Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-22
DEPOSITS IN BANKS.
SHOW WONDERFUL PROSPERITY FOR
PAST FOUR YEARS.

3JhS ktst % 4 AhD1Gt~At@
Have Been Paid Up--Farm values
Have DoubIed-Goney Plenty and
Interest Low.
The Republican national committee
of interest relative to financial condi-
tons IN the great agricultural sections
Of the United States west of the Ale
ghany mountains sent out letters to
several hundred business men in the
large cities and in country towns OF
these sections.
They were asked how the. bank de-
posts of their communities compared
with four years ago, to what extent
there had been Improvement In the
credits Of their municipalities or town
ships and what betterment if any was
noticeable in the condition Of the bor-
rowing classes.
The business men to whom letters
were sent were selected without any
reference to and without knowledge Of
their political affiliations. In several
instances extremely interesting replies
came from bankers having a national
reputation in Democratic party circles,
such as John Il. Walsh. president of
the Chicago National bank.
The general substance Of the replies
shows that savings and commercial de-
posits have increased from 80 to 100
per cent since 1896; that municipalities
are able to borrow money at a rate ay-
eraging more than one-half of ] per
cent less than in 1896; that farm values
In most sections have almost doubled;
that about 50 per cent Of farm mort
cages have been paid up and the re-
mainder renewed only with prepay
ment" privileges and at lower interest
rates and that from 20 to % per cent of
the debtor classes, to whom Bryan four
years ago vainly appealed with his dis
honest propositions for cutting In two
the value Of money legal tender in pay
ment for debts, are now actually lend
ing money in competition with the
business men writing these letters.
Out of all the answers thus far re-
ceived the only note discordant with
story of remarkable prosperity among
all interests and in every community
has come from banker in the town of
Deadwood, $. u. The principal bust
ness there is gold mining, and the COM
plant is that gold is worth no more
than it was four years ago, while coal,
coke, iron and copper have doubled in
value. or course this interesting in
stance only goes the more to prove the
utter absurdity of Bryan's talk of four
years ago to the effect that the gold
standard was making gold 20 up and
man." incidentally with commodities
and wages, go down"
Some of the strongest replies have
come right from Bryan's own state Of
Nebraska. The prosperity there has
been so wonderful that Bryan can have
had no excuse for being unobseryant of
it, The town of Lincoln, in which Bry
an is d taxpayer, now has per cent
bonds selling at premium, whereas
four years ago 1t experienced difficulty
in floating loans at q per cent. Adlai
Il. Stevenson as taxpayer has also
had a chance to see evidences of pros
perity right i'm his own town, for the
city of Bloomington, Ills, has recently
sold its bonds on a basis of $40 per
cent, which is lower than any munich
pality in the United States could get in
1896.
The letters will ultimately be printed
in full and given wide circulation. Fol
lowing are few that the national COM
mittee has made public:
James +. Forgan, president First
National Bank of Chicago, Chicago:
II submit the following comparison
of the deposits of the Chicago banks in
1896 and in 1900: