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HOW AT DE? NOUNCES LAW Leader of Outlaw Strike in Kan? sas Sees Nothing Good in In? dustrial Court T??peka, Knnn, March lft. A re wew of the workings of thv K,?n ;aS Industrial Court law from a Mine Colon official's point of view has been made by Alexander Uowai. president of District No. i l. United Mine Workers of America. Mr, tJowat ?ays: 'The Industrial t'ourt has been In existence one year. During that pe? riod It baa aooosapllshed nothing in tetter lag labor s condition In this ?tats. A few wage claims Involving but a very small number of men have been bandied t>\ tie Industrial court, a few numbs banded out as a bait to labor, but for ever) pennj that baa been paid out to labor, hundreds Of dull.it s hav Im >ii given to the l'ublic Utilities corporations in In? creased raten, Bight or ton cents ;m hour Increase was given to the em- J pinvcpa of Um Joplin aad Ptttsburi Railway company, who wire already working for a starvation wage of II.IS or $4.00 per da- . and ihe pas? senger rates of Lie Company were | almost doubled. "The Industrial court also added anout H3 1-3 per cent to the value of the telephone company at To peks, and did the same at Kansas City, Kansas, and permitted Lholr rates to be adjusted accordingly. "The Industrial court has cost the tax payers many thousands of dol? lars directly, ami many hundreds of thousands of dollaiS in inert used rates to nubile utilities that have been given by the Industrial court, it has prevented no strikes and has done nothing but aggravate the labor prob? lem ami create Industrial stii a. "Every h??m-t. soUsreapactnn working man in the state should re? sent a hi f. " f this character. There is no law even In the most auto? cratic country t f 1] iropc t 'day that enslaves the work, rs ia such a man mr tis is Intended by this law. "This luw is an Infringement on toe bscred rights of ev< ry honest working man In the >t ite t?; K m as. This so called Industrial court law is an in sult to every man who believes in the hrlnclples o. liberty and Justice end Is a disgrace to the m.t'e ot Kan? sas. This I.tu Is ni?ant tc snslavc or? ganised labor and to place us in the ramo sjssjsdtttoa that we were In .- tars ago, before srs had established the United Mine Workers. It is nit ant !o plsoe us at the complete mercy of the emcftoyers ol la k>r. it la Intend ed to destroy the usefulness and ef? fectiveness of our or ;atu/.a'ion, and in fat t, is only the beginning of a movement tba1 f llnall) Intended to tns'avc the working class of Amer ?-s and to destroy the organised labor movement of the en?Ire country. "Organised labor Is not opposed to the Industrial court law because of our deaire to call strikes, but we know from bitter esperk nces of the l?aat what It n ?,<n to \is if we sur? render the right ti? vtr":.-. or li that right Is taken awa\ from Us. It Is only hecauiu w ?? have in the , | . n joyed the right to strike tha? We have ever been abl?? to eon pel the eroploy srs of labor t ? grant any c ?n? ?? .m ?ns that have boon aOOOrded as. Wt know how little sympath or < insldcration we may expect at the bands of the ? mployers srhen we a ?i t > our Jobs like slaves Organised la? bor In Kansas Inn i right t > expoet the same d? gSOS of 111 ? riy an.l jasticc. that Is a<-corded the organised work* ers in the other states of the na? tion. and we . re going to oontlnUS to flght until that principle is recog? nised and reestablished In this s ate. Injunction:* and In In trial COUrtl Shall not be permitted to interfere with our pollev In any way." The Kama* Industrial court law was th?> outcome ol the miners' strike of HHI* and ws I ps ?d e*hl< t ly through the Influence ol Oovernot Henr> J. Alba. It created S ? ? I I of three inemi rs to bear controver idee In Ire' . * ami utilities; eras sjiven power t-? Intervene on it-? own Initiative in Indaotrlal controversies and may tnit'e? ortl is r hlttvs t'J wages snd hours of ei > ent. Tb?? law declares tt nit'awful for operators to willfully Ilm t or cease operations i.u the pu po.>e ol limiting prodti lion ei i anspo tntlon or to ef? fect prices for tht purpose of avoid? ing urv f -Jie provldi ns of the act. The law a s., declares it to be un wfnl for any two m more employees sndustrlus named to conspire I ? I inl->\ menl for the purpose ol losing, ng or suspending *~it ions. hs right of any Individual t ? SBSpli \ tnent at any time is fed W law provides thsl n willful vlo? n oi proVh ions of ' h? Si I Of of -"i r oi ? ourt is i If mean >r. pun k- by a maximum 11 m of |1,000, xltonm u rm id one > ? ar. or 4a the ' ? - of an officer of a ion ' i t ho oilh t of a hi bOf |lon willfully violating the a of the a t. they will be ra feionv, punishable by a Qn< of $.'