Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-09
BUSINESS IN MAY
BEST III 20 MONTHS
STATISTICS SHOW
BY HARDEN COLFAX
Geased Wire Service to The Journal
(lnn1.r ,rllt 1000 !


WASHINGTON. May 6.-Reports
from a score of major industries and
more than 100 industrial centers
throughout the country, received
here by government and other agen-
cies, disclose the first week in May
as the most prosperous period the
United States has enjoyed for twen-
ty months.
There are three outstanding eX-
ceptions to the return of industrial
activity, however, and in each case
the trouble is attributed to labor
difficulties. These exceptions are
the coal industry, at present in la
Dor deadlock; the textile industry,
where the lingering strike still per
sists; and the railroads, which are
so affected by the coal situation as
to show material curtailment in
traffic. In the latter case, however,
loadings are greater than they were
last year.
Sharp price advances in a dozen
or more commodities and a threat of
approaching labor shortage accen-
tuate the rapid return of prosperity.
The cost of living is going up, gov
eminent figures show, as normal
industrial conditions are approached.
The rise has occurred in iron, steel.
lumber, coal, lead, zinc, copper, silk,
gasoline, ~brick, cotton, wheat, to-
bacco, wool, corn, oats and live
stock. Of all the major commodi-
ties entering into our industrial life
today only two-chemicals and crude
oil-remain listless in price.
Labor Shortage
Labor seems about to emerge from
period of unemployment to a day
of shortage. Here, for instance, is
the substance of what the employ
ment bureau of the department of
labor reports today from the indus
trial and farming state of New Jer-
sey:
In Newark, a shortage of factory
employees, an acute shortage of farm
labor and a strong demand for car
penters and painters; in Jersey City
a general shortage Of unskilled Ia
Dor; in Trenton, statewide short
age, threatening most serious re-
suits, of farm labor; in Paterson, silk
mills running short-handed; in
Perth Amboy, a threatened shortage
of common labor; in Passaic, short
age in the building trades; and in
Camden, a growing demand for
farm labor which, it seems impOsSi-
BILE to satisfy.
Of all industrial activities the
building trades are busiest. In New
York, there is an acute shortage of
building brick. In the south, lum-
Der mills have taken orders during
the past two weeks for fifty per cent
more than capacity and many mills
have withdrawn entirely from the
market. Wages in some of the big
cities have been advanced by the
"snowballing" process and skilled
mechanics in virtually all branches
of the building trades can get full
time employment at high wages.
Lumber prices are reported by
| private agencies to have advanced
about So per thousand feet within
| the past six weeks. Surplus stocks
have almost disappeared. Dealers
4 in building materials in New York
recently have withdrawn quotations
| entirely, because of shortage of sup
| plies and rapidly mounting prices.
1t costs more today, generally speak
| ing, to build house, both for ma
| terial and labor, than it did two
months ago. April figures on the
! extent of building activity will be
| public within a few days, and they
are expected TO show a substantial
! increase over the high figures for
| March.
Iron and Steel
Prices of iron and steel and their
! products are reported from Pitts
burg to have advanced about ten
Iper cent within six weeks. The mar
ket has turned, with startling sud-
| denness, from the doldrums to fever
| ish activity. Spot deliveries of some
! products are so hard to get that
| premiums are offered All the MAX
| ings of runaway market are pres
ent and We're the situation not in
strong hands and under absolute con-
| IlOl, SW1lIIy LlOuHIIuS prices might
| reasonably be expected.
Coal prices have risen. In West
| Virginia, non-union field advances
are reported from 10 to % cents a
| ton. In the central Pennsylvania
fields the advances are reported to
range from % cents to a dollar a
| ton. The labor deadlock remains
unchanged.
The price of lead is up from Is
! to 20 per cent; that of zinc has
! mounted about eight per cent in six
weeks. Bricks are 10 per cent high
er than they were January 1. Cop
per sales at the high price of 10
cents have been reported. One large
buyer recently place an order for
100000 pounds.
The automobile industry is boom
! ing. Ford has announced his in
| tention to produce 100000 cars this
month, as against his previous
high record of 100 900. The Pack
ard company is reported as having
put 1000 more men to work within
the past two weeks. April produc-
| ton probably exceeds that of March
by fifteen per cent, bringing the to-
tai output of cars for the first four
months of the year past the $4,000
mark. A month ago the manufac-
turers expected to equal the 1921
output this year; today they expect