The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-22
ACTIVITY Of BUSINESS.
THE GREAT IMPROVEMENT SHOWN
IN AGRICULTURH AND TRADE.
High Prices fer Farm PpoaueeD>
Remarkable Increase In The val
ne 81 FaI0 Animals-yationa
0ank eaguFes-A Coed lndex.

In reply to the question how far the
Improvement which has taken place dur
ing the last twelve months In trade and
agricultural circles WAS capable OF sta
tistical demonstration. Stasistician Hyde.
OF the department Of agriculture. stated
today that nothing could be more slgnifi-
cant than the Official statistics bearing
on this subject which had recently become
available. 1t could not be questioned.
he said, that the farmers of the United
States have received for their cereal
crops of 1897 something like $iaa. ESQ 90
more than for those of 1856. and Sso.Weoo0
more than for those OF any preceding
year since lSSe. The hay crop. notwith-
standing that it was the largest with one
exception ever raised, commanded an In
creased price per ton. Wool Is higher.
and considerably higher. than at any time
since 1885. and cotton IL the only impor
tant product with regard TO which there
Is not substantial improvement over tho
conditions prevailing a year ago.
Still more significant are the statistics
OF farm animals. which show that during
the year 1897 the farm horses Of the
country increased in value over 81. CO.,
co. the mules ever $So0.ooo ne mich
cows over $skoo0oo other cattle and
swine over $S.No0oO. . total Increase Of
values during the year OF over s23S. 900 600.
distributed. there being not single state
or territory In the Union that does not
report an increase in the average farm
price per head Of cattle and sheep. ana
but few where an equally satisfactory
report il not made as regards all other
farm animals. In Georgia the total VAL
ue OF farm animals increased during 1897
100000: IN Pennsylvania. nearly $780,
060: in Ohio. over $4,000 o0o: in Kansas.
ovxA tn Nohp uc4n
81. 900: the increase In Kansas and
Nebraska being "a and Al per cent re.
spectively. Taking the products Of the
sell and the various products OF the anil
mai industry together, there Is not the
least doubt that the farmers OF the
United States received at least $500. 000. 900
mere in 1887 than In 1886. This Is con-
sentative estimate and well within the
actual facts.
The public have been pretty well famil-
iarized. Mr.. Hyde said. on the large in
crease that has taken place in orr e~port
trade. but II will do no harm to report
that the total value of our exports In
1897 exceeded that of 1895 by over $780,
Co., aud that OF this large increase the
increase gin agricultural products ,Ferre.
scented more than two-thirds
There Is scarcely better index to bus
ness conditions. he continued. than IS af-
Gently published statement OF the traffic
through the canals at Saui Ste. Marie
showed an increase Of no less than n pr
Cfqf IN freight tonnage over the proceed
1K& Teaf. This was not due to the large
wheat crop for the shipments ~ wheat
va the Great Lakes were somewhat less
than in the preceding year IT was made
up largely of an increase of "a per cent
In the tonnage Of ore and there was also
n N n NJ N
of hard ceai. and OF - per cent in the
amount a. humber transported. the total
tonnage transported being greatly In ex-
cess Of that of any previous year. While
Mr.. HYDE was not in possession OF recent
statistics Of railroad earnings. a compar-
isou Of the prices of railroad stocks on
March I, with those OF the corresponding
date last year. showed a most remarkable
increase. not only in the Granger roads.
but in tho most stable railroad properties
Of tbs Eastern states.
Taking the latest national hank Stats
ties available, Mr.. Hyde called attention
to an increase Of over s2s5 on 600 In the
total amount Of Individual deposits, and
OF over $74. eo0.0 900 In the total amount OF
loans and discounts. as an indication Of
restored confidence and OF the extent to
which money was once more flowing
back into the various chanpels OF trade
and industry. The receipts Of the post
office department for 1he last quarter for
which they have been published show an
increase II about Loco 600, or per cent
over those of the correspocdin2 period
of the preceding year. Lastly. the num-
Der OF failures and the liabilities of the
insoivent concerns as reported by Duns
Mercantile Agency, show most crafty
Ing decrease. The number of failures dur
ing the six months ending January 81
were 1897. as compared with $547 in the
six months ending January 81. 1897. and
the liabilities only SIS 00hao0. as against
s13l. 900 900 during the corresponding period
with which the comparison IL made.
All these statistics point in the same
general direction. namely. to q greatly in
creased business activity. due in part to
the marked Improvement In the condition
Of the agricultural industry and In part
to a general restoration OF confidence
Philadelphia Ledger.