Evening star., 1924-04-05
by ROGER w. BABsON.

BABSON PARK, Fla, April A.
Western Canada was the slowest to
recover from the postwar slump.
Tor the first time in four years busi-
ness is now looking up in this great
empire. brief summary of the
present situation as indicated by cur
rent statistics is helpful in under
standing this situation
Increase of business.
BUSINESS in British Columbia is bet
ter today than at this time for some
Years previous. Agricultural condi-
tions are good; the fruit crop was
lair; mining is more active and fish
ing is satisfactory. There are a
number of public buildings under
construction. The construction of
the wharves and warehousing facilities
at Vancouver represents the largest
single building program in the prov
ince. Building operations throughout
the west have been above average,
with Il prcponderance of contracts in
British Columbia. The program in
cludes the construction of larger piers
TO take care of Ship-berth require
ments; additional elevator capacity
for the movement of westbound grain +;
the spanning of the Second NarrowS
with a traffic bridge and the building
of dry dock at North Vancouver.
diets a more active situation for the
coming year.
The only fly in the ointment is the
attitude of labor. The longshoremen's s
strike has hurt shipping in Van
cOuver. Victoria and New Westmin-
Ster. The printers and compositors
have caused considerable trouble,
while in most trades there is an un-
der current of labor unrest which is
not favorable to real prosperity.
Wheat Crop Good.
The chief product of Alberta is
wheat and the 1928 crop was very
satisfactory Those who are engaged
in mixing farming and dairying have
also done well. Building is fairly ac-
tive: coal mining is making better
records and new industries are con-
tinuaIly starting up. These improved
conditions have resulted in quick
eEing of retail trade, a strengthening
OF the banking situation and better
feeling throughout the province. CAL
gary and Edmonton are still compet-
ing for first place; but Medicine Hat
and Lethbridge are good cities. 1t
seems almost ridiculous to treat these
great provinces with only few
words of comment, but they are so
vast that their very geatneSS causes
one to hesitate in making forecasts.
Saskatchewan Slower.
Although Saskatchewan is not re-
bfa and Alberta, it is coming along
very we'll. The wheat crop of this
province was proportionally as good
as farther west, flour mills and oil
refineries are working near capacity
and building is active. The best op-
portunities are said to be in Saska-
toon and Regina. Prince Albert,
Moose Jaw, North Battleford, York
ton and Kerrobert, however, should
buy more goods this spring than last.
Real estate values have not yet re-
covered from the slump of few
years ago, and families are still emf
grating to more southern climes. Yet
the province is coming along very
well-slowly but surely.
The crops in southern Manitoba
were very unsatisfactory this year.
The unseasonableness of the summer
ruined many of the crops. The final
reports, however, are moro encourag-
ing, and a 80 to 40 per cent crop has
been harvested in many places where
n total loss was reported in early
bulletins. General business conditions
are to 10 per cent below last years
average. The province is becoming