. 000 or a ma\i ?ll'j' March It w. v. ItB. a civil war vet Shot In the eye at the ?nrg In I IM, snug ore ind remains in his 1th. . . March 21.~ C WmT* in* American So? 11 ?? n? 11 ' o i ?: |gC nibs i esp ?< ? ifti ption of pow REPUBLICAN TARIFF MEASURE President Harding to Talk Witn Members Regarding Next Session Washington, March 1 7. ~ Ropubli can numbers of the houst wavs ami means committee stood pat today on tin- proppslUon that a permanent tar* ht pill ihOUld top the legislative pro? gram Of the in w session 01 congr? SS, Tli \ h w was expressed at a com mlttos eon fere nee, which took up, atnorm oth r tiling':, ihr question Of preparing ami running through tho house th< same antidumping bill pto. cd last session. togrthtr with ati i i<i d American valuation measure. The hitter may be Incorporated in the game bHli and the committee adopted a resolution requesting treasury d' partmenl Officials to frame a rough j draft for its consideration. There was uo intimation from the White House jis to whether the presi dent had approved the program* agreed Upen Monday at a conference of the ways and means and senate Ananas qpmmttteea, The president had exuented le see western mem? bers of the former committee who have bean insistent in demanding that the tariff he taken up ahead of reve? nue revision but the meeting was postponed at his request and ('hair ma n I'ordncy explained that he had sent Mr. Harding s list of members with whom he might want to discuss the situation. Meunwhti" there weir other move? ments under way which would have tin- effect of giving interests demand? ing it ati emergency tariff. There has been much discussion of the pro* posal by BSnator Bmoot, Republican, Utabi to put an embargo on wool, which was included in the Eordney measure paissod by the senate and house and vetoed hy Mr. Wilson? Congressional and administrative cir p?CS Were said to be planning to put .in SmbargO on other products now on the fre list. Although they had bei n advised of such a movement, members of tin ways and means com? mittee declared that the question of preparing tin out-anil-out omergene> tariff had bees definitely abandoned. Am cum nt was reached at the meeting* today that the sntt-dumplng aad valuation bills should not delay consideration of a straight tariff bill for the reason that it did not fit the situation with respect to the free list Answering questions as to whether the committee luc* changed front on priority of tariff or revenue revision. Chairman Pordnoy declared thai it still was a thirteen to two vote for tariff. The west. a<cording to the chairman, is emphatic in urging tar? iff legislation early In th session, in advance of all allied bills. Members raid there was no sign of weakening and that Representative Longworth, Ohio, and Bacharach, New Jersey, were standing alone for revenue legislation first of all. ftcprost ntative Young, Republican, North Ik.kotn, a member of the com? mittee, declared the passage of the satl-dumplng bill would not .satisfy the west, as most of the farm prod u * "t that section were on the free :i t. ? rhs man on thl vergt <>f bank? ruptcy wants something to I ? to." aid. 'The west is up against it hard, and to my mind will insist up? on having the tariff up ahead of all Other legislation." Chairman Kordney intimated that the committee, which Will meet again tomorrow, might begin work on the tariff bill, a motion that the next meeting be held Monday was voted down, ihe view being expressed by many ti,ilt Iht re was no reason for fuitiier dehyr, inasmuch as hearings were long aga concluded, ami that tlu time had come to write the bill. Marketing of Crops. Clemeon College, March it,?A farming program for Itll that doe not consider the marketing of crops would be incomplete. Kconomlc pro? duction and etiii lent marketing are supplementary, The year 1910 prov? ed that the production ol large crops without giving thought to adequate ami economic distribution in business Is folly, Farmers are urged to study seriously the plan followed with suc cess elsewhere, notably In California and Dsn mark, in the co-operative marketing of farm products. The priaclpleu underlying the most suc? cessful ( '-operative marketing work an as follows: (1 > Organisation by commodity and not by locality. < ;.'i Membership composed only of growers snd landlords receiving part of crop as rt nt. (3) Organisation on the non? stock, non-profit plan. < 4 > Pooling of crops . and pay? ment to growert on the basis thai carl grower receive the same price pt r unit for tin- same quality ot pi oduct, |S) The binding Crop contract. w in? h Insures fulfillment of sgree? no nts. makes possible the financing of the marketing operation, and assures a volume of business sufllcli nt to . guarantee economic marketing. 