The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-20

son. "This reflects now " sr th.
 prosperity has been and sian ,s n.n do-
 United States. We have also Deen 0s..
 inc, better export business. gur
 South American plants are eo'ne
 % aIJnlike last year, we will not have .s
 to clean up more weak spots causeI ys
 the terrible slump which nls tnS n,,snsed'
 0mr merchandise position Is now c'ean
 eve had hoped to, put througn 2
 Sinanc,al pIan which those responsipas
 for running, the company believe woao ,s
 be highly advantageous as,s 70 am Tor
 soros reason or other, blocked us. Wny
 they did this when they knew M " Won.u ns.
 5eonardize the preferred dividend is ps-
 vond me. If they had been apie .o
 suggest some other plan 70 Meee ou ,.a
 financial requirements we msn s...,swss
 Rut- tf,ev didn't. They would neitner
 accept our plan nor suggest anotner
 other packing companies feel hope
 full regarding 1924. f -
 While one hears occasionally or moo,
 est reductions in forces. the Nauona. Cash Register company or Dayson nes l just been making substantiai auo I fo its selling force. For seventeen con-
 secutive months this company 1,. y.cord'
 and everything indicates that lS14 VIII
 see a new high point reached.
 Ig.H. Barringer, first vice president
 and general manager, who IS 2 ve.sS .as, able human dynamo, gives lnese en se reasons for his optimism, reasons Wnicn
 will appeal to every business man: "f Tfe financial situation is sound and xtea Ally improving. Credit Is apun-
 dant and outlook is for low interest I rates. ,.-.,,, ,,,, 3 <-s;~bt ear Headings and bank clear ] ings is breaking all previous recoras.
 as. Labor is fully employed at nisn as' Another record-breaking year in building industry is foreshadowea. "5. Agricultural situation -sts tsauily m n- I proving. and farmers are In better po- as. Mail order houses report steady ] ;ncrease if, sales, indicating improved agricultural conditions. "7. Railroads are spending miiii0ns & for expansion and equipment Ahslef s pate record volume of traffic:
 '..s. South is prosperous. with cotton
 ~ ..a 's The v United States has demon 2 strated that a high degree of prosperity can be enjoyed, notwithstanding un- s settled conditions abroad. .1O. Promised relief from burdensome taxation will strengthen and help busi- ness"
 The last time I talked with Eugene I d. Grace of Bethlehem Steel he was a distinctly cheerful. The whole steel in- \ dustry, judging by the latest reports' ! is doing distinctly better.
 oil leaders, who formerly were Ill at T ease. are wearing smiles. A transfor- nation is under way in the oil indus trv.. By this time next year, not divi- 3 dend decreases, but dividend increases 4 should be coming from our pest man aged oil companies. sf Nothing is more noticeable to one I travelling from state to state than the
 amount of business and home puiloIng now going on. Beautiful residential z sections are springing up for families
 who obviously must be prospecting. New sections for the working classes are De- ! ing opened up here, there and every where, usually of great attractiveness.
 Towering office buildings are rAslns ] slxywards at an unprecedented rate, new < industrial plants are also being erected z fin every live city.
 Nor is the end yet in sight.
 Oof course, the building boom VIII one day end)
 Railroad executives are happier 70.
 day than they have been in years. All they ask is to be left alone by Con- gress. S4.
 Tn fact the chief complaint one hears avervwhere is that the politicians are doing their worst to bedevil things. Failure to grant the 25 peg cent reduc- ] lion in income tax was the last straw. If Congress would only pass sensible \ tax legislation and take long holiday, < the business world would breathe sigh of relief.
 As it Is, the disposition among busi- ness and financial men everywhere is to 20 ahead attending to their business reaardless of what James ]. Hill would have called the "ghost-dancing" at
 Washington.-(C Copyright, 1924, by B. c. Forbes.)