the year progresses.