The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-29
Increase In Production Takes
Care of Unemployment
Situation In Country.
FARMERS ssNEFITED
Huge Surplus Of Freight Cars
Changed Into Acute Short
age on Railroads.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 2s-stcck
/. taxing q the nations domestic
oasiHess for the past year gives a
teelihg % satisfaction as to the
5rogress imadei the Department of
feommeree declared today IN an
endsof- the.year statement aud.
from ssis days position 1t added,
there are no serious Oostacies IN
sight which should hinder further
advances In the early new year.
Optimism Is evident throughout!
the Statistics and details OF tho
Statement which noted that the
Production Of manufactured conf
modities averaged SO per cert
larger than In 1921. The farmer
received approximately II per
q cont more for his products than IN
lg2E and the total volume Of
agricultural products was worth a
much creator sum than was that
d a year ago.
The unsettled sScondltions in
foreign countries, particularly IN
Europe, however, the statement
continued; Yare still depressing
our trade and, to some extent
haSe mo- doubt kept tho progress
OF Agricultural products below the
Level ot other commodities. But
within the past two months, this
litter condition has been relieved
20 some EXTENT
While dealing only briefly with
foteign trade, the revue said that
American exports had dropped 16
per cent as compared with last
gear, but tile comparison was on a
basis Of eleven months, and IN ad-
dition represented a ''long climb"
rom a poor start, according to
4, officials Imports to September 90,
!, when the new tariff law was eff
teetiSe, were slightly above last
yesr and indications are that The
sear total may exceed last
seatss imports by n small margin.
irhe Total volume Of buiidIrs
sas 81. pof cent larger in the first
clever sinonths OF this year than
tle same period last year, and tie
prediction was made that the full!
eaf's3f record will exceed that OF
1918. The 1922 contracts ror
aleyen months also reported q
ntuehj greater expenditure OF
money than for the full year 9G
1871. It was said.
There was a swell in the VOL
tule OF general trade. according TO
the summary, which mentioned a
per cent greater sale by mai.
oi1er houses and q thirteen per
eentslncrease In business by cnuin
stores.
Increases in production wan
said TO have taken care Of the I'LL
employment situation and ;a;oT
mortgages were reported In many
localities. 1t was added, however.
that work appeared to be waiting
ion most laborers who sought 1t,
The years progress was report
ed to have changed a huge sur.
plus OF freight cars into q short
ase. This shortage was general. It
was stated, despite a lower per-
centage otScars under repair than
in many, months. Freight move
ments. however, were described
generally Eas satisfactory.
One OF the chief benefits deriv-
eddy the farmer was the increase
IN his purchasing power. Tie
revue called, attention to a decline
of 10 per cent In wholesale and 6
percent In retail prices, whilo the
agslcultupal products were aver
aging "a per cent more than in
the previous year.
Many Industries More Active
The departments survey show
ed that textile mills were about
20 per cent more active than last
yeaf; the iron. and steel industry
Increased Its output between GO
and 10 per cent; production of
iop-Serrous metals was SO pe.
cent or more greater; petroleum
prodtetion was about Is per cent
greater, coke 40 per cent, paper
30 10 30 per cent, rubber 40 per
cent, motor vehicles 80 per cent:
building Construction so per cent;
lumber 50 per cent; brick so per
cent; cement 10 per cent; leather
| 20 per cent sugar As per cent
and meats above five per cent =
The only declines in outstanding
Importance were z per cent in
bituminous coal and AZ per cent
ii anthracite, both OF which were
due TO the strike, and therefore
we're not regarded as indicative Of
= fftndnmental. fault In the annI,n-