11 > The employment of trained and ex] erl< m ed experts to handle the functions of marketing under the supervision ot directors select id by t o growers from their own number. Earners must realize that it :s only on some basis as that outlined in the above principles thai they can iver taped to make their Influence fell In the marketing of their own product>;. I 'oupled v Ith soll build* In*? and a "live at home*' program, marketing will go far toward etgbfltsinj farm life aad farm in? comes. Oppeln, March I disorders are ' i ported it H< n hen v h< re the close n of the upper Blleslan plebiscite vot* has i ii to discord and charges of fraud. Some shunting has occur? red. iftdKUl another reason why men don't lea back to the farm Is their w\Ve*. njrashin^ton post, Christian Endeavor Convention Eitfht Hundred Delegates Ex pected to Attend Columbia Meeting _-_ Columbia, March 17.-?Six hundred young ptople have already registered officially as delegates for the state Christian Endeavor convention, to !*?? held in Columbia April 8, 9, 10, this number including local delegates. Two hundred more ate expected to register, and the number wlM be brought up to eight hundred or more, Tins v IK be, it is said, the largest r - ligious gathering of young people ever held In the ?t?te. Jt will he itrictly a young people's convention! represent? ing a half dozen denominations ot the .Mate. The convention commit tee of the Columbia Christian Endeavor I'nion today announced a series of social af? fairs which will mark the convention program. In addition to the list Of prominent speakers. Those features Include a banquet at the Colonia Ho? tel, a "Fellowship supper" at Chl COra College, a "pep" super, a stale booster luncheon, a reception and auto ride over the city. Good Program For Dairymen's Assot latoln Clemson College, March 22.? An Interesting progtam for the annual meeting of the South Caroline Dairy? men's association, to be held In Dar? lington, March 29-30, has hon an? nounced by Prof. .1. P. LaMaster, sec? retary, The program calls for dis? cussions on breeding and develop? ment work, feeding 'problems, milk producers' marketing associations. the dairy industry in South Carolina as well as for a cattle show, dairy; exhibit! from the United states De? partment of Agriculture, Winthrop College and Cbunson College, and meetings of the breed organisations. Notable spakera on the program will be Cipt. It. C. Vanes, Fredericks burg. VS., Mr. It. H. Bawl, Chief ;>: vision, Washington, D. C, Prof. 1L. E. Hunt, Blacksburg. Va., Mr. v. W. Fltspatrlek, Southern representative American* Guernsey Cattle Club, and others. A banquet to the visiting dairymen and big league baseball games are included in the program which begins Tuesday. March 29 at noon and iiins through Wednesday afternoon. The Program Tuesday, March 29. L2 M. Address of Welcome, Presi? dent Chamber of Commerc". President s Address?Objects and New Aims of the Dairymen's As BOelatlon, H. M. Cooper. Jr. 2;3h P. M.?Breeding and Develop* ing Jersey Cattle. Capt. It. C Vance, Fredorlcksburg, Va. 1 p. M - How Holsteins Can Be Dev? eloped in* the South. Prof. P.. E Hunt, Blacksburg. Va. 1:30 P. M.?Improving South Carolina duernsey Herds, w. w. Flts? patrlek, Clemson College. 2 P. M.?Judging of Cattle on Ex hll it. Capt. P. c. Van n (Jerseys). Prof. p. E. Munt < Holsteins). W. W. Fltspatrlek (Guernseys), J P. Parker (Ayrshire*. 3:3d P M?Big league basehslll game I P. M.- -Breed Association meetings ~< p. M.?Banquet to Dairymen by Chamber of Commerce. Talks by Mr. peorge Stalling* New Yoik. Mr. \y. w. Long. Clemson College, Dr, Sykes. HartsvlUe, and others. Wednesday, March it<? to:P.n a. M. How Milk Producers' Marketing Axsocatlona Operate. Mr. Hoy C. Potjs. Bureau of Markets, Washington, P. C. 11:30 a. M.?"Developing Purebred Herds of Hairy Cattle, Mr. B.tH. Pawl. Dairy Division. Washing? ton. D. C. 12:80 P. M. -Feeding Dnlry Calves, Mr. Thos. w. Moaelcy, Ware Shoal ??. S. C. 1:18 P. M. Pound Table Discussions, led by Mr. Jas. L. MclntOSh Dovesvllle, s. C. 1:4.') P. M.- Business Session. 