Imperial press and farmer., 1902-01-11

by BradstrcctH. and given publicity on the 27th of December. declares 1901 to be rccurd-brcakcr' among the i've succeeding years of commercial cx- pansion enjoyed by the United States. It's prccmincnce. the review states, vas all the more notable because IL suffered from combination of happ n- ings that tn normal year would have proved depressing. It not disah- truuH. enumerated in the latter are the machinlsts and steel strikes. the stock panic ot May. the failure ol seN- crai imprudcntly managed combina- lions. the efforts of suCn COmUind- tons. including Una, in copper, to IA prices, the shortage n corn, cotton and oats, ana the assassination of President Mckinley. summarizing the general situation. the Review says.
 Pig ron production vii! not be lar from one-BeycnIh larger than the heaviest eyer before recorded. Shoe prOuuCltOu and shipments and larger leather production nave been appaT- cnL iron pToduCuon anu shipments were never before cquaIcd. AnlnTa- cite coal production will be luIly IO per cent. larger than last year, ana per cent heavier than the record. Woolen manufacturing has been helped Dy low cost of material and good de- mand for clothing All the returns are not so fayora bIc. There has been less money ln cotton for the South this year. The agricultural interest has been favored Uy -eaEy advances in farm products. which have done much to CounterUalance reductions Tn y4eId Export trade has shown signs of hesitation after years of steady ad- vance, and imports have increased but mainly ,n materials intended for do- mcs,.c manufacture. and the margin in favor of exports Is stlil enormously heavy.
 The bank clcarings are estimated at Sl4s.VyU .OUO. GOO. a gam ot 3s per cent. over last year. and -o per cent. since 1893.
 I he Middle States show the greatest increases in clearinss. AS to this showing the Review says.
 "brIcny summarizing, the year has seen trAasaCtcd an aggregate OI gen ,.r.,I business as rcucCtcd III bank clear ings. far in excess ot any preceding period. has witnessed StOCh aPeNu'1 ton. ranpant beyond the dreams o1 otd-time brokers, ChcCkcd and GU! tailed by one of the shaTpest stoCA uautcs in history, and yet with re- IuarkaOle minimum OI d!stuE OahSc o1 general financial operations. mas watched general industry and pToduC ton grow steadily until new ana larger figures were needed to express the outputs of coal and ore and iron and steel and leather and lumber anu T multitude Of other branches, mas seen the freight transportation tacllI- tte. of the country strained to the breaking point. prove insufficient 10 handle the volume of business oHeTeu' and finally has witnessed volume oI holiday business passing all previous hounds. both in quantity and quallty' and the vastly increased purchasing mower of the public in late years. t'rom the standpoint of the present estimates the cleaTings this year VIII exceed the highest reCorus or preceu- ing years by one-fourth. Gross Tall- way earnings have increased lZ per cent and net returns have gained 10 nor cent over the best preceding year.
 The failures for the year are place" at l0.ss5. with aggregate liabilities oi Sl3O 900 900 and assets of Soo'5oV'ooo' As to this showing. the Review adds "This ig A gain of S.6 per cent m mum h,.r over 1900 and of nearly IL per rc,t oyer 1899. but back of that year romparisons favor the current one