The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-01
Upbuilding in Everything That
Pertains to the Country's Ma
tcrial Prosperity.
COMPARISONS
Amazing Figures Show How Last
Years Achievements Exceed
Those OF Other Periods.
lspeelnl % Tlle Times. p!npatcn.l


NEW YORK, December 81. The folloY.
Ing annual review Of trade Is part of that
published In Dun's Review:
In the history of the youngest, yet most
virile of the great nations, the year 1885,
stands out az the one of most rapid
progress and greatest success. II has be-
come so customary to establish new
records In this country OF apparently un-
bounded resources and opportunities that
statistics OF unprecedented achievements
occasion little comment. Yet the past
year has been so exceptionally prosperous
thar the attention Of n busy people should
be called to som. OF the most noteworthy
accomplishments. If over million imnii-
grants were absorbed In n single year
without Cutting the labor market IN any
other patton socIOloglsts would ponder
the problem with amazeinent, but suctl
an uuheard or occurrence in the uniteh
states arouses little comment. 80 as y"
reports Of foreign commerce ana prar.i
cally every measure of intcrnai tfaue, "
say nothing OF agricultural production
ana TRANSFORMATION. The mileage OF INC
railways has steadily Increased and tue
jsst,as of stocks AID bonds are beyond
nrecedent: yet the market value OF th'
sixty most active securities has risen Ias
above all previous records. the eafh'tss
are much greater than ever beiore, anu
frequent complaints maze been hcara pe-
cause ,raffic facilities were inadequate
Misunderstanding PLANTS have turned OUT
quantities OF products much In excess o.
sry earlier. year without causing accnin-
itIttion. IN fact II was often the cage
t1ut goods could not be delivered us spsti-
lied aud IN the iron and steei inaas.ig
orders will be carried Owe: INTO 100 eu W..
10 the entire anrual production q y"
years ago. Prices OF coalInon'ties, 40
shown by Dun'a index Nh'inar' nav
risen 70 the highest position In twehtS-
t,,o Gears. a striking evidence OF the con-
s,,In,ne capacity of the people, Tor u Is
not ,,6ssiblc 10 maintain the quolotiohs
Of an uns,lrpas ssd production OF tns
various nece ssarcs OF HE unless lHeto -
a commensurate broadening oil hen'anu.
Failures are fewer in proportion 10 VIZ
number Of firms III business ana Hap'n.'.e
are nj the minimum ratio TO soiNeh. pas
ineE.s through the clearing i1ouss, -.
fnye also reached new hlgh Shte. ','', 80, =.
Eas,er than the growth of population mas
-. ,bo increase in tho amount VI
,,oney In circulation. the average no"
s,andine at the heretofore unegualeu oi IA
-, "a :, nor capita, and the stock oil Ro,u
q, tho Federal Treasury has ecnpseo ns'
,,.evious records of this or any ot' i'' -
lion at over yl65 5000. Never ieiess. 49,,
,,,oyrIaI and other demands nave
in'a...a' .,,an tho available supply of tnnas
~, r.,as for loans rose so hlsh uur,ie
,s.,,,,nn,. AZ To suggest the pnssipliie9
- o,.,o,,s ,tri,trrt,cy This. ts anotnes M
-. No. tells a story of national pro-
nerity to the student OF eco'ioi'he'
Iron and Steel.
pvoa,c,ion. OF pig iron has proven ID ,ni
-. ~ ,oost accurate measure Oh Behei ,,
nrosncrity. If structural work Us a ~.
;np n large tonnage OF seer, =, ~, ~.
hcips extended. and machinery 10 ~ ,ar,at
.tnn1 demand. the inquiry TOT M M
produces pressure at p.ase -, ay., liable
output is forced to the 1ifii' Oh ~ "a
a1ani,y New plants have beeh ere..e :,
Ia nni,inpod during the past year, VII y.
.bo ,nssiblc yield is between twenty .. =. ~ =,
an6 thirty million tons annuailS, -, az
furnaces arc kept in constant plasl, - -.
&. not 10 he expected however, as i'p pa.
90, necessary at times, and there at ~
ar. iiaa,fnns in regard to deliveries OF
,nd fuel while the labor factor ocea-
,,crai,y intcrferes. In view OF tneSe
,,,,,,.oj;1nbIe sethacks, ii means that work
i being pushed about as far as posi-
HE. when the furnaces are producing at
the rate OF 25,o91,0o tons yearly. rms
was the rate At the latest uatc ~,
,.bfcl, exact statistics are accessible anu
,,.,,,ssa. al, previous records. 1t has
bern a notably busy year III the constitute
tion If municipal and Office buildings.
railway equipment and farm ImpieElshtS.
while the new tunnels and bridges are
now demanding enorinoas 9ua3l llss -
steel. Reports of building departments
Indicate that both in numner OF permits
issued and amount of money inNolsc1,
no previous year approached the ilgurcs
of 1906 Prospects for the future are
conspicuously bright In this Industry.
Judging by the amount of business now
in sight Some of the rail Ills have
sold their entire OUTPUT for 1905. and,
unless unforeseen disasters should preclp-
itate wholesale cancellations. the coming
year will be the best the steel trace
has experienced.
Agricultural Results.
Industrial pursuits In the United states
have become so diversified that 1t Is no
longer possible to speak of this country
rs farming nation, and agricultural
products now scarcely provide moe han
one-half the value of exports. whereas
the percentage was former overwheln,-
ing; nevertheless, prosperity for the till
ers of the soil brings SUCCESS 10 all.
Hence, the years results on the farms are
watched with anxiety by the inunufac-
turcr and the financcr. quito as m4ch as
by the agriculturlst. Business bes ms to
feel the impetus or the retarding inf1u-
encc as soon as 1t is poss. bic to deter
mine closely the size and quality of the
crops. Investors purchase the Gran, er
stocks long before the roads begin TO
move the grain. and dry DDS jobbers
iecl the broadening demand as dgalers
y IN rural districts increase their stosks
without waiting for the actual farvg ST
v the outlook is bright. There still OK
Ists some uncertainty regarding tho cot
.o,l crop, but otherwise tne final official
report has been issued, and, If t q
iedse favorable cotton estimates are adj
ded. there still appears on the whole the
best exhibit ever made In any year on
record. In addition to the liberal ornn.
titles secured, the farmers have been
fortunate en- IN obtaining more prohta le
record of s.1o7. soa,54O bushels WITH n,,
estimated value of s1,lls.ss6, las. ,rhesa
stupendous figures for a single crop sug-
sest that the farmers vii, be In post
necessarles, but the luxuries Of life. ~.
AS the grain crops began 10 movn' ,,e "a