Evening star., 1924-04-19
BY ROGER w. BABsoN.

BABSON PARK, Fla, April 10
The weather is not a fundamental
factor in the general business situa-
lion. but unreasonable conditions are
liable to have a decided temporary
effect Whether the long swing is up
ward or downward unexpected de-
velopment and discouraging reports
from the weather bureau may upset
things temporarily. An unreasonable
fall last year, for instance, left re-
taiiers all over the country with a
large stock of goods which either has
TO be sacrificed at a loss or carried
over for another year Nor has this
spring been any better The worst
storms OF the winter came in March,
when they should have come in jan
uary or February. At the season of
the year when spring should be in
evidence trains have been blocked,
wires down, motor cars and trucks
stalled in snow drifts. Naturally,
this belated winter has greatly inter
fered with spring business. 1t has
interrupted the marketing of grain;
delayed the planting of oats and 9TH
er crops, building has been held up,
and since most of us buy our spring
goods by the weather rather than by
the calendar, general retail trade in
many sections has come almost to
Standstill.
Unseasonnble Weather Conditions.
Business men should keep in mind,
however, the fact that weather con-
ditions selodm hurt trade perma-
nently. Unreasonable weather tends
TO delay business just as a dam NAV
temporarily delay the water in a
stream, but just as soon as the wealth
er gets back on to schedule this vol
ume of accumulated business comes
with rush, just as water may be
depended d upon to come down stream
If the dam is removed. often when
trade is checked by bad weather con-
ditions it is abnormally good later on.
The wise merchant will keep this
fact in mind and will be ready to take
advantage of the good business
weather as soon as 1t appears.
The other disturbance at this time is
OF a more fundamental nature Real
damage to business has resulted from
the cheap politics indulged in at Wash
ington- This sort of mud Singing" "
in place of the constructive Iegisla-
tlon which should be attended to is
destroying business confidence and
confidence is fundamental factor in
our business situation. Weather
conditions are mere atmospheric dis
turbanceS; but confidence is the very
SOIL IN which prosperity must grow.
"A storm may temporarily delay the
earth itself is washed away, the crop
Is permanently destroyed The poll
tlcians have undermined the. whole
field of business activity.
Republican Victory of 1920.
The. great Republican victory of
1920 without doubt caused certain of
the party leaders to become careless.
The natural result which we witness
today followed automatically. This
is merely in accordance with the eter-
nal law of action and react ton
Moreover. these present developments
at Washington were foreSha w &c
directly by the overwhelming cleo
tfon figures when published four
years ago. But anything, even an in.
vestigation, can be overdone
There never was u bough W hich
:ouId not be broken and the breat kin &
point in this situation has been
reached. If the enemies of the ad-
ministration carry it any further.
they VIII lose any advantage which
they may have obtained.
People have been willing that the