The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-20
SATURDAY. JANUARY %, 1900.
,s PROSPERITY WANING ?

we have seen the opinion expressed in
seeeral of our exchanges that this country
has reached the high tide of its pros
,icrity and tina: from this time Oh. trade
VII be on the wanc. = he reports do NOT
lrcIcate il. Take for example the :iiiilna!
statement of commerce tor The year 1s9'.
there was a considerable falling of in
n, exports of agricultural products for
the calendar year, ''ut ia spite OF this the
agE-esate exports Tor the Year were
sar"O1.000 in excess OF those OF any o'her
,a.enear year and Ssi:nR.G9 in excess oil
t,,n exports in any fiscal Year of the
coun;rv's history. The aggregate value
was 81. 80 1851 These figures are past
the comprehension of man, but they give
some idea of the immense trade which
we are llov doing with foreign countries.
-,'bere was. as, we have said, Z decrease
I'm The value of agricultural products eS-
ported. but th. exports of other products,
chiefly manufacturing products. rose 10
the enormous sum Of ssio.SI!,o62. an IN
crease over any previous year OF $s'.2sc.o2'
But We have only begun TO develop our
trade in the East. Under the agreement
which Secretary Hay recently brought
about between the great powers of the
earth. the open door in China Is secure
10 us for ali time 10 come, ana the
Philippine Islands offer an inviting 1lelo
10 American products. From Whatever
standpoint viewed our trade position IN
foreign lands is most fiattering and en-
couraring and there is every reason 10 De
licye that our foreign trade viii continue
10 grow This is particularly true OF the
iron trade and the cotton trade, in both
Of which the South is deeply Interested.
The iron movement at Birmingham Is
enormous, cclpsing all past records, and
The cotton mill industry is experiencing
such a boom as it las never known
Nor can it be too often mentioned that
The trade OF the Southern cotton mills
in China and other Eastern markets is
growing all the time.
Let us take another View. The great
industries OF the country have orders
booked for many months ahead. An IL
lustration ct our doors is found in the
fact that the Richmond Locomotive
Works have enough work under contract
TO keep the shops busy until October with
out booking another order. The ship
ward also has a years work and more
on hand This condition prevails every
where SO far as our information goes.
and unless there shall be some unfore
seen calamity il is almost impossible TO
check tho tide of prosperity that set in
more than "A year ago All the people
are at work and when this condition IS
fulfilled prosperity is genuine.
Finally The railroads of the country
which. more than any one branch Of in
dustry indicate general conditions. are
showing in their reports no falling ON in
business hut on the contrary their earn
ings from week 10 week show, an increase
over the enormous anS record-breaking
earnings OF 1895. We take the optimistic
view. and we may be altogether wrong
In our conclusions, but these conclusions
certainly seem to us to be warranted by
the facts and figures which we have
cited. II prosperity is indeed on the
wanc. We can see nothing IL: the signs OF
3hc times 10 indicate ii.