New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1906-01-13

tional prosperity aud its brightness is
reflected into the year that is to come.
Nowhere on the horizon is there
visible a cloud Of doubt that next year
will be as generous handed as has the
year whose bell has just tOlled. All
records of prosperity for this and for
any other country have been broken
| by the harvests, manufacturers and
| the commerce O the United States
of America for the twelve months
which now have Slipped finally into
| the past. "
The North has had prosperity in
which the West has shared and the
South simply is fat with pionty. No
| principal crop in the United States
| has failed For the bushel sowI, me
earth has returned its twenty fold. 1t
| is not necessary to give the figures
in order that the great fact may be
grasped. In all the staples of life the
year has broken eO.ecordI ft yield.
1t is possible that in the case of cot
ton an exception should be made. but
of the southern staple there has bfSp
a production as large as the peOple~Ot
the cotton-growing sections could
have wished. The prices are high;
everyone haS0some cotton and eve!y-
one has a share of the selling price.
The Secretary of Agriculture has
said that the well-being of-the Ameri-
can farmer is a matter or the pro-
foundest interest to the entire cOun-
try. He might have gone farther and
have said that the well-being of-the
entire country depends upon the we'll
being of the American farmer. Il has
been year of unsurpassed prosperity
to the agricuturists of the country.
Production has been unequafeu, and
as the wealth and the happiness of
all depend upon that which springs
fronCthe ground, we go back to the
basis and the proper place for the
prophecy Of happiness when we stand
upon the farm.
By the time that the new year has
run half its course it is probable that
there will be a fuller and better I'M
derstanding between the sister cOun-
tries of North and South America.
The third conference of the pan
American states is to be held in Bra
I'll, and there the Secretary of State
of the greatest of the American coun-
triessWill meet with the officials of
the smaller republics, and out of their
conferences and discussions it is be-
lieved will come plans which, when
put to the working test, will make Sc
cure upon a firm foundation the peace
of two continents.
1t is probable that before the first
session of the Fifty-ninth Congress
sees the day of adjournment that a
national quarantine law will be passed
which will reduce to a minimum the
danger of yellow fever epidemicS in
the South.
1t is probable that before the new
year becomes an old year two stars
will be added to the flag of the United
States, Arizona and New Mexico, join
ed to become one state, and Okla
homa and Indian Territory, joined, to
become the other. When this end is
accomplished, there will be no terri |
tories left in the Union, aid the year
1906 will go down in history as the
year which saw the fulfillment of the |
dream Of the fathers.
To go again into the immediate past |
It may be said for the last of the old |
years that it saw the making of rec |
ord for American commerce in both |
matters of exports and Of imports. |
The year 1904 produced the first bill |
lion dollar record for imports; the |
year 1905, saw a material Increase, |
and during each QUE Of its twelve
months the value of the imports
to practically s100,00O,000
against an average of less than half
hat amount only score Of years ago.
The exports of the United States,
Is an official puts it, never touched
he billion dollar mark until the year
l895, and have never in any calendar
year been as much as billion and a
half dollars in value; but. this year
hey have considerably exceeded that
iGure and will approximate a value
If S1,6OO00O 900" None of the Of
icials who make study of trade col
litions has been able to discover any
hing in the future which should pre-
rent a like marvellous growth Of the
commerce of the United States dur
ng the coming year.
The manufactures Of the country in
.reased their share during the last
ear in both imports and exports Of
he United States. The increase in
he importation Of manufacturers ma
erals in the ten months ending Nov
d. 1905, amounted to sS1 900 900, an
Increase of 21 per cent over the cor
period of last year, while
he increase in all other imports
mounted to but $54000,0o0, an In
rease of IL per cent over the CORE
ponding months of 1904.
In the matter Of exports OF manu-
actures the value of increase during
en- months of 1905 was $58 ,000,G0
n increase of IA per cent. while the
ainoof all other exportso was about
an increase OF per cent
yer the same monthsoof last year.