Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-12


$685.. SO In 1895 S37l SO. In 1900 " was
s40S.30. 1t is now s423.74. That u, these
figures represent the average amour.
TO the credit OF eac. depository II nus
been shown by Investigation that about
one-hh'f the deposits In savings panks
belong to the wagc-enrner. II the aV-
erage deposit increases there must DC
real prosperity as a cause.
IL we look at the matter of commer-
cial stability as INDICATED by CONNER
cial failures we ind that there " rt,'
prosperity. The liabilities of the M
ures In 1905 amounted 10 Sl02oibuvv
and they We're less IN amount than ~
any year since 1882. when they Wen Wen
SOL ,5i7 900, except for the year iss ~
when they dropped to nearly $4,000, coo
The number of failures. notwithstano-
ing the enormous increase In all b us,.
ness operations has remained larry
steady since 1884.
WAGE FARMER HAS PRoSPERED.
The information at hand relative 70
the cost of living In this country -
quite conclusive to the effect ihat Vne
wage Garner, in spite Of the rise III
prices, has prospered. These statlsstlcs
emanate from various sources put tney
confederate each ether fnlrly well bu.
avoiding all officia. figures Whien W
my mind are the best, an1 taxing thVse
from commercial sources Oa'y, u IS Us
certainel by Dun's index. giving the
cost of various commodities july 4
each year. wholesale prices being ustu'
as breadstuffs, meats. dairy and gar
den products, clothing metals and ms
ccllaneous articles the exact figures
being given, that products cpstinS
sli5,9l July 1. 1860. cost July !, lyV9
s9S 81. In 1882. Just before prosperity
ceased. they cost $l23. 49, In 1893, when
the last period of depression began
they cost $50 81, while the lowest cost
of the same articles since 1883 was in
1897. when 1t was s72 As. These are sup
posed to be the actual costs Of articles
supplied for the necessaries of lie Tor
a single individual at the dates named
AS intimated, all official reports sus-
tain these figures. At the present writ
ing instead of these articles costing
s9S 81. as they did ~ 1905. they would
probably cost something over 500; put
the recent increase in wages all over
the country meets this slight increase
in cost and while the relative differ
ence between wages recived7-tnat Is,
earnings-and the cost of living Is less
undoubtedly than II has been for many
years, the receipts are still ahead OF
the necessary expenditures and, as
have said, when prices go down, as
they must in due time, wages VIII go
down more slowly and never reach the
level of any previous year,
OUR PROSPERITY is REAL.
From consideration, therefore, of the
tendency toward higher wages with the
constantly Increasing cost of living ana
the upward trend of prices Of nearly
all kinds of material, it must be con-
ciuded that our present prosperity, spe-
ulative to some degree. apparent in
another deg, &C. is on the whole. But
such conclusion might be fortified by
reference to the marvellous figures in-
dicating Industrial prosperity, our man.
ufactured products growing in value
to such an extent that one can hardly
contemplate the figures. During 1905
the face value OF the products OF all
our manufactures was nearly $4,000
600. 600, 900. The report of the secretary
of agriculture for the present year gives
the total wealth produced-that is, the
value OF all farm products--at s6,7sA,-
600. 900, an increase of S635, 900, 900 over
two years ago, and more than $2oo0,-
OO0. 900 above the value of the products
six years ago.
This cannot represent anything but
real prosperity. There is nothing APP
parent about 1t, unless there be some
inflated values of money but that does
not appear, because these are gold val
ues that are given. Nearly $1,000, 900 900
worth of farm products means that,
and 1t means that the farmer had pro-
duced 1t. The vast quantity of products
represented by the value enters into the
vast commerce OF the country, bringing
real value to every one Interested, ana
this interest Families In every direction.
The enormous amount OF industrial
products OF the south is something that
helps to bring real prosperity to every
other part of the country, and when
we examine specific industries like iron
and steel the conclusion cannot be
avoided that our prosperity Is some
thing more than apparent, even II
period of depression is near, and our
commerce is of such proportions that
the conclusion is strengthened In every
direction.
RUSH OF IMMIGRATION.
The pessimist always fears the infiu-
ence of good times, OF virtue and every
thing that makes for tle uplifting OF
our standards OF living. He can always
see the clouds accompanying all sucn
extensions. He now sees them IN imni-
grafton, and the statistics of immigra-
ton may cause some alarm, but the
number OF immigrants coming to our
country at the present time is an en-
phatrc and uncontrovertible piece OF
testimony OF our prosperity, and when
prosperity ceases or begins to decrease
immigration will fall off. With all this
evidence of real prosperity wisdom In
dicates that there shall come inevitably
a contraction of Industrial and con-
structive enterprises resulting In perl
cd of depression and reaction. AS shown
by the economic history of the world,
these periods follow every period of en-
terprising work. When 1t viii come cam
not be said, but there should be that
great feeling of confidence In the sta
bility OF our enterprises and their abill-
ty to help each other In way entire-
ly unknown In the past.
The brotherhood OF industry and
that word is used In the broadcast sense
has grown stronger and stronger as
the years go by and as the necessity
of mutual dependence becomes more
apparent. II should be remembered
that there are two sides to an indus
trial depression. One element of the
population suffers, another gains. A
man living on Invested capital with a
fixed income is the gamer during hard
times and lcw prices. He Is the man
perhaps thu causes the Apprehension
when times are good by crying out that
the hard times are coming. Ii Is to his
interest 10 have them come, provided
his income is not reduced thereby
There is as much money saved by
almost everybody. rich or poor. during
what we call hard times as during
prosperous times There may not be
as much comfort and happiness M Z
general satisfaction. but the chasten'
ing influences OF hard times have theii
economic and ethical value. II is not
all darkness and so far as the unem'