Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-30
Prosperity's Presence
 Brightens the Business World

BrlghtenS the Business World
 One fact is writ large over the face of the years industrial and commercial activities, especially in our own land. Whatever may be said of the equity or inequity of the existing economic sys- tenn and of the distribution of opportu- mites, an unprecedented era of business prosperity is with Us beyond cavil. The hesitation which marked the presi- dential campaign of 1904 gave way to confidence after Roosevelt swept the country. Money became plentiful. Prices of staple products and nego- tiable securities. advanced. At home and abroad enormous orders for iron and steel products, machinery and az ricultural implements, fuel and all kinds of raw material set mines, mills and factories to running overtime.
 The settlement of extensive strikes in the building trades paved the way for phenomenal spurt in residence and office construction in nearly all of our cities. Railroads, trolley combines and shipping interests went into new and vast schemes of extension and improve ment. Lastly, but at the foundation of the whole structure, was the de- cision of our farmers to increase the acreage under cultivation. an exception being the cotton planters, who made some restriction in order to maintain prices. The result, weather fayoring and improved methods helping, made possible Secretary Wilson's story of record breaking crops to gladden. the nations Thanksgiving day, the total in- crement of agricultural wealth being estimated at SG,415, 100000.
 In the spring of the year this condi- ton of affairs was noticeably reflected in the universal shortage of freight cars on all the great railroad highways, notwithstanding that the. car construc- ton companies had been running full blast to fill enormous orders for rolling stock. The Missouri Pacific and the Burlington engaged in a sharp rate war in the rivalry of gulf and Atlantic ports for western grain last spring, and later in the summer eastern trunk lines suffered slightly from temporary pc riod of rate cutting. Progress was made toward through trolley lines be- tween Buffalo and Chicago and other western points. The management Of the Vanderbilt system of railroads was centralized under the single headship of President Newman. Gould became supreme in the Wabash after forcing Ramsey out. Hill and Hartman reach ed settlement by dividing the north west between them. Our foreign com merce as recorded at the end of the fiscal year was over S2, 800, ,000, 900, an increase of s1S4,0O0,000 and the largest on record. This meant prosperity to shipping interests. notwithstanding that the trust as such reported a million deficit.
 Our export trade encountered one dangerous antagonism in the Chinese boycott, which was begun May 10 by the action of the Shanghai chamber of commerce, presumably inspired by powerful officers of the empire in re- taliation for the rigors and insults con- nected with the administration of the American exclusion law.
 The great life insurance companies, which began the year with their GUS tomary reports boasting of gains and surpluses, have passed through the chastening fires of investigation and reorganization following the strife be- tween the Hyde and Alexander fac