The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-09
, The World of Trade.

rvi,,~ send out from Washington report
showing the estimated condition of the
growing crops of the country. This IS
awaited with great interest. 1t IS ex-
nected to give not only the condition or
all principal crops as they stood on May
i. but also an estimate Of the percentage
nf wheat area sown last year that Will
not be harvested, and the percentage OF
spring blowing AS every one III touch
with the subject knows, the government
report of April 10 was an extraordinary
favorable one. The average condltlon OF
the winter wheat on April l was SHOWN
IN be equal to 97.3, or almost perfect
while we already knew that the area sown
was larger than the preceding year Nv ap-
proximately 100000 acres.
There was, therefore, the promise OF
winter wheat crop far ahead of anything
in the country's history, while the spring
wheat, meanwhile, was. going into the
ground under conditions as favorable IN
the main as could be desired.
A month has passed and in that time
y the condition of the growing crop mas Deen
lowered To just what extent Is the Dues
tion The keenest observers hold the
opinion that the coming report will show
setback in winter wheat, but no de-
cline worthy Of special Importance the
greatly increased acreage considered. Ihe
report will not necessarily be CONSIDERED
as infallible, neither can 1t be taken as
entirely comprehensive or up to date
since the numerous detailed reports from
which 1t is evolved are presumed to cover
the condition on May l, and there mas
been much uncertain weather since that
date Nevertheless there is a disposition
shown to place great reliance upon THIS
report. and so the end of the week has
brought into the financial world a slight
trace of hesitancy.
The wheat market has been active and
higher, due to statistical changes. domes-
tic short supplies and the prospect OF good
foreign demand, and to some degree to the
expectation of a moderately bullish gov
eminent report. Should this report show
.iconditions maintained at anywhere neal
the showing of April 1, it should be E
stimulus to optimistic sentiment, shoult
1 encourage farmers, merchants, bankers
| and manufacturers to feeling or IN
creased hopefulness, and in the stock mar
! ket should have effect to encourage firm
ness of a. conservative and legitimate de
4 gree in all railroads and especially In tn
stocks of such roads a. traverse the south
west and will be the first to feel tn
direct benefits if the good promise,
naterializeds
In looking the country over the favor
\ able feature Of greatest prominence
found In the increase in railway earning
4 The report embracing complete figures
Aprfl Is shows a total beyond anythin
ever known In the best records of the re
cent prosperous years In this respect "
have evidently not yet reached high mari
Some talk has been heard to the effe
that railroad equipment has been II
creased so enormously within the past fe
wears that with any recession in gener
volume of traffic some part of the rollir
stock would likely be unemployed. B
the Rock Island and the Wabash, tv
roads that made as large proportional
Increases in equipment as any, report
sim impossible to meet the demands
III shippers for cars with the promptne
III desirable and the other roads are in mu
ID the same condition. If any such tonna
lib develops in the late summer and fall
is now indicated, the general railro
equipment will again be found inadequa
al altho it is unlikely that we shall ha
any recurrence Of the car shortage a
freight COMPOSITIONS that made so bad
I'll situation last fall.
In There are a number of labor difficult
lf The east has felt this the most, and
q Lowell where the mill operatives are
Hi strike the town has been temporal
about half depopuated by the leaving
i the strikers in search of employment el
Il where. Nearer home there are mum
OF threatening situations in the la
slS world, of which the most serious is
az dispute between the Great Northern r
gJsS and the employees
II 1t should be remembered that a dist
Il feature Of the times is the rise in lal
l The past Ave years has been period
Els advances in almost everything. and Ia
lEsS has shared the rise. Whatever circ'