Gloucester County Democrat., 1908-01-09
corr II ERGIAL
Americas Year cf Trade.

Americas Year Of Trade.
The annual review Of trade as pub
lished by Dnn's agency shows the year
1907 to have been remarkable in many
respects. the commercial activity of
the first ten months being in marked
contrast to he depression which fol-
lowed the i;aancial disturbance in
October
In iron M4i steel the production for
the first if '.e year babe fair to
raise the cures far above all
previogs r liat by Dec the
weekls' oui ils..i f..iissii to the lowest
point sii.se 31esn Yer 1904. not more
than "2 i.el q I.ie entire capacity
being IN operation
In dry gssi...:i .sa soEime of business
transacted was without precedent, not
withstanding the heavy falling off of
the last two months. The exports of
this line Of goods showed marked de-
cline from the previous year, the most
notable being in connection with the
Chinese trade.
A great curtailment of tanning op-
C1QllOtlc. Will lHE IOt4StiuSuI uCCIGdSG
in the consumption of hides, carried
prices for these latter to the lowest
point reached in a decade though the
price of leather was not materially af-
fected The boot and shoe trade seems
to have suffered severe check
Silver bullion after moderate fluctua-
tions closed the year at the lowest quo
tations of the past four years. Not
withstanding the extraordinary de-
mands created by the monetary crisis
of October the total imports of gold
were considerably less than in 1906
In the stock market the general
tendency has been downward, and in
October prices not only dropped to the
lowest level or the year, but in nearly
every instance to the lowest figures in
many years and in some cases to quo
tations below any previous record
While the commercial failures of the
year were, on account of the financial
disturbances, considerably in excess of
1906. the insolvent liabilities were not
as great as in 1893 and 1896
Cotton prices and exports ruled high
throughout the year, with the latest
estimates indicating a yield about 10
per cent below 1905.
The particularly bright spot in the
industrial situation was the stupendous
increase in the value of agricultural
products, and, while the actual produc-
ton was in most lines somewhat be-
low that of the previous year, the
values had increased more. that $780,
100000, and the combined values of
cotton. meats, dairy products, poultry,
eggs and all other items raised by the
agrieulturist are estimated at the sum
of s7.40O00O000
Pay as You Enter Rule Fails.
After trial of one day the plan of
requiring passengers to pay as they en-
tered the cars was abandoned by the
Pittsburg Railways company owing to
Ask OrientaIist to Explain.
The American Society of Biblical Lit !
erature and EXegesis at Its recent
meeting in Philadelphia passed reso-
luton calling upon Professor Herman
" Hilprecht, professor at the uni
versity, to make a public reply to the
charges laid against him of taking in
connection with some ancient tablets
which he claimed to have dug up at
Nippur. 1t is charged that these tab
let's, which are now in the museum of
the University of Pennsylvania, in
stead of having been dug up by the
professor, had been bought by him in
various cities of the orient and that
most of them had never been near
Nippur. 1t is also declared that the
tablets were in the hands of dealers
some years prior to Dr. Hilprechts al
legged discoveries.
Photos Sent by Wireless.
Pascal Berjonneau, an inventor, re-
Gently exhibited before the postmaster
general at Paris new telephotograph
apparatus which can be adapted to the
wireless system or to the ordinary tele-
graph wire system. He transmitted
the picture Of the postmaster general
without the aid of wires from one end
of the hall to the other. The inventor
claims that distance does not interfere
with the effectiveness of his method.
Photographs, he says. can be sent by 1t
between New York and Paris.