The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-25
KANSAS CITY.

Kansas City, Mo-. May 25.-Crop
conditions and the prices for farm
products continue to strengthen the
hopefuiness OF the business commu-
mites throughout this section. the
demand for the additional equip
ment lust ordered by the American
Refrigerator Transit company con-
sisting OF 1000 refrigerator cars
was created by the large move
meat of strawberries, butter, eggs
and poultry, from this territory
and by the outlook for a record
fruit crop. The refrigerator trans
it company is controlled by the Wa
bash and Missouri Pacific rail-
roads.
Continued improvement in bust
ness conditions are reflected in the
financial condition of the banks.
The loans of the federal reserve
bank here have decreased to about
SIS 900 900 as against $83 900 900 a
year ago and $120. DOC, 900 two years
ago. In the past month loans of
the war finance corporation In this
district have totaled only s., 900, 600.
Bankers are beginning to expert
ence a demand for money to f.
nance purely speculative purchases
but there is a we'll defined tendency
among them to discourage such
borrowing.
Reports of a possible merger be-
tween the Chicago & Alton and the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroads
were denied today by officials of
those companies. The reports
started from a trip made by Off
cias OF the roads over the two
systems.
CLEVELAND.
Cleveland, May 25.-Increased de-
mand for labor both skilled and
semi-skilled is a significant indi-
cation of industrial development in
this section. Automobile produc-
| ton is particularly affected by this
! demand and some factories are
running at less speed than produc-
ton schedules call for because OF
insufficient labor of the right sort.
/ Help wanted adds are increasing
in the Cleveland papers. These
show gain of per cent for April
this year over April, 1921, and a
gain of "a per cent for the first half
of May over the similar period of
last year.
The automobile accessory bust
ness, one of the leading industries
Of Cleveland, is still behind auto
mobile production. Manufacturers
attribute this to the fact that acces-
sorry makers had heavy inventories
to liquidate before they attempted
new production. Now, however.
two axle plants are operating at
rs per cent of capacity and another,
making truck axles exclusively, is
| producing at so per cent. Frame
makers are working at from SIS to
60 per cent of normal
/ The Fisher body company of
Ohio Is working full time and while
production of the other body build
ers Is somewhat irregular all re-
port business improving steadily.
Distinct improvement is noted in
the production OF mechanical rub
Der goods at Akron.
SEATTLE.
Seattle, May 25.-Lumber manu-
facture of the North Pacific coast
this week reached the highest point
| in years. Production has been 5
per cent above normal capacity and
new business booked ran Is per
cent above production. This tells
the story of the forward movement
in general lines of business in this
territory, for lumber is to the Pa
cific northwest what cotton is to
the south and corn to the middle
west. Authorities in the lumber
trade seem to agree THAI the lower
freight rates from the Pacific coast
to Trans-Missouri territory ordered