The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-16
ITS TONE IS OPTIMISTIC.

ITS TONE IS OPTIMISTIC. / The Continental and Commercial bank of Chicago publishes an annual crop and business report" It con- tains a general summary of f1nan- ofal. commercial and industrial condi- tions.~ and is an interesting deliver ance.
 It estimates the wheat crop at 657,- cod, 600 bushels, a decrease of So,000,O0o bushels from last year, but equal to the average of the last ten years; corn at 5000. O.00O, 900 bushels, an in crease of 225.0o0. 900 bushels; oatso at i.071, ,eoo,oo bushels, an increase of 10000 900; cotton at 100000 bales, an increase of 7o0,o00. The point of greaAest general interest in this con- nectfcn is ..the surety of . reinstate- ment of the food animals. which had been running below the normal num- Der the past three years, on account of shortage of food and excessive de- mand."
 Of general business conditions, the summary states that Judged by such indices as the bank clearings, postal receipts, railway tonnage, building statistics, iron and steel output, de- mand for labor and the tendency of wages, the country has been forging ahead at an unexampled rate.''
 With regard to court decisions lun- der the antitrust act and the con- troversy over railway rates cit seems certain that in the long run the laws will have to be such that industrial development can go on in a normal and effective manner, and so framed and enforced that while the public has a remedy against the exactions of monopoly. the wastes of excessive competition may be avoided" This is the problem upon which the law makers and courts are now engaged. Upon the wages question, the sum- mary states that "'eur exports of manufactures steadily Increase" and added. High wages are not neces- sarily a handicap to industry; they are always an accompaniment of in- dustrial progress. The more efficient and productive a people become and the more machinery they use. the higher the wage scale will be. and the higher the standard of living"
 With regard to conditions, viewed as . whole, the summary says:
 The general tenor of replies to our letter of inquiry is confident and en- couraging. The country is prosper ous. There is work for everybody, in many localities complaint that pro- ductton Is restricted for want of la bor end the competition of employers is pushing wages steadily higher. It is interesting to note the complaint try is making labor scarce and dear, for 1t illustrates how each develop ment of civilization reacts upon the condition of the humblest member of society.
 The volume of business has been large. but there are frequent com platnte that competition is sharper and the margin of pront smaller than ever, that labor is dictatorial and that improved methods are constantly required to offset it's demands. But the story of industrial progress reads like that from the beginning.
 If the corn and cotton crops fulfill their present promise the country will have a solid basis for another year of substantial prosperity. The industries and enterprises of the coun- try will go forward upon this with
 
 One of the more interesting discus- sions in the summary pertains to the automobile. While expressing the opinion that 'fthe enormous outlay is an extravaganza that the country can i'll afford" the argument of an automobile manufacturer is given as follows:
 The industry is based upon an ab- solutely sound economic demand. As a result of the great activity in the automobile industry, there was not only an apparent, but an actual re- covery from the panic of 1907, earlier than might ordinarily have been ex- pected Persons who have studied the conditions are convinced that if if had not been for the automobile industry the general business of the country today, compared to the panic of 1907 would be in. about the same condition as the general business of the country in 1896, as compared with the panic of 1893. For a number of wears the country has been absorbing in the neighborhood of a million horsse-drawn vehicles annually, which inclr1des vehicles for passenger, freight and agricultural purposes. Every single owner of a horse-draWn vehicle of inc simplest and cheapest type, will be an actual ultimate buyer of a motor driven vehicle. Even though fhe motor vehicle may cost more than flne horse-drawn vehicle. the increased eflciency in the way of health and activity of the owner of the motor driven vehicle, will more than offset fhe increase in cost of the motor Ye- hicle. In view of the manifest sound economic basis of the motor vehicle industry, it seems incomprehensible that certain gentlemen, otherwise in feIligent, shoud be so short-slghted as to attempt to "kill the goose that laid the golden egg" or to Hook a eift horse in the mouth" This IS rapidly moving age, and inside of ten years from this date the present crit les of the motor vehicle will be class ed in the same category as, the farm iaborers who opposed the reaping ma chine. and the legislators who ridicul- ed the telegraph and other great in- ventions. e.
 The general tone of the views ex- pressed by this great financial author ity of the West, is optimistic.
 We infer from the comments of Republicax> organs upon the announce