Evening star., 1922-07-08
BY ). C. BOYLE.
EpeeIai Dispatch to he star.

Special Dispatch to TIE Star.
NEW YORK. July S.-Bus!ness In
the United States Is moving forward.
but II is dragging a ball and chain
of economic waste behind it, Ac-
curate estimates from Official sources
show that approximately l.25o.oo0
workers are voluntarily idle. Indus
tries are losing ten million hours Of
work a day. The deprivation In wages
to the workers is the smallest part
of this waste, yet, even reckoned at
the low rate for unskilled labor, it
means Z loss Of 100000 day. Ac-
tuHlly. It more nearly double that.
The loss to the employers is many
times greater, but the big drain on
check to production. buying power
and distribution In the industries in
directly as we'll as directly affected.
Surplus fuel supplies are dwindling.
The bottom of the coal bins are be-
ginning to appear In every section OF
dispatches received within the last
twenty-four hours Production has
not been checked as yet. but yinG
has been hampered by uncertainty
and SO has expansion.
The shopmen's strike so far has had
u
cal effect on business. but. as the
crops must be moved ana the volume
Of freight traffic Is increasing by
leaps and bounds. its potential dan
ger Is not to be underestimated.
New England situation.
The textile strike situation in New
England Is slowly bettering. but ad-
ditlonal strikes are threatened tor
next week.
With these factors in evidence. the
fact that confidence is undiminished
and that business is improving in
practically every line in every section
Of the country is conclusive evidence
Of commercial stability and prosper
ity. The business is there. as rresi-
win Locomotive Works said tn:s
week as he tucked an order book in
his pocket and hoped train for
the west to sell locomotives to the
railroads. There is any quantity OF
business throughout the country" he
said. ut only remains for business
men to get out and get "" 1t is
notable that Mr. Vauclain went out
to get it," not when the railroads
were best prepared to buy, but when
they were comforting crisis that
threatens their effective operation.
Prosperity to Planters.
His optimism finds ample support
from Developments this week. Cot.
ton is selling at prices. which, IL
qualified prosperity to planters.
Sugar has advanced until both pro-
ducers and refiners are showing a
balance on the right side OF the
ledger. The wheat harvest is re-
veaiins the fact the. the yield per
than anticipated. This. 1t IL declar-
ed. will have q favorable influence on
prices Livestock Is in big demand
At rising quotations. MIX and cream
are up in widely separated sections.
due partly to falling OF In produc-
ton and partly to the tremendous
consumption OF ice cream. The corn
These conditions have produced a
tremendous demand for hardware
and farm implements and harness
business. which has been s,aEn"nt
for many months. and the increased
volume Of orders flowing to the mail
order houses is matching the increase
Of buying power in the rural dis
tricts-
Trades Record Improvement.
Metals and the metal trades are
recording Improvement: Lead. zinc
and copper all have risen in price.
conditions at the mines and smelters.
Machinery in hundreds of plants is
being replaced or added to. Paper
recorded it's first advance since the
depression when newsprtnt was
showed up IS ton this week; and
production and demand are both in
creasing. Leather is active and
higher and the shoe manufacturers
in certain sections are working at
100 per cent Of rapacity. with orders
on hand for months ahead.
People have money for vacations
and tourist trade. especially that
moving hy automobile, is boosting re-
tall business In every section.