The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-29
N antlolpot,nu as,varse oenslti0ns Ii, our

G MIR. Austln then Bpns on 70 siYe MS rc.s-
hohs for making this optimistic forecast,
Ire snys THAT his conclusions are fully
supported by every local authority who
has becr, npproached for lnfort1atlon, ny
4 stu,etref,s from tho Agricultural Doe
partnent, md also by the announcement
Ut Mr.. ~. b. Arms trof,E, Assistant 300 800
retnry OF tho Treasury, who shows by
careful reference to tho custom duties VT
ana the irntr,enae amount OF money seek-
AZ conservative Investment how uillve 1is
sal and henlthtul the present conditions q
are.s ls 3if al Z N < x * 3E
Our export trade TOR the twelve months
ending With March fell 10 amount slig Mt IT.
~ below the figures Of the two prec edlnE
years. but the reduction Is due to oondl-
tons eyistng In the early part OF the
year ana not to those existing at the 9
present time. Cotton exports for the tn
month Of March were more than $50, ooo. !
900 ganst $40 ooo, 900 In tho preceding year.
Grain exports for the same month '1714
amounted to 16.6oo,ooo bushels against
1850. 900 bushels In March, 1902, For nine
i months the exports Of grain wcro more
than double those Of the corresponding
months Of tho preceding year. 3s.t G
Tho total value OF the exports OF iron
and steel for the eight months ended srlt't
with February amounted to 500, 900, 900.
This was a slight failing on rs com pared e
with the same period In 1902, and q ma
terial falliag off as compared with 1901.
But In this Is found q sign OF our pros
perity, for It Is stated that the nome
demand for Iron and Iron products is SO
great that we have had comparatively V
little Of surplus iron to ship away. TINS TINS
statement Is verified by the further state
mont that the imports Of iron have more more
than doubled during the past year. 81
Indeed, our reports generally are s '!l' *
ingly large, amounting In twelve mon ',r.s
to over one billion dollars In value, being 7t'r'
tho f1rst time that imports have ever ever
crossed the billion dollar Ane, u
Another sign Of encouragement Just
\ here les that these Imports consist very YER
largely Of ARTICLES required in nlan,ufac-
turing, and as showing the wealth Of the the
4 country our imports Of articles OF luxury 'ilt
are unusually large 81 K, 4, +.
Again attention is called Is, the fact
that whereas In 1894 the revenue from from
customs duties was about 1872, 600 900. at
tho close Of business April 25 1909, there
had been received for that much OF the
fiscal yea r as a result Of the collection
Of revenues from customs more than S23s.-
0oO, 600, and It IS estimated that the re-
cepts for the full year Will be $3.50, 900 CO.,
Last year we lad bumper crop Of
grain, yet the Agricultural Department
now reports the wheat condi tlon&to be
8 o.. 3, or Is. points higher than the highest
average, April condition in the cores cores
nondlng month for ten years suggesting
= Yield Of b11,ooo, 900 bushels or 13s,ooo. 900
in excess OF the crop OF q year ago.
Chicago bankers report that in money
matters nothing Is to be desired, '|E ana
radlroad men in Chicago. who are IN
81 touch With agricultural and commercial
{ mat ters mako declarations equally assur-i
B Ing. s RI 3 F.$
For All that tho stock market continues
to be dull, with q saggng tendency. and
the public generally seemHnot to be dis
posed to purchase at present prices It
may DO, as We previously remarked, that
the prophets Of Wall Street see evil
dences Of hard times to come, but they
are not visible to the naked eye OF lay
men. II is hard to believe, that his pros
perity will continue Indefinitely but the
conditions ats'this time are surely about
as favorable as could be- !. a Il I
as3A 5i-=---=-------T-I4 g!s l.5. y Is