The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-11
LITTLE PROSPECT. IF |NTERRUP T|0N
 IN J. ]. BUSINESS
Spasms Of Fear Lest Pros perity To Be Short Lived
 Called UnWarranted
By WALTER B. BROWN
 Editor New York Commercial (By Leased Wire to The Age-HeraId.) )

NEW YORK, June 1O.-It must be a curious spectacle for our friends across the water to contemplate nation arguing with Itself as to whether it is prosperous or not. Al most any other nation on the face of the earth whose wheels of indus try were working overtime and which was complaining of a shortage of labor would be inclined to con- sider itself rather prosperous. We are willing to acknowledge that we are prosperous now, but we seem to be having spasms of fright for fear it won't continue. We were pretty badly shell-shocked two years ago when deflation set In over night or rather most of us thought 1t did, al- though the wise ones had been watching it coming for some months. Some of our industrial concerns are only just getting over the terrific writing down of inventories and they don't want to go through another experience like it if they can help it. They can help it and they are help ing it. They are seeing to it that they are not overlooking their in- ventories. They have not so far, for there is no complaint of cancel lations, no cut price sales by retail CTS beyond the customary ones for advertising purposes, in fact none of the signs that are the usual warn lnSS or OVefprOQucllOn.
 No Cause For Worry.
 Some observers seem to think they see such signs in the automobile trade because there has been greater increase in production of cars than there has been in the con- sumption of gasoline. The great in- crease has been in the production of Ford cars, but which are but small consumers of gasoline. Hence their numbers could roll up in actual num- bers of cars without a pro rata in- crease in the consumption of fuel. The Ford concern, however, expects this rate of production to continue indefinitely and is purchasing sup plies accordingly. It is true that two or three medium priced cars have reduced their prices slightly, but they say it is because they have reduced their overhead or because these par ticular models have been somewhat slower on sale. These particular cars have been a little higher priced than competing cars. There are other medium cars that cannot supply their demand It does not seem to be quite time as yet to worry about the auto mobile trade.
 Few Labor Troubles.
 So far, labor troubles have not been serious. There Is great deal of anxiety regarding the coal situation when the present agreement expires a couple of months from now. The demonstration last year was coun ter move against an attempt to de- flate wages and as such it was suc- cessful. In dollars and cents to the men themselves 1t was pyrrhic vic tory, for although they maintained their wage scales they were idle for five months. Apart from any ques- tion of tabor union domination there is the broad economic fact that on the basis of a years requirements of coal there are some 200,0 900 miners more than are necessary to produce it and in order to give them all some employment .nv.o Is enforced idleness for all of them some of the time Last year they all had 1t al one time