Evening star., 1924-03-22
Business in Northwest on Par
With Other States, Babson Finds
Predicts Pacific viii Be Center of World
Trade-Says Railroads Need Neu
General Like Late ]. ]. Hill.

camps. road building and out -of-door
work in general.
Most industries, however, continue
active, with the possible exception
of sawmills in the eastern part of
Oregon. Official reports state that where
unemployment does exist, it is caus-
ing little If any Hardship. Looking
merely at business conditions at pres
ent and in the Immediate future,
there are few indications of great
activity in the remaining states of
this group. including Montana, Idaho
and Wyoming. The available sta
tistics indicative of business condi-
tions in these states remain at
level considerably under the same
period of 1928.
Montana, the government reports.
is experiencing some seasonal unen-
ployment. Confidence is expressed in
the trend in metal mining and q
slight Improvement is noted in log
ging and numbering in the Missoula
district. The general tenor OF the
reports is significant Of Father quiet
business
IdaI'O LumberinE CurtaiIed.
Ir Idaho numbering is reported on
a curtailed basis in the northern sec
tion of the state Though seasonal
slackening appeared, employment III
the railway shops has been about
normal for this time of year Some
resumption OF metal mining. other
than silver. in northern part of state.
afforded considerable relief for un-
employment. Though most industrial
concerns and activities not affected
by weather i.re doing fairly well,
conditions cannot be interpreted as
showing n high rate Of activity.
Hallway shop employment in Wyo-
ming IS reported as distinctly cur
tailed with expectation Of approach
ing Improvement. An extensive pro-
gram of highway construction is also
counted upon to relieve unemploy-
m9nt Expansion is anticipated in
building and construction. There is
probability OF Improvement in these
lines: but it is still hard TO find as
yet, any promise OF strong upward
moEeme Tit.
For the near future. then, the best
eral region will undoubtedly be found
toward the west. However, do not
lay so much stress on the present
and near future that you shut your
eyes TO the inherent possibilities that
viii eventually be developed in Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming.
All of these states should benefit
from the great change which is COM
ing in world commerce. which change
will transfer the center OF trade from
the Atlantic 20 the Pacific ocean. Few
people realize the great sitinificance
of this transformation. It will be
truly revolutionary in character New
York city, now the financial center of
the western world, must give up its
supremacy, as has each of the great
cities of Europe in its turn. The
cities of the Pacific coast are to be-
come the great cities of America.
California, Washington and Oregon
are to become the richest and busiest
of our forty-eight states. These Pa
cific coast centerS are destined to be
the clearing houses between the
wealth of America and the teerning
millions OF China. India and the far
east. For centuries these eastern
peoples have been asleep. but when
they once awake. the result will be
greater than. the widest ina Gination
can visualize.
Railroads Need Generals.
Railroads are primarily made by
their managcme ntS-not by the ter
ritories which they serve. Men make
vision. courage and en-
ergy make men. Great Northern and
Northern Pacific are suffering from
the death of James }. Hill. The st.
Paul road is an orphan without any