San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-08
Greater Efficiency Speeds
Up Factories in All
Parts Of Nation.
LABOR IN DEMAND
New Machinery Helps Pro-
duction in Mills as De-.Ss
mand Increases.
BY j. C. ROYLE.


Copyright. BY The San Antonio Light.
New York, April 7.-Industrial' con-
Germs of the United States in many
instances have increased wages. but
the workers of the United States have
increased individual efficiency. That
is the most encouraging factor in the
business situation of the country to-
day.
Steel plants have been raised to an
unprecedented power OF production
despite a scarcity of labor which has
sent labor agents scurrying all over
the south and throughout the popu-
lous cities in recruiting duty. almost
entirely because individual production
has been raised. The number of feet
of lumber produced per man per day
in the mills of the. country has al
most doubled in the last two years.
The mills of the American Wooden
company are running every spindle
and loom for the first time in history
and the company evidently is satisfied
with its employees because President
Wood has just announced that $780,
900 has been set aside to enable the
company's workers to buy their own
homes.
Equipment Partly Responsible.
Up to date methods of shop prac-
tice and new equipment is responsible
to some extent for the unprecedented
outturn. A glimpse into the factories
of the country, and at the orderbooks
of the machinery companies shows to
what extent old methods and old ma
chinery have been junked and replaced
with new devices.
In no industry is that tendency so
prominent as in transportation. The
equipment companies know they can
count on 81 200, 000.0 900 worth of new
business from American railroads.
What they do not know is that they.
can turn work for steel and la5sr
supplies that are dominant factors in
the situation.
Tremendous Railroad Purchases.
To take but one road as an ex-
ample. the Northern Pacific an
nounced a program involving immedi-
ate expenditure of at least $4,000, 600
which included 81. 10000 for rail re-
Law equipment for signal appliances,
$500. 900, then S260,00O for sewage
construction in preparation for a mil
lion dollar coach yard and commits
sary, 100000 for track changes. In
addition the company has an order OF
S14. 500. 900 worth of locomotives and
freight cars.
The Chesapeake & Ohio is expected
to order twenty-five more locomotives
costing over 100000 in addition to
the S2.S04.2 order placed this week.
The Baldwin Locomotive company has
over S75,000,000 worth of orders on
its books and will be operating at lO0
per cent capacity by July 1. ~
Textile Plants at Top Speed.
The recent wage adjustments. the
cotton mills situation has steadied
to an even keel this week with manu-
facturers certain of long mill runs
to fill present orders. Wooden mills
are turning out goods at pace never
before equalled and recorders already
are beginning to come in. Raw wool
is strong and growers certain of max
ing extraordinary profits this season.
Silk this week touched the. highest
point early in 1920 with every indi-
cation that prices will show little
recession until the new years c0coons
are opened about July 1. Demapd
Is exceeding supply III spite Oh the III
cursions of artificial silk, production
of which is at record figures today.
Rubber. Lumber and Copper Steady.
Rubber also bids fair to remain
steady as does lumber in which the
export demand is compromising fully
for any check to domestic sales caused
by the increased costs of building
construction. Copper mills sReS.n-
creasing their production, not only by
adding to payrolls. but through i'm
stallation of improved reduction meth
DDS.
Domestic demand is so heavy that
falling off in buying by Germany and
France has scarcely been felt. Rn-
mors are in circulation that Ford is
in the market for a property which
will insure him direct supply OF
the red metal sufficient for all his
manufacturing needs.
Paper mill workers again are de-
increased wages and demand
for the product is such as to make
present price scales of purely tenn
porary character for certain grades.