The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-27
BOSTON.

Boston, June Z7.-The Rhode Is
land and New Hampshire cotton
mills are steadily gaining workers
and the textile strike seems about
over, although not all the employees
OF the mills and few of the union
leaders appear to know it. There
are indications that plants will be
running as usual in few weeks.
A statement of prominent Bos-
ton banker today that conditions in
New England are more nearly nor
NAL than at any time in two years,
just about expresses the situation.
The steady week after week i'm
provement has just about brought
conditions back to where they
can be compared favorably with
pre-war levels. Building operations
are going on at a tremendous rate
in Boston with the number OF
building permits being taken out
| exceeding any previous record.
Shoe manufacturers are looking
forward to a big fall business and
generally feel that conditions are
better than at any time since 1920.
Paper mills are receiving orders in
steadily increasing volume and
prices are firm. The coal situation
is considered serious from an in
dustrial point of view although
Boston is relatively better off than
the remainder of the country. Sen
timent of railroad workers in this
section is believed to be against a
strike.
FIT. WORTH.
Fit Worth, June 27.-Sales of
land are again being announced in
the southwest 1t is range land
and cash is being paid for it, indi-
eating that the commercial revival
reall/ has taken hold" in the live
stock business of the country.
Prices paid are fairly good especial
ly compared with figures. current
a year ago when ranch property
could hardly be sold at any price
no matter how low. This activity,
slight though it is, is taken as a
sure sign of betterment in the ar
! fairs of the ranchmen. Prices paid
for livestock still are low, but so
is the cost of herd maintenance
because of the abundance of grass
and water. Conditions in another
basic industry of the section, cot
ton. are not SO favorable this week
This is due to the continued &C
.tivity and spread of the boil weevil.
Inroads of the pest are specially
severe in central, north and north
east Texas. With such an early
start the weevil is threatening to
have a banner year of destruction.
The dry weather and hot winds
have prevented spread of the in
sect to west Texas and consequent
ly cotton prospects in that area are
the brightest ever known
In the cotton regions, retail bust
ness is almost at a standstiu and
merchants have not followed any
buying for fall beyond orders for
some staple commodities and do not
expect to make a move until boil
weevil damage is defined. The
grain sections, however, are hav-
ing steady increase in trade.
SAN FRANCISCO.
San Francisco, June 81. - The
valuation of building started or ar
ranged for in the first five months
of this year in this city exceeded
$20,000,000. This is the largest five
months building program in the
| history of the city, exceeding even
| the operations after the San Fran
cisco fire. The softening of inter
| est rates on funds for building pur-
poses and the continued demand for
housing and commercial accommo-
| dations promises to promote furth-
er building.
Increased activity in mining in
this section is another result which
has come in the last few weeks
from the loosening up of capital.
The heavy tide of tourist traffic
from the east by both automobile
and train is an important factor in
the improvement of the business
situation. 1t IS estimated that mo-
tor travel this year will break all
records. Oil production is increas-
ing and fruit shipments show a
steady gain.
The cantaloupe yield, which was
expected to show decrease in this
state this season, will be 20 per
cent higher than last year. The de-
mand for wine grapes is already
strong but growers hold that the
prices fixed are far too low and
will not sell.
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