The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-02-23
HOW THE WORLD JOGs ON

The Department of Commerce re-
ports exhaustively upon foreign
trade conditions. Accordingly the
Department stocks of imported mer-
chandise in India seem to be fair
sized, but with the revival of bust
ness these are being steadily alb
sorbed and greater activity in i'm
portations is expected to begin soon.
Sugar stocks in Calcutta and Bonn
bay warehouses at the middle , Of
January amounted to about 100000
bags as against about 100000 bags
a year ago, practically all Java
sugar.
The report that the Japanese au-
thorities have decided ito conserve
their forests and will therefore i'm
port all lumber required during the
next 80 years, has no foundation ac-
cording to a report to the Depart
ment. The present large importa-
ton of lumber is due to two principal
causes: First, the inaccessibility of
the Hokkaido timber, coupled with
inefficient cutting methods and high
err wages, has made this lumber re-
gatively much higher than American
or Manchurian timber. This has
caused increasing quantities to be
imported. Secondly, increased build
ing activity and the probable poten-
tial demand for large municipal un-
dertakings have caused considerable
speculative Importation. In addi-
ton, the expected imposition of an
import duty on lumber has caused
many dealers to anticipate their re-
quirements. AS result, stocks
have increased rapidly land there is
now a large oversupply. Under
such conditions there is every pos
sibility of a slump in the near fu-
ture, followed by cessation of i'm
port until the market absorbs the
surplus stocks.
Rising German production costs
will soon push the export prices OF
many commodities to the world level,
according to information just receiv-
ed by cable by the Department OF
Commerce from Commercial Attache
Herring in Berlin. Probably the
most striking feature of the German
manufacturers problem at the pre-
sent time is the marked advance in
wages which has taken place since
the middle of 1921, coupled with many
indications that the limit of the in
creases has not yet been reached.
The wage index of the Frankfurter-
Zeitung shows that following per-
centages of wage advances from
July, 1921, to January l, 1922: Chem
ical industry, 1870; mettallurgical in
dustry, 1870; shoe and leather in
dustry, 500; woodworking, 500;
building, $3.50 foodstuffs industry
67%o.
Thirty-six secretaries and presi-
dents of State and local chambers OF
commerce throughout New England
have just spent several days in Wash
ington discussing the business situa-
ton with Secretary Hoover and max
ing a first-hand study of the facli-
ties of the Department of Commerce
in order to take full advantage of the
information being collected from 600
trade scouts in all parts of the world.
They carried back to the members
o ftheir organizations the key to
valuable commercial data that will
increase the distribution of New Eng
land products in foreign markets,
leading to renewed activity in manu-
featuring centers, it was said as the
conference adjourned.
An analysis of boot and shoe ex-
port figures of the United States and
the United Kingdom for December
1921 shows that whereas the United
Kingdom in December 1918, export
ed 1O1.39o more boots and shoes than
the United States, in December, 1921
by position was strikingly reversed,
the United States exporting $3.50
more than the United Kingdom.
Detailed information regarding the
Harvesting of the River Rhone for
power, navigation, and irrigation is
contained in a report just received by
the Department. Practicall steps
have already been taken toward the
constitution of great national
Rhone development company and