3:3'? P. M.? Big league baseball game. MORE FRIENDLY TOWARD SOVIET Washington, Match 23.?That early consideration is to be given the relations existing between the United Suites und Soviet Russia, is indicated by the state department. It is made clear that certain modifications of ruling by the Wilson administration m relations of Russia are under con? sideration. The decisions were leached Independent of the appeal from Russia to President Harding and the American government for a resumption of trad.- relations which reai lied the state department today from the White House. New Orleans, March 23.?The five nu n who wi re landed in irons yebter? day from the American steamer Rush ville from Rio de Janeiro are detained technically Ot the parish jail on charges of mutiny. They are raH t ? he suspected a knowledge of tue September Wall Street explosion. The Department of Justice Is investi? gating th?' case. Raleigh, March '2 :! As a result of a basing outbreak at the State Col? lege a number of students have been Cited to appear before Wakfl CoUn tv Grand Jury on April 11th t?i an? swer charges of violating state sta? tin? h. Xu arrests have been made. The latest outbreak occurred yester? day, when the rooms ot twenty fresh? men were entered ami the victims giv? en head Shaves, The invaders were masked end used heavy timbers to batter the doors down, and shofl ex? changed hi some instances. No one was Injured. Constantinople! March 32, - The Qreek forces in Asia Minor are re? ported to be preparing for new offen? sive in the direction of Eskl-Shehr. dn important city of interior Asia Minor, for late this month. Hampton County Auditor Muddle Gov. Cooper Has a Hard Nut To Crack Columbia, March 18.?-The ques? tion of who will be auditor of Hampton county, following ihe mud? dle over the office, due to the recenl charge of mis-management on the part of Auditor T. Hagood Qoodlng, is a question which Governor Coop? er Will have to settle after his return from Togas, where he goes on busi Ineas Saturday* Tho governor will probably ha\e a hearing on the mat? ter, with a view to determining the outcome of ati unusual situation. At present Mr. flooding is acting BS auditor. th?>ugh his resignation is in the hands ol the chief executive, Jesse F, Thomas, who has la en ap? pointed by the governor as auditor and whose appointment has been con? firmed by the state senate, has not taken office, due to the fact that he has not yet been sent Iiis commission by the secretary of state, the govern? or holding it up, pending the outcome of the situation. Mr. Thomas' resig? nation is also now in the hands of the governor. Friends of Mr. Good Irig apcared before the governor a few days ago and asked that the m?t tor l?e put back in the general elec? tion. Unless the governor accedes to this request, he will settle the mat? ter by accepting one of the resigna? tions which he holds. If he accepts Mr. Goodlng's, Mr. Thomas will then be commissioned, if he should ac? cept Mr. Thomas' resignation, Mr. Hooding would then have to be ap? pointed, as an "Interim" appointee. Mr. Qoodlng was not recommended by the legislative delegation of his county for re-appointment, because of the discovery of irregularities in his county books. A shortage of 700 was found in his books in 1920, it is charged. Some Matters of Taste By Dr. William E. Barton. An old Latin proverb declares that in matters of taste there is no basis for discussion; h a man likes si tiling he likes it. ami that is all there is about it. The fact that another man does not like it, is not to the point. De gustitus non est disputandum. Thus we say, "Every one to hia lik? ing," and "There's no accounting for tastes." An even homlier proverb has wide eurency, "Every one to his own liking," as the old woman said when ihe kissed her cow. Hut these proverbs are not to be taken entire and at. a gulp. Consider the old woman who kissed her cow. What disappointments in other kisses, actual or hoped for, must have lain behind bei1 philosophic acceptance of the cow's companionship. Had fate been kinder, she had pos? sessed husband and children to kiss; failing these, there was always the cow, patient, generous, appreciative. If she smoothed and parted the soft hair between her bossy's eyes, and there planted a loving kiss, her taste, if not above the kindly criticism ol an amused smile, deserves at bast the tribute of the reminder that she might have made a choice much worse. But given a favorable oportunity for the ( ultivatlon of her real taste, she would have given bossy a kindly pat. and be? stowed her kisses elsewhere. I As a matter of fact, tastes arc j wholly arbitrary. People have a taste which leads them to blend green and red. My mother did so in her rag carpets. There was a "stripe" which alter? nated with "hit or miss" and which was never expected to hit, color made its happy contrast but whose free combination of color made its happy contrast with red and green, or or? ange and blue. Tastes are very eratic, but there underlies the eccentricity of popular taste as a sub-stratum of good sense. Thal bo t gives us much to hope for in some things that .lust now do not exhibit good taste. sumter County Federation, The Sumter County Federation was organised Friday, March 18th, at the call of Mrs L. It. Williamson, presi? dent of the Sumter% Civic League. 