The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-01


Pay envelopes VIII
vi soon be hurt,
THE oPTIMIsT
N Yes, Washington
ssss has been running
wild. But with the
- 49, head of the inte-
FessEs rior department,
khe navy. department and the depart
naent OF justice all out, the inquisitors
nust soon find themselves out OF a Job
md Oft the front page. This muck
Faking spasm is about over. =.
PEssIMIsT-Don't you believe it for
moment. Having tasted sblood--and
The limelight, the probers are ready a
pager to go after still bigger political
game A dozen or more Investigations
Are brewing. The country will get no
Fest between now and November.
OPTIMfST-That may be the inten-
lion of the probers, but they Will quick
y find that the public will rebel when
hey realize that workers are being
thrown idle. The American people have
TOO optimistic a temperamenteto stand
or month after month of undertaking,
Especially when the worst kind OF
brooks do most Of the mudslinging.
PEssIMIsT-How can we expect
good business when Congress refuses
~. iVWer taxes anu instead comes along
with bonus for ex-service men which
yill cost two to three billions or dol
ars?. :. -
OVERWHELMING opinion will COM
pei Congress to put through tax relief;
have no doubt about that. The latest
ponus plan Is, at least, less objection
bile than of its predecessors. Even
hould 1t pass over the Presidents veto
wouldn't send the country ITO the
logs. =.
PEssIMIsT-You can see how busi-
less Is going by noting how prices are
ailing. Stocks. bonds, cotton wheat,
ron, corn, everything Is going down,
Except, of course, rents. -
OPTIMIST-A decline in the cost of
lvfng will be a good thing. II costs
oo much to live here now. Lower costs
vii help us to compete with. other
ountries when they get back on their
eet-@which they are likely to do sooner
nan you may suppose.
PESSIMIST-D'ye think SO? Why,
hey're still at skies and sevens in Eu-
cpe. The whole continent would have
Filtered to chaos IL Morgan 7, & Co.
adnt stepped forward and stopped the
Pawes hasn't had his plan accepted
ct. It would be easier to pacify a lot
Kilkenny cats than to please the
ifferent nations in Europe.
OPTIMIST--Even Kilkenny cats give
p fighting when the cold gray dawn
omes along. Europe has reached its
old gray dawn and Is ready and anx-
4 us to stop fighting, and get back to
eace. None oe these countries Is like
~ to- reject any sensible plan Endorsed
~ the level-headed representatives of
merica. They needsOur help too badly
risk doing snythiRe Of that ct kind$z.
Il PESsIMTsT-I suppose .syota :, would
ven argue that all that's being printed
bout the bad condition of the auto,
obile industry Is moonshine.
X OPTIMIST-I know that only yester-
* ey read the official report from De-
oft which showed there has not been
by reduction whatsoever In the num-
pr Of men employed In the automobile
ctories there, and that there are now
900. more workers IN Detroit than
ere were a year ago. OF course, wide
< wake manufacturers have been build
& more cars this winter to be ready
r the spring demand, seeing that they
st millions and, millions of dollars by
Dt being ready to fill orders last
ring. Ever since can remember,
bakers like you have been predicting
at there was not room for any more
atomobiles. But croakers have been
oiled every time. And they will be
oiled again. There Is more money In
lr savings banks today than ever, and
lions more life insurance, has been
ken out than ever before, showing
at although people have been buying
ore automobiles, they have also been
wing money. Americans will not
Dose to walk while they have bumper
nix accounts.
"a
PEssINIsT--How can you expect
"a od times when our farmers are so
dly off? Didn't you notice that wheat
Chicago has dropped to q Sdollar q
shel and that cotton has also been
milling? " !,
3 OPTIMIST-Yes, but also noticed
yures issued by the three largest mai
der concerns in Chicago. And these
lures showed that they were all do
D an enormous amount Of business
out the best in their history. / also
ticed that our railroads are hauling
tremendous amount of traffic. From
hear, the south never was better
M than 1t Is today. A drop in cot
quotations at this time of the year
II very serious for the fellows who
h tually grow cotton, for they have
ghty little Of last years crop left
sold. They sold when the selling
Is good2and now have monty in the
z: - 500 90 . , , T. "a
ESSIMIST-Anyway, a presidential
pr is no time to take chances Pres
initial years always are bad for bust
ss.
bPTIMIST-That's a myth. We have
s ener had good business IN presiden-
years than bad businessmen that
bsidential elections help business any
the records show that things have
ned out the way I'm telling them, II
because nobody has been taking long
Gnces that conditions are as sound
they are today. Everybody has been
erating and everybody has been buy
from hand to mouth for months
months. If we have been able to
p ali our workers fully employed
b buying on a hand to mouth basis
over the country, isn't that a pretty
ID guarantee that things will be-
pc distinctly better once. Congress
ps its undertaking and our financial
business leaders feel more free to
ahead?. 43 a.
EssIMIsT-You can talk as you
but I'm bear 91F :
PTIMIST-Keep right on being a
r and you win learn from experience
t ]. p. Morgan knew what he was
King about when he. declared that
man who is a bear in the United
ties goes broke.-(C Copyright, 1924, by
C. Forbes)
COTTON LETTERS