The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-16
DETROIT.

Detroit, June le.-SteeI, lumber
and other building materials have
increased rapidly in price in this
section. This has created feeling
of hesitation in certain quarters
! Some builders profess that costs OF
materials and labor have gone SO
high as a result OF the sudden de-
mand upon producers that there
should be a waiting spell in build
| ing construction to enable prices
to settle to more stable levels. III
spite of this building permits issued
in the last week totaled $2,611 900
as compared with $20,710,000 for
the previous week.
Statistics show no reason for the
change Of heart as to the favorable
| business outlook A total of 1884,
900 workers were employed here
/ this week, an. increase of 5000 over
the previous week
Automobile dealers report a
steady increase in sales to farmer
bank superintendent indicates how
these sales are possible. Total de-
posts in all Michigan state banks
show an increase of $4,000, 900 over
the figures at the close of March,
while loans show a decrease OF
$3,500,000. The banks, however,
have cut down their borrowings
from the federal reserve system
from S24 200, 900 to $40 10000 ami
many of them are out OF debt.
ATLANTA.
Atlanta, Ca, June 16-The peach.
watermelon and cantaloupe crops
are now beginning to move freely
from this state and thousands of
dollars have been put into general
circulation by their sale this waek.
The harvesting of these crops and
! the making Of the cotton crop have
just about emptied the cities of IN
employment of both skilled and IN
skilled labor.
/ The hot weather. the sustained
advance in the price of cotton ane
|. the plentiful supply of money has
given new impetus to both whole
| sale and retail trade in this sec
ton and leading bankers declare
conditions much improved over a
month ago. The hand-to-mouth
buying policy has given way to a
better volume Of orders from re-
| tailers and rural merchants are
buying for fall in fair volume Col :
lections are good and old debts ap-
pear to have been largely liqui-
dated.
Home building here is fast wip-
ing out the house shortage and
there is d 20, per cent reduction il
rents OF apartments. The state
railroad commission today issued
an order to the Georgia Railroad
and Power company which supplies
/ gas and electric lights to this city
and its environs, to show cause
4, why local and suburban gas rates
| should not be lowered further.
ST. LOUIS.
st. Louis, June 16.-There is a
decided shortage of common labor
in this section. There is a strong
demand from the agricultural dis
trfcts and the demand has been
supplemented as a result of the
rapid improvement in all lines of
manufacture. This is not an actual
general labor shortage but rather a
displacement of labor as a result
of the abnormaIities of the recov-
cry from depression.
In many cities the construction
program is being forced along
with prices for materials descend
ing rapidly and wage reductions
| being neutralized by bonuses Oh
fered in order to secure a sufficient
supply of skilled and semi-skilled
labor. The larger building opera
tons projected have hardly begun.
Wholesale and retail business re-
/ feet the industrial revival Mer-
| chants are clearing up old accounts
and buying in large volume. Stocks
are still lower and future buying is
expected to be very heavy.
The manufacturers of building
materials including iron and steel,
lime and cement, sand, brick, glass,
lumber, hardware, paints and roof
ing, are steadily and constantly
Increasing the forces at work and
the output Of their plants. Makers
OF shoes. kitchen utensils and
mems and women's ready to wear
clothing also are busy and speed
ing uo their production programs.