The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-01-13

merce Of the country will exceed that
OF any preceding year.
The figures for the eleven months
ended Nov. 80 put the total exports at
| 81, sos, 1884, and imports at $9S9.3fo,
37O The export figures are about w.
100000 below those OF the correspona-
ing months of last year, about $2S,OOO,
900 below those of the corresponding
months OF 1901 and about $4,000, 900
below those of the corresponding months
of 1900.
When II is remembered. however, TINT
in breadstuffs alone there has been a
reduction of $94,0OO,000 as compared with
the corresponding months OF last year
and of $170,000,000 as compared with the
corresponding months Of 1901. the fact
that the figures of 1904 fall but S4,0O0O0
below those of last year VIII prove an
extremely gratifying one in Its evidence
of the advantageous effect upon our
export trade OF diversified production.
Labor.
The year 1904 in the history of organ
lied labor furnished contrast with the
twelve months preceding. For the most
part the labor struggles of 1904 were
contests in which the labor unions were
combating wage reductions, the "open
shop" the institution of piece work sys-
TENS and the agreement policy OF
employers organizations In 1908 the
unions were more aggressive.
National Finances.
The United States treasury receipts
for the calendar year 1904 were $500
600 900, according to review of the de-
partment's operations given out to-day
by Secretary Shaw. The expenditures
excluding the Panama payment, were
1862 900, 000--a deficit for the year OF
49,, ZOO, 900. AS compared with the pre-
vious calendar year, the receipts SHOW
falling off of $S,000,0O0 and the eXpen-
ditures an increase Of $5O,OOO,O0O The
decrease in the receipts is accounted for
by a decrease of 100000 in the GUS
toms revenues.
Passenger Traffic on Railroads.
The magnitude of the railway mileage
will be understood when it is stated that
the present rails. excluding second track,
sidings, etc, would make. If laid side by
side, sixty eight or sixty -nine complete
lines reaching across the United states
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.
The vastness of their transportation is
Uncomfortable to the people of other
countries In the fiscal year they car
ried 1000 ,000. 900 passengers. the passen-
ger mileage reaching 20.S95, 100000 miles
which is equivalent to saying that If
every inhabitant of city of 100000
people were to be transported nearly
around the world the passenger move
ment of the American railways would be
duplicated. ~
Colossal Freight Business.
The freight moves aggregated 1.3O6,-
900, 900 tons. the mileage being .292,-
OO0, 600 This colossal total was posi-
BILE despite the drop in breadstuffs ex-
forms an important ele-
ment in the freight of the carriers. The
decrease was almost wholly due to the
shortage in the wheat yield. the fall-off
amounting to approximately 100000
00e But the earth yielded enough for
the country-and n little more-hence
the better prices for the cereal COM
the growers for the lack of a.
bountiful crop. Corn. and cotton, how
ever, have much more than onset the
loss III wheat Dobtfously shown by the
plethora of money iDGthe- west and IN
the, south, for not the least important
Of the years fiscal aspect was the indie
pendence of the 1Bdestefn and southern
bankers during the croprperiod move
ment.
West and South independent.
For the first time in the ,cQuntry's
financial history the east was a eompar-
ltively negligible quantity pefdhrs har-
vest time Formerly eastern bankers
supplied the funds with which to get the
crops to market This year the west and
south had money to-, land whilst farmers
and planters were sending their stuff.
to market The agricultural regions not
only did not need the eastern capitalist,
but they were in the market for securi-
ties-they bought bonds. some OF them
sven purchased the shares of the much
1etested railways that traverse their
farms.
Farmers Are Now Bondholders.
The contrast is wonderful. Less than
. do hn CnYfthprn nl1ntpr
The western farmer were "mortgaged to
heir ears" as the phrase was in those
lays Now the people who were so
nortgaged are buying up other peoples
having acquired more
and. paid for, spot cash. In the south
he transformation has been marked,
During the depression from 1890 to 1879
he planters lost annually SfO00OO,o0o
through the marketing of the staple at
prices below the cost OF production. In
he last lustrum, owing chiefly TO en-
lanced prices. the volume of the output
rot materially increasing. the value OF
he crop has exceeded by $1,000. 100000
hat of the five preceding years The
worth of this years cotton is put down
It $500, 000, 900. Notwithstanding the re-
,ent slump. The improvement IS eXhib-
ted by the statement that whereas in
$50 the total value of, Gil agricultural
)TOuuClS VI tilt oouth "es' FoNS'NNN'NN~'
he cotton crop of the last year almost
,qualed the latter sum. Even in 1880
Ill southern products did not exceed
;773, 900, 900, while at present the worth
If those products is about $1,70O 00O.'
Failures of the Year.
Moreover, a quarter of a century ago
he south had s21.O00,OOO invested in cot
on manufacturing industries. which
consumed 225.000 bales annually. while
low 5000, 900 900 of capital is so invested
Ind the consumption is 100000 bales
md while the south has expanded in this
wise that section of the country did not
well the total of failures. which
throughout the United States were for
1898, against s.S12 in
9O3, though the liabilities were only
,55, 1888, 1877. compared with $66,S9l,1Oa a
,ear before. Traders made less credit
lble showing Here the insolvencies were
,09S in number and $66.41 1888 In
mount. against 5000 and $5S.7O5,3S6 re-
;pectively last year.
That the aggregate makes favorable
with that of 1908 is not as
gratifying as the quarterly separation.
which shows that the returns have i'm
proved as the year advances. Thus, the
first quarter was much the worst of the
year, but still contrasted> favorably with
The last quarter of the preceding year.
md the closing three months contained
4 much lower commercial death rate
than the same months of 1908. This