'I here were fourteen members pres? ent, and the following officers elect? ed: President, Mrs. S. O, Plowden, re? cently returned to statuburg. First Vice President. Mrs. Hossard Britton. Second Vice President. Miss Bet tie Aycock. Treasurer, Mrs. D, Davis. Secretary, Mrs. Ned Level. Mrs. Flkins and Mrs. L. H. Wil? liamson were added as members of the executive board. Mrs. Bossard Britton was elected as delegate to the Federation convention at Cam den. One of Lancaster's federated t lubs has launched a movement t > encourage the wearlpg of cotton fab? rics by women. The purpose of the Lancaster club women is to make the movement a popular anil fashion? able me. In other words if the va? rious pretty COttOn fabrics are made attractively, women will quickly adopt the fashion because of its beauty. The desire ol tho Lancaster originators of the Idea is that the movement Spread throughout South Carolina and fr<?m there over the entire south. Lancaster club women will ask the endorsement of this movement at the federation. This preliminary WOjrd Is sent out with the request that delegates win arrange, in as far as possible, to bring their cotton dress? es to the convention. Several of the Lancaster delegates are planning to Wear their gingham dresses to the day meetings at Camden. These dresses will not look like house aprons but, although made of every? day ginghams will be attractive and smart looking. Let all club women help to make the 11? 1!1 Convention al the federa? tion a cotton convention. MAP AC. FT MOORD, Publicity Chairman. Lancaster Lcoguc of Women Voters, i Farmers Have Licained a Ix\S3on From Bankers and Manufacturers. ( Manufacturers Record). Wallace's Farmer, one of the lead? ing agricultural papers of the west, gives a rather vigorous roast to some statements recently issued by Mr. lllchard w. Babson In regard to farming conditions. Mr. Babson said: ' The farmer is much u tter off today than he was before the war.'" To this. Wallace's Farmer gives an answer which will probably prove to Mr. Pabson that he is not fully cognisant of many things connected with farm? ing operations. There is, however, one very amazing statement In Mr. Babson's article which really de? mands serious consideration. Re? ferring to this, Wallace's Farne r says: "He criticises the department off agriculture, the agricultural colleges, the farm papers and the farm organ? izations .because they have been 'teaching the farmer how to keep his books," the assumption being that if tiie fainier had not been studying how to keep his books he would not know how badly he is hit and every? thing would be lovely." There are a good many other statements in Mr. Babson's article which arc clearly as absurd as that which indicates that the farmer should not have learned how to keep books. Mr. Pabson. like a great many other city people, and those identified with financial interests. show that they know very little about the farm? ing situation, and tlmir assumption of the right to tell farmers what they must and must not do Is a piece of presumption which the farmers very properly resent. The farmer, fortunately for him? self. Is beginning to know something about bookkeeping. He is beginning to do his work with an Intelligence greater than many city people would desire he display. II?' is not disposed to keep on forever losing money merely to accommodate city consum? ers. If the farmer should conclude to follow the teaching of the bankers and restrict his production to the ex? tent that tho bankers restrict credits whenever it suits their convenience to do so? Or if he should follow the example of the iron men who have blown out a large proportion of th;? furnaces in the country because they could not ind a ready market for their iron and refuse to k?ep on piling It up. a course which nobody is criticising? Or if he should follow the example of the cotton manufacturers who stopped their mills as soon as they could lind no