New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-16
BUSINESS AND CROPS
Il Chicago Banks Summary of Con-
.litions Throughout the Country.

r,a commercial National Bank of Chicago, in
its ninth annual crop Repors ana he''e" OF
Business Conditions" says. in part;
YIELDS OF the great cereals this year "a, are al re
CURED to give il first or second p SS S4t Nv SS
when wheat corn ana oa's, 90 : COZ go 900
bushels The yield OF wheat an acre was oh4y eA-
$4,000 susheis fails little below the 1906 crop Of
7S5 25oooO bushels which was me Secona iaiSyS go
crop gathered. the record telhs mace ~ IsoL
when 7sS 000e0 bushels took the edge or poor
yield. The erect OF this great CROP eoillils
business. il comes in time repienish the depleted
XSsrefo,5ses and stores The returns are the
gratifying because the year opened unlropluousl.-
terms of faint and scattered signs OF industrial re-
vivai The evidence Of improving conditions Is
iOn,- abundant and conclusive TO be galnsaid me
movement has developed so rapidly during the lasi
three months. and Low includes so many INES ana
has gained such n UNI, that with ipndalnehlai
conditions an Favorable relapse is no longer 10
In last years review The farmers and the rail
roads called the strongest and the weakest
the situation of the railroads and their relation to
the general situation are rapidly CLEANSING Ihelr
troubles TWO years ago We're various ana urSaten-
ing The costs OF operation had been rapidly m
creasng. and hostile legislation both reducing
Their revenues and lmpalrlng thelr credit. ne
did not object strenuouSly TO national regulation
rates and conditions was alarming. Early in 1897
the collapse of the market FOR railway securities
Improvements while the panic and decline of reve-
nue. stopped them peremptorily policy OF rlgld
economy was adopted, under the necessity OF which
the wage rate was generallv maintained.
Within recent weeks projects covering new con-
struction work have been taken UP, and extensions
ton The railroads are not yet spending money
as they dd in the years 1866 but al the rate
the traffic OF the country is developing they must
constantly improve their facilities for handling It
Money Is now obtalnabie on fair terms ana a 5000
degree cf activity in railway construction may De
expected next year.
Building operations throughout the country are
on unprecedented scale. the permits issue
in cities where records are kept showing for the
over the first six months Of lsH and slightly in
cess Of the phenomenSl year 1897
result of the depression, ranging up TO Is per
pain has beer in the higher ef6ciency OF Ia hor
ore firm divides its economies into : per cent in
rate Of wages. Is per cent IN increased efficiency
IN volume this gain in efficiency tends TO disappear.
FIRST 10 lose employment. is taken back In many
AInes te oenlano Iot LABOR aireaoN exceeds ne
uppply this being particularly true Of high class
IN circular to business firms soliciting facts
ana views Tor this report mention was made Of the
prevailing tendency of prices upward during the
ing the cause. and expression was invited upon
this subject Many OF our correspondents respond
them attribute the rising prices 10 growing
scarcity OF raw materials and increasing wages
rather than TO the influence Of monopoly the
new supplies of gold Many are disposed TO be-
slider the subject rather too aSstruse for definite
Among business men, generally. the tendency 10
consolidation is not regarded as a threat OF mo-
nopoly or IS an influence for higher prices. bur
rather as an inevitable and usually advantageous
development.
The most famous commodity tables in existence
are those compiled by A. Sauerbeck Of London.
which were made familiar in the United States
during the silver agitation At that time the
grievance that prices falling. and that
Injustice being inflicted upon the producers
Mr. Sauerbecks tables were based upon the prices
ef forty-fve commodities in the London market
during the eleven years, 1867 =. He has averaged
the monthly prices Of the same commodities each
year thereafter down TO date. and compared them
with the eleven years average by a percentage
calculation His tables show the following per
centages from 1875 10 1905 inclusive: