The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-30

v
t141o Il. Main street, richmond, Va.
s. Corrssp o,id4nce solicited and treat
I cd In confidence Il M M VA
ttirrlating the total population3o OF the Unitol
States at present at 50, OOD 900, and COZ e.
Ing an Increase OF rs pei cent. ], z the
next ten years, would give us In Sl015 lt0
0,OoO people and In 1875 600 600. Even
these figures q re probe p not SO I'M
pressiye to the average mind US to d say
that tho Increase OF population every Ten
years is almost ed ual 10 The Eentir popn
slation Of the Sou TIL at the present 7 lime.
In other words. In number Of peop pie and
the volume OF business created II hereby
we y are & adding on entire South to the
United States every ten We rs. N
In the days of free silver agi tat ton the,
plea was made that the farm r was sih
poverty because OF low prices, Il ind 'ths
farmer indeed. was selling his oducsi In
others with q margin 80 "A Mario ~ as t "
leave hut little possible prof It. TO day{
the farmer is on 4 the 4 winning side, md
he Is becoming q capitalist. IL As the Vest,
with the return OF better condIt lions SIX
or seven years ago, paid off It's Il farm arr
mortgages, SO the South, th, the great
profits Of higher price cot on, has paid !1.L
off its 4 inde edness, N and both sections 9
have a surplus q m oney "a The hands q
the farmers create than they ever knew llt,Ssl
Under these conditions It sc ems to Inc
that we have entered upon q period Sof5
business activity based on sounder CON on Il
iditions than we ever had before, and TINT
It will surpass the activity Of four S35SorS
five/years ago as8grcatly a = nat per!on
exceeded the previous burst Of indus trial
prosperity. n It Is true a I hat Il we ma y Il SO
aslittle TOO fast, that " "a specula do may
again take possession q the stock mar q.
Sket md result u . q specul cole pse,
but if we can rest lin the wild specusllaator.
20 be possible, the people OF the country
have It In their power to NAL ntaln 2 long
period OF Astounding prosperit "a II which
this country viii beco even than
~ the mast the won der and admtra Ion OF
the business world
Congress an Uncertain Factor
III Mir. r. Is. Bright, president aud general
manager 3of the Rail,wa VI yVorld does not
believe that there has been any serious
Of tie period Of prosperity
which began In 1SOS f5sS8ss
81 PROFESSIONALLY. instances have been eI.-s
scountcred during the oast tive years
where Individual INT ustrles wei $te n por-3
arily ana locally depressed. 4 In partlcni--i
lar the iron and steel indus ~ he
railroads have also suffe red some retlu !
ton in earnings and traffic, although the
failing in net earnings has been llg bt,
due almost who'll " to higher prices for
material and higher wages OF labor w VII ME
some obstacles were rienced IN Y al
most every line Of trade and Ind ustryg
the country at large has never been m g serl-
ously depressed. ] e The rev val IN the iron
and steel industry Furnishes the best IN
dlcatlon Of a contlnuance OF gene raj proH-
perity. d Railway earnln gs K are becoming
more salts DRY and " u,
arc optimistic over the outlo ok. The ~
nancinlS situation Is ontlrcly sound S as ~
evidenced by the small number OF banks
ruptcIes In spite Of the IS took mo rke q dis
Sturbances OF the last two years. Securi-.
ties are firmly held !, and the advancing
tendency is visible. Factors Of special
interest are tho strong tone of the BOND
market, large crops, firmly mal y \ ln EEe
prices. "a more friendly relat tons between
employers and employ and genera Y son ~
fIdcnce & in the Roosevelt adnlinist rat ton
's The financial Industrial and commercial
situations are, & In my Judgment, entirely
favorable, and see no reas son to- g pre-
bend any serious check III the prosperity
5of the United States for some years 70
come. While this optimistic outlook is
justified 4 By a survey Of the probable
opera ton OF present tend ncies, III s saot
to be forgotten that adverse u fluen a.; a
5nre always ut work, with more Or y less es
strengt tn and In Sconsea uence With VARYING
effects upon general condttlo ns.tB y lhes 'a
adverse Influences. tho most imp rtant
Is tho uncertnint ys over tart &c revision ana
the probable attitude 5of Congress toward ''.;'d
legislation affecting the railroa ds
q Railroad Officers Optimistic.
In answer to our. question, VII pr = s.
perity continue Mr.. NJ orrts. the
ma nnging editor Of the Railroa Gazette,
said: g II, AVA lSSSi &, Z.
Il, yyol ourselves make q ather ca reful
INQUIRY OF railroad officers in all parts Of
tina country at this time OF the yea 70
find out what their own prospec tB are,
and the returns Wo have recel ',a tltlss
year have been very optimistic; far more
IS than they We're last year Wa
Tho chorus OF optimlstlc q prophes rs
swelled ~ the statements Of q corre,.t
s smn,,l Of the London statist who has
beer, making a tour Of invest ga lion in
the United States. Ny opinion, t!e-
clares this investi ga tor, 'is that the
United states has entered upon anot her
neriod OF trade expansion, whtcn ln''iit
continue for " seyera X years, unless pll-
foreseen disa sters such as a gen era Iand
persistent failure Of the ops-sho uld ne
encountered. The facts on Y which this
prediction is based consist, princip lly. q
the plentiful supply Of currency, the 5000
PRICES secured by farmers, the liKel!nood
hat ne railroads will do q heaVy b,lsi
ness in ira nsportlng the products 9 the
SOL and Of the manufacturing estaplisll-
tents, and the public conf dencet which
| is unmlstakable, that tho general pcslc,es
81 tic last two Federal MANIFESTATIONS
win DO maintained
BROKEN TRUCK, u.
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