Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-05-12
TRADE CONDITIONS
IN j. s. IMPROVED
10000 Manufacturers Assert
Business Is on Upgrade.
SAY COAL STRIKE NEAR END
Secretary CT Commerce Hoover Urges
Legislation to Remove Uncertain
ties Regarding Trade Associa-
tion Activities.

New York, May 11.-Business and
trade conditions throughout the Uni
ted States. as reported by 10000 man
ufacturers to John e. Edgerton. pres
ident of the National Association of
Manufacturers, show stable, sane,
definite and continuing idvance."
I'VE have not only turned the cor
ner," was Mr. Edgertons summary of
survey Of industry just completed.
I've are now leaving it very far be-
hind. Business is on the upgrade in
practically all Of the basic indus
tries"
The survey was made by question
naires, answers to which were re-
ceivea within the last n hours so that
it was declared TO represent eondi-
lions as of today.
Coal operators are predicting that
the strike in the bituminous industry
will re smashed before July l." J. D.
l.. Morrow, vice president of the Ma
tional Coal association, asserted in an
address late yesterday before the man
ufacturers Mr. Morrow declared the
operators are opposed to any form
of naturalization of the coal indus
try.
Excellent" Conditions in Steel.
"In the steel Industries today" says
the summary. "the survey shows con-
ditions classed as excellent among II
per cent of our membership, % per
cent as good, 81 per cent as fair and
II per cent as poor. In the textile
industry 20 per cent of them report
conditions running from fair'to excel
lent and 30 per cent report poor con-
ditions. In the machine and tool in
dustry we find so per cent of the re-
plies reporting conditions fair TO ex-
ceIlent and the remainder not SO en-
couraging
"In three industries where retrench-
ment is ordinarily acutely felt-auto-
mobiles, jewelry and leather-the
showing IS not by any means gloomy,
although not so good as in other lines.
From the auto trades good reports are
40 per cent; in jeweIry 90 per cent
and in leather go per cent.
Suggestion by Hoover.
"All of these businesses, from steel
to jewelry. report prospects for high
percentages of increase between now
and fall"
New legislation to remove the uncer-
talnties regarding trade association ac-
tivities was suggested by Secretary
Hoover of the department of commerce
in an address here before the associ-
alton.
"Without entering into legal formu-
lation," Mr. Hoover said, my sugges-
ton is that there should be a minor
extension of the Clayton act to the
effect that interstate trade asSocia-
tons should be permitted to file with
some appropriate governmental agency
the plan of their operations and the
functions they propose to carry on,
and that upon approval of such Of
these functions as do not apparently
contravene the restraint of trade acts
they may proceed with their opera
lions.
'If, upon complaint, however, either
of individuals or the law officers of the
government, that these functions do
restrain trade, after n hearing and
proof, the right to continue these par
ticular functions shall be suspended
and, if confined, they shall be subject
to prosecution. Also, if it shall be
proved that they have extended their
activities beyond the functions in their
original proposals they shall be subject
to prosecution for restraint of trade
/ violations.