market for their goods. He would only be showing that he had learned a lesson of common sense from other business men. There Is no more reason why the farmer should keep on growing a surplus which he cannot sell, whether it be cotton or wheat or corn or hogs, than there is why an iron furnace or a steel plant or a cotton mill should not keep on running when it cannot market its goods, but would onl> keep piling up the stock without the ash o- Ihe credit to carry the stuff indefinit? ly. The farmers are beginning to learn ordinary business common sense. They see thai they are m> longer wise when in times such as the present they keep producing when they can? not find a ready market for their prod net and cannot tind the credit or cash with which to cary it until the market is ready to take it. but city consumers hold up their hands in horror the moment a farmer begins to talk about reducing his acreage. They protest that that is an unholy thing and that the farmer is guilty of a crime against humanity if he les? sens his acreage of cotton or wheat or corn, or reduces the number of his livestock. Many of the so-called political eco? nomists and a very large proportion of the bankers of the country have very little knowledge of the real con? ditions of farm life, or of the reason which justify a farmer in declining to increase his production merely to ac? commodate tin* needs of those who want to buy his products at less than ( he cost Of raising. The banker feels no hesitation whatever In declining to lend money on good collateral if his supply of money la low, or of curtailing cred? it, as has been done throughout the country during the last 12 months. The manufacturer does not hesitate to shut down his factory If he finds that to keep it running would mean a dead loss every day and the piling up of a surplus stock which it might take a long time to market. He knows that his safety Is to stop his plant just as soon as he finds that he cannot run it and cither market or carry on credit the output, waiting for ihe return of a better demand. When the farmer, however, under? takes to carry out this simple busi? ness proposition men like Mr. Bab son and many other public advisers, bankers and financial writers de? nounce him as though he was com? mitting a crime against Ood and hu? manity. The farmer is simply beginning to barn a little common sense from the practice of the business men in the cities, but the business men and the bankers who fear the possibility of reduced farm production, utterly re? fuse to see that the farmer is right if he follows their example. But. per? haps. Mr. Farmer has learned his les? son so thoroughly "hat he clearly sees that while the bankers will pro? vide money with which to produce a crop, they often refuse to provide the money for carrying the crop after it has been raised until the market has absorbed It. The situation is not one that is good for the country, but it is one which shows that the farmer has taken a lesson from the teachings of bankers and the so-called political economists of the colleges and the universities of the country. Toki-'. March 22.?There is grow? ing apprehension among Ihe Japanens on account of the i nfavorable eriti rism abroad that has resulted from the founding of the new International peace association here. Skirts, like high prices, come down more slowly than they went up.?Cun lon News. MRONEY AND MARKETS. Business Conditions. World-wido liquidation has reachc 1 a point where it cannot he halted for the benellt of any group or unit of production either in the United State* or elsewhere. Employers and work? ers who are unwilling to face preaen'. conditions frankly and courageously are retarding resumption of normal business and working against theb own Interests. Prevailing wage scales, which under present conditions are of. little real advantage to the workers, ?re an absolute deterrent to the low? ered costs Which must be establish cd before the prteee of coal and sted csn be lowered and freight rates at tered. High wage rates are purely till UBOry as long as a eb^pread unem? ployment of 1?art time work reduce?? real Income snd impairs purchasing power. The primary and wholesale mar jkets. which for a time showed a Spot : ty improvement, have in many linen I again become dormant. Steel output Ibas fallen to less than one-half of mill capacity. Railway traffic and earn? ings are decreasing week by week, production of coal has fallen to th?? I lowest point in four years and build? ing operations lag far behind the to? tal of new construction known to as) in immediate