By Comparison With Rest of Country Cafifornia Conditions Far Befrer Than Average

All things, they say, should be judged comparatively.

Mcasured in that fashion business conditions in California today are better than they are an5rwhere else in the country. No doubt about it.A review of conditions as they prevail today in the East will prove to even the most pessimistic California business man.that he is lucky to be here, rather than there. We haven't the unemployment that prevails elsewhere, and that is the big feature.

Th-e business -maps of the country as produced by vario-us dependable business magazines and associations agree that the California coast is in better condition than iny- where else in the'corr-ntry. And undo,ubtedly that opinion is based on dependable facts.

The fact is .that California (as has so frequently been stated in these columns), is a sort of empire in itself,-stands on its own business feet, is subject to -business conditions and variations unknown elseurhere in the country, and is not to be judged by general conditioals. Witness, the fact that for the past several years business in California has been undergoing a steady decline, at a time when the rest of the country was wildly waving the prosperity flag.

So, when the last fall arrived and the rest of the country suddenly fell ofr of the high business precipice it was oicupying, it took a long and headlong fa1l, and has required a long time to start getting back its equilibrium. The market crash did not strike the body blow to California that it did elsewhere. And there was no headlong tumble from dizzy business heights to the valley belowfthat the rest of the country knew. We tumbled, but not so far, nor so hard.

And we've stood the blow better than the rest of the country has.

California reached the tqp of a great boom period in 1923. Most lines of business have been gradually declining in volume since that time. Econornist-s tell ui-and wisely, no doubt-that we are going through one of those business cy-cles that come to all great and growing territories. Most of these busiqess sharpi believe tFat thes-e cycles are likely to be of approximately ten years' duration. If this be true. in the case of California, then we should now be decidedly on the up-swing, and when we recover from the immediate effects of the market debacle, the sfing upward should !e so pronounced as to be plainly evideit io ttre ouslness rnterests.

Population, continues to pour into California, and the end is not in -sight, and will not be in sight for generations to come. Blessed as this land undoribtedlv is. olayins California to do anything except win, is iottring strof; of .business insanity. !t just can,t help winning. It can't help growing, aTd developing, and impioving, "id fulfilling its mighty destiny. The p-ople of other ilnds will conl trnue to come, to see, to be charmed, and to remain and invest. This will still be going on in the days of our grand- children.

The building industries will continue to grow with the state. California continues to be the greatest wood consuming state in the Union. We buy more lumber per capita than the people of any other state. We will probably cory tinue to do so indefinitely. First, we have the supply of lumber immediately available. Second, we know more about using lumber, more beautiful, attractive, varied and practical ways of turning boards to human use, than they know anywhere else.

The chief weakness of the lumber industry in California has never been lack of volume, for even in the trough of the wave California consumes more lumber than other states, population considered. .The big trouble is always based on the fact that the California coast is the natural dumping ground for the mills of the Northwest, and it has suffered the troubles that always come with such a situation.

This situation cannot be remedied in a hurry. Large improvement in the general lumber markets of the world must come before California can be saved the pains of overs_upp_ly. No matter how much lumber California consumes, the Northwest can easily over.-supply it-and always has. A diversion of a lot of that lumberlnto higher-pricei territories will relieve the pressure on Californja, when business generally climbs the hill again.

The peak of the last prosperity bulge in California was reached in 1922. We should reach that peak again about 1932, if. these financial and economic shlrps know what they are talking about. As a matter of fact,-it would probably have arrived sooner than that but for the stock mirket debacle, for last fall we were certainly showing signs of much business pick-up. Things are fundament,lly sound as the proverbial nut in this state, and when the ieaction from the stock crash real-ly -sets in all over the country, California should start to bulge.

A slackeninq in finances right now would bring about a building boom in Los Angeles territory in recor-d time. There never was a time when,more buitding projects were on tap than there are in L. A. territory at t-hii niinute. It is decidedly evident that when the next bulge of prosperitv comes, it will come a-running.No part 6f Caiitoritia ii over-built. Most of it is under-built. The population has continued to grow yillout cessation, even though building has been slow. Which can only mean that future business is piling up.

We have a grand tourist crop already this season. There are more foreign cars along the California highways than there have been in the past five years. Southein California tourist headquarters report fewer "apartments for rent" today than in five years. It's a good sign-a grand sign.

Better times-good times-prosperous times are knocking at the door of the entire state of California. Dorr't doubt it. Play California to win. We have everything that goes to make prosperity, every evidence thata gieat business tide is returning to this sun-kissed land once more.

It won't be long.