The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-01-16
LESS TENSION
 IN GERMANY'S FINANCE CIRCLES

A certain 1essening of tension is noted in German financial and indus trial circles, although no important change in the economic situation of the country is apparent says Com mercIal Attache Herring at Berlin in a cable to the Department of Com
 nerce. The feverish activity of in- dustry, well as the unusual spec ulation on the stock exchange which characterized the situation a few weeks ago, has somewhat abated In dustry is experiencing difficulties on account of the shortage of coal and raw materials, and on account of gen eral increased production costs, while falling off in orders is becoming mo- ticeable.
 Currency Imitation Continues. The German mark has remained fairly stable since December 10. aver aging 1SO to the dollar. The fluectua- ton, however, has been sufficient to eInbarrass the operations of importers i Of raw materials. The Reichsbank circulation, which amounted to ap- proxlmately 1O1, 100000 marks on No Nenber 5, has increased to 1OS995- 55O,OOO on Demember 22 The Gov ernment Loan Office notes show a check in their long gradual derease; tfey amounted to 7,982, 100000 marks on December 22, which was over. 6O0,- uOO,OO0 more than the figure given at the end of November. The floating debt of the German Government. dis counted treasury bills, is given as 2?7, 1870, 100000 marks for December 20.
 New capital issues in December while capital increases came to a.e bS9, 16O,OOO marks. This capital was absorbed mainly by the metal and machinery industries, foodstuffs, tex uies and banks. The Krupp Works increased their capital from 25O, ,O00,- 900 to OG,000,00O marks. The Alfred 1 Nobel Dynamite Company of Berlin | mas mas Increased its capital from 13O,- | 100000 to 211, 100000 marks. and the | Benz Automobile Company from 6s.- OOO,OO0 to 100, 0,000,0 900 marks, Bank ruptcies in December, 150 in number, showed a decrease from the 1e6 ne road reported for November.
 Panic buying is not so much in ev- ldence in German business circles as curing the last two months, and in- tendency than before The stock mar kets also is less disturbed as the spec ulatlVe fever seems to have been quf- 9ted by the fall in December. The against so,s7o on December l. oO,o and Id zo.s" on December p. The index ot | domestic bonds is stationary
 Onemp1oyment and Labor Troubles
 on December l, there were about | l4I.oOO unemployed workmen receiy- l ing aid from the Government, al- though the actual unemplovment fir ure was considerably higher. them ployment has increased somewhat slnce that date. There is some part @ alIae work in the German industries and very little overtime. The more serious labor disputes in December Included a lockout in Berlin of 2 f0o men in the building trades. on ac- count of demands for a very large vase increase; this matter has not vet been settled. Among the lesser strikes was that of the toy makers in Thur. lilsla Also in this region a strike of 1Gn ,@yo ouserles without power for some days.
 serious disturbance of passenger and freight traffic resulted from trou- eIe among transportation employees curing the last week of December Cnorganized workers in EIberfeld Es- sen. Cologne and Berlin, in defiance or the labor organizations, struck for an immediate lump payment of 900 marks, in some cases even more, to meet increased living costs The con troversy was settled on December s1, ny various wage increases. but not the one time payment demanded
 The F>rankfurter-Zeitung retail price index CIT commoditiesl stood at S2o on January l, 1922, as com Government cost Of living index at the beginning of 1922 was 1850 against 1897 in November, 1921
 Coal Shortage Serious
 The coal shortage in Germany is still serious. although relief is in sight with regard to the railroad supply. The shortage of freight cars, low water and in some cases the freezing of water ways are hampering the regular distribution of available coal. Some British coal is being purchased in spite of its very high price. Ger man coal prices of December l, 1921, are still effective.
 The maximum iron prices fixed by the Iron Trade Association in De cember are also still in force al- though considerable agitation is be- ing carried on in an attempt to abol- lsh altogether these maximum prices. which have as their object to protect inland consuming industries Cop per sheet prices, around 1850 marks per metric quintal. have been effec- tive since the middle of December
 as compared with an approximate