demand. Slow and mod? erate liquidation of borrowing from the reserve banks is reflected in the slight but steady improvement in the reserve ratio of the federal reaerv? system, although the fact should not be overlooked that a substantial part of this improvement is the result of jgold importations. Which have con? tinued uninterruptedly for many months. There have been further I marked dec ines In wholesale price?, but coal and steel, while lower, are still out of line with the general price ! level. Buyers remain unwilling to contract for ether than immediate ne? cessities, which ire at a minimum. Money Rates. The reserve ratio of the federaJ rf scrve banks has in the period under review risen fron 49.6 per cent, on February 11 to 30.9 per cent, on March 11. but the general situation has not materially changed. There is little basis for any expec? tation that borrowers in general urtH secure their requirements at lower rates tor some time to come. Nomi? nal market quotations, however, may give an appearance of easier money conditions. Production. There is a growing recognition of the necessity for lowered freight rates on heavy tonnage items which can only be effected when there have been corresponding reductions in the wage scalo both of railroad employes and of labor in the basic industries. The steel industry as a whole is reported to be operating at about 40 per cent, of ca? pacity. Price reductions on the part of the independent steel makers have not resulted in large orders. A further decline in the price Of cotton has somewhat affected demand for many classes of cotton textiles, but orders for immediate require? ments continue to be placed. In cer? tain staple lines there has been im? provement. Ginghams have moved well following drastic price cuts made several months a?o by the largs producers. Cotton consumption for February was 395.5*3 running bales, as compared with 366.270 running bales during January. Silk and wool manufactures, which were first to feel the effects of liquidation, have shown a measurable degree of improvement. There is a distinctly better movement in tires, and automobile inquiri s and sales have increased encouraging? ly. Building. Although there have been reduc? tions in the price of many building materials, high wage rates and work? ing rules which make economical em? ployment of labor impossible, togeth? er with high freight rates, have pre? vented r aterial lowering of construc? tion costs. As a result building has been restricted almost entirely to absolutely necessary work. The F. AV. Dodge company's review of building and construction activity during Feb? ruary estimates new contracts award? ed in the states north of the Ohio and east of the Missouri at $100.789, 000 as compared with contracts for $216,663.000 awarded in February. 19 20. A considerable volume of In? quiries indicates that there is a po? tential demand which will make itself felt as soon as and not until cost of labor and material are lowered to what the public regards as reason? able. Meanwhile, the disinclination of labor not only to accept lower wage rates but to give adequate re? turn for wages paid will continue to restrict new housing, thus directly preventing a reduction in rent which, next to food, is the largest single item of the workingmen's llvihg expenses. Railroads. Official statements indicate that both gross receipts and net earnings of the railroads fell off sharply dur? ing the month of January, In spite of the slight improvement which took place in many lines of business ? fol? lowing the first of the year. Esti? mates of railroad earnings for Feb? ruary and the first two weeks of March indicate a further decline in traffic. Reduction In operating ex? penses commensurate with reduced receipts is Impossible with the wages and working conditions established during government operation and still in effect. The working conditions in force on the railroads, like those In the building trades, are a burden on the entire community. Arbitrary reg? ulations which make it necessary to employ several skilled men for work that one man could do are In conflict with common sense.?-National Bank of Commerce, N. Y. Baris. March 22.?There is a pos? sibility that the mining districts of western and southern upper Silesia may be given to Poland by the allies, is hinted at in the comment of French newspapers, on the result of a plebiscite reuniting in a German victory. I Coblenz, March 22 ? Influenza In epidemic form has broken out among the soldiers of the American occupa? tion army. Forty-five cases are re? ported,