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Show BEIIOifiMFRl 151G1IMEEI1 Governors and Mayors Told of Conditions by U. S. Representatives. Harden: Bennion, secretary of state and Utah's representative at the conference of g-overnors and mayors of the United States, which- met in Washington, March 3, 4 and .5, returned to his office yesterday yester-day after an absence . of two. weeks:- Mr. Bennion was appointed by Gc-yernor Bamberger, Bam-berger, to represent the state in. the executive's ex-ecutive's absence. . .''-' The fundamental purpose of the conference, confer-ence, ' aeccrdlns' to, Mr. Bennion. was to. establish . confidence in the public .mind of the ability of the nation Ho" meet sue-'; cessfully the . many- reconstruction problems prob-lems which are'now facinfr the government. govern-ment. -During- the first doy ofhe session Secretary of Labor Wilson outlined tho unemployment problem which was facing tho country. Mr,- Bennion stated yesterday yester-day that the speech of the cabinet officer offi-cer was very thorough and comprehensive i ii.....: ........ 4-a-.i...i-,.W .afc rrnfl in Iw the delegates in the succeeding days of the conference. The context of Mr. Wilson's speech, as interpreted by Mr. Bennion, iir which .-lie differs with the understanding of other Utah representatives to tin- conference, Is that the labor secretary said that cheaper raw materials were possible, but that labor cost would not recede very much in the near future. Some of the delegates',-according to Mr. Bennion, understood un-derstood ..that -both materials' ana labor would remain ..at their present--hlch. level. Ju'dpe1 Lewis of Arizona, .representing the governor of that state, read a very comprehensive report of the condition of the copper mining industry all- over . the west, Mr.' Ber.nion continued, ip. which Che condition of the mines and the unsettled unset-tled .'condition of the copper market were reviewed. In rhe discussion that followed it was generally agreed that copper conditions con-ditions were- -very .unsettled, but most of them thought. that the natural market for the metal should soon become active, thus solving the copper price question. Among the facts and figures -presented -at the meetings to instill confidence in the uliiliiv-of the United States to adjust, itr self .agreeably 'to 'the reconstruction problem, prob-lem, the following were cited by, Mr. Bennion : '.'The wealth of the United States is four tHties greater than that of any nation in the "wbi-l(f arid that this country owns .and controls three-fourths of tho tools of industry in-dustry In the entTTEr-svoi Id." To show the problem of the war department depart-ment in- the rapid "Cessation .of the world fight. Mr. Bennion continued, Secretary Baker, read to the committee a paper stating that" of: .the $7,000,080,000 worth of contracts in effect before the armistice arm-istice was. signed only 51,200,000.000 remain re-main ' uncanceled. "The war departmttnt,-according departmttnt,-according to Mr. Baker, is now rapidly effecting ef-fecting a settlement with the manufac-. Hirers of the country. All claims are being be-ing paid Instantly by a special committee commit-tee that is now touring the country In the interests of the war department. |