To Be Good Year
The inevitable depression due to the change from war to
peace activities, predicted by everybody, nevertheless has caused some speculation
throughout the country. The war ended so suddenly, as a well-informed Hickory
business man recently observed, that it did not afford industry that
opportunity to begin the adjustment from war to peace, and as a result many
concerns were caught with large stocks of supplies on hand. These must be
worked off before there will be that general demand for goods, which will send
another wave of prosperity throughout the land.
But good business men are no in the least fearful. Not many
of them believed the war would last several years from last fall, but the
military leaders advised that it would, and business, to be on the safe side,
took no chances on securing raw materials this year; industries purchased last
spring and summer for several months ahead. This accounts for the large stock
on hand. Naturally, these stocks must be disposed of before new supplies are
purchased. In a few weeks or months, the tide will run strong again, and
business, on the peace basis, will prosper as never before.
Statistics on labor show that the south is still short of
workmen, and by the time most of the soldiers return this demand can be met and
agriculture and manufacture will be able to absorb thousands of laborers. Soon
also, with the peace treaty signed and the countries of Europe demanding raw
materials, the United States will sing to the tune of prosperity. This is the
belief of well-informed business men, and they are looking to the future with
confidence. The world must be fed and clothed, destroyed industries must be
replaced, and nowhere except in the United States can all the needs be supplied.
The latter half of 1919 is destined to be a great year for the American people.
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