The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-01-07
A REVIEW OF THE YEAR 1909
A Few of the Most Important Events
That Have Been Accomplished
In the Year just Closed


That coy bird, Prosperity, return
ed to it's perch after two years OF
Eighty behavior Unemployment di-
minished, though it did not disappear
Money flowed more freely. The esti-
mate by the Bureau of the Census
of the population of the United States
(continentaD gives S7,9S3,00 for
January /, 1909; and for January |,
1910, S7,6S4,0O0.
The preliminary estimates of the
principal 1909 crops show two per
cent gain over 1908 and a nine per
cent gain over the average of the
preceding five years. Farm products
for 1909 are valued at $S,700,O00,-
OO0-an eleven per cent gain over
1908. In ten years the value of farm
products has come just short of doub-
ling-$70,0O 100000 for the de-
cade.
The three main crops in value are
corn, cotton, and wheat. The corn
crop for 1909 is $1,720, 100000. The
Department of Agriculture estimates
10,80O.0OO bales on the 1909 cotton
crop. This is lower than expectation
by half million to million bales.
Supplies of old cotton on hand al
excellent foreign crops will save the
situation.
Wheat at the farm is estimated at
1925, 900, 000-best of all years in
value because of the relationship of
supply to price. In size the wheat
crop has been twice surpassed. A
dollar a bushel is it's November farm
highest since 1881.
These figures are largely hopeful
and induce New Years thrill of pat
riotic pride and complacenCe. But
in bitter contrast with them are the
estimates on cost of living At the
of December, Christmas
steers sold in open Chicago market
at $9.50-the highest price on record
in the memory of business men. Lard
sold at the highest prices since the
early seventies. A canvass in fifty
cities shows that the total average
retail cost charged to customers on
beef is 3S per cent above the whole
sale cost paid by the retailers.
Seventy million domestic money
orders were issued, and their value
was $50O,0O0.000. Over three mil
ion international money orders were
ssued in the United States, and their
value was $70,00O,O00.
The revenues of the postal service
or the year have been 5000, 100000
The increase in the volume of postal
business has been enormous in the
asst decade. Business has increased
$100,000,000 worth, and that is ia
Yer cent.
The national forests cover 1874,
100 900 acres. In 1908 nearly H.
100 900 acres were added to the area. |
The national forests conserve most of
he water and one-third of the timber
# the West They are worth more
han $2,OO0,O00,OO0 During the
ear 100000 cattle and horses and
100000 sheep and goats grazed
within national forests. That was
IL and 81 per cent of
he range stock of the West The
Otal cut of national forest timber
uring the year was nearly 100000
90 board feet. The range supported
early 100000 more head of stock
han during the preceding year
The actual increase in the alien
opulation of the United STATES is
43,843. In 1908 the actual increase
'as 209,S67; so that the increase for
he last year exceeded that Of the pre-
eding year by 333,976. This growth
as confined to the last six months
the fiscal year. The trend of i'm
ligration, then, is reassuniing the
Irge proportions of the years pre-
eding the financial panic.
Of the immigrants 191.Ul9 could
either read nor write. That is 20
er cent of illiteracy. The aliens I
rought $17,000,000, an average of
$3.50 apiece.
Foreign commerce has SHOWN a
larked increase in value of imports I
nd decline in value Of exports I
hen compared with the year, be-
IRE. The increase in imports was
liefly in materials for use in man
In foodstuffs there was
n advance of $37,000,000 in i'm
)rts.
In exports, foodstuffs fell off $50 :
10000, crude materials for use in
anufacturing $4,000, 200, manu-
ctures for further use. in .manufact- I
ing 100000, and manufactures
lady for consumption $4,000, 900. }
The increased importation of food
uffs and manufacturers materials is
lie to the quickened business activi I
es of 1909.
The total value of imports was
1,920,224. against $1194,341,- 4
" in 1908. The total value of ex-
'rts was $1,663,011,1O4 in 1909.
,ainst $1,S60,773,346 in 1908.
The activity in shipbuilding, which
rs immense in 1908 and for the de-
de preceding, fell to 1,247 mer-
ant vessels, built and documented I
the United States, with 238,O90
oss tons-smallest product since
1913.
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