The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-16
KANSAS CITY.
(BY CONSOLIDATED PRESS


general upturn in business has
been speeded by weather conditions
/ In this section. These have been
peculiarly favorable to the crops
and in addition farm produce prices
have shown improvement Eugene
Meyer head Of the war finance cor
| poration, who has just concluded
a survey of the southwest, declared
today that in six months prevailing
public opinion had changed from
deep dependency to optimism. He
announced the government had lent
$50, 900, 900 in states in this section
to check the pressure which was
causing glutted markets and farm
losses.
Consumers in this section are de-
handing to know why shoe prices
| remain hign when hides are down.
The shoe dealers declare that taxes
supply the answer in conjunction
with high freight rates.
Reports compiled by the cham
Der of commerce indicate that Kan
sas City has climbed from third to
first place as flour milling center.
There has been a marked improve
ment in employment conditions
since February l, the increase be-
ing estimated at 6 per cent. The
Santa Fe railroad has let a contract
subject to approval by the inter
state commerce commission for a 60
mile extension from Santana, Kan
sas. to Ulysses, Colorado. This
will cost $1.500,000.
SEATTLE.
Seattle, March 16.-Preparations
are being made by retail merchants
of the Pacific northwest for an ac-
tive spring season. Several large
stores held spring openings this
week and were greeted with a graft
flying volume of trade. Business is
well ahead of last year in unit vol
ume and in many lines in dollar
value also. Prices have reached a
more stable basis and merchants
are paying more attention to dis
play advertising and selling meth
DDS.
The holdover of the wheat crop
of the Pacific northwest is decreas-
ng rapidly. The amount now held
is only rs per cent of the amount
stored at this time last year, and
the wheat still on the farms rep
resents less than 10 per cent of the
entire crop.
There is keen competition for car
goes in the intercoastal shipping
business and water freight rates
are subject to considerable fluctua-
ton in consequence. There is con-
siderable space offering for the
United Kingdom and the continent
and ample vessels for the orient
with rates softer.
The radio phone craze continues
here undated. Orders received at
local plant manufacturing radio
instruments average $4,000 a day
and are increasing at the rate of
$500 daily. Spare parts including
ear phones and vacuum tubes can
not be obtained locally.
CLEVELAND.
Cleveland, March 16.-There has
been an improvement in reemploy-
ment of six per cent within the last
month, the load line of the Cleve-
land Illuminating company, which
furnishes local industrial plants
with light and power, has moved
steadily upward and there has been
a gradual increase in saving de-
posits in this district. These indi-
cations measure clearly the i'm
provement IN business conditions
here.
The Cleveland Railway company
has started a program of track i'm
provement which involves laying 20
miles of track in the city streets
and which will cost S1,525,00O and
employ 5000 men.
Reports of increased industrial
operations are coming from various
parts of Ohio. At Salem the Ameri-
can Steel and Wire company's plant
is operating at capacity. One of the
rubber plants there is working both
day and night shifts, the pump fac
tory has reached so per cent pro-
duction and an automobile body fac
tory is up to so per cent of capacity.
Heavy demand continues in the
steel Industry for plates, wire pro-
ducts and scrap steel. The reduc-
ton in ore carrying charges from
Lake Erie ports to inland furn-
aces which became effective today,
will aid in cutting cost of produc-
ton.