The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-30
Business During the Past Year
Bradstreets Report Shows that Despite Caution and Re-
preston, a Fair Business Was Done
Over the Country.
Of the northwest where past crops had


been deficient, and from the south,
where low-priced cotton late in the
Year repressed both purchases and
! 4, nentS. no real concern seemed Wis
lale Wet or mild weather retarded
r,>t9l trade in December, but holiday
trade MS Of good volume.
Commodity prices justly came in
fer blame as hampering some indus
tres. Thus. high priced cotton and
.,il>sr-N to place goods made ,herefrom
,;:lis,nI much short time from January
Well into September. Later. uncer-
VANITY as to the extent of the decline
hamr"red dealings. Efforts to sell
iron and steel were not crowned with
success until low. perhaps cost, prices
were reached in some instances. Then.
hnNe>er. consumers acted promptly.
and although the railroads were out OF
the market early in the year. their
purchases Of cars and equipment lat
II on was a welcome support to the
market Building was Quieter than in
III. preceding two years. but still eN
nd:tNres bulked large in the year $
records. Exports especially werc
helped early by lower prices for foods.
and European markets We're rcopened
~ our cereals and meats, while iron
and steel and cotton also swelled the
balance Of trade in this country's fav-
or, Later on low prices for cotton re-
,:uced the favorable balance slightly
w, cd ,koc <,f
manufacturers materials, were only Il
shade below the 1910 record. labor
came through the year quite we'll. re
ductiors in working time rather than
III wages paid being the chief charac-
tsristc. The number of strikes and
Of strikers was less than half those of
1910. The number of those in bust
ress increased largely during the
year hut the number failing was not
greatly enlarged, and liabilities in
fact fell Off
Looking Forward.
One Of the most notable features in
many lines of trade and industry as
tAe year draws to close is the air OF
conservative cheerfulness in evidence.
While there is testimony to this hav-
ing a solid basis in actual improve.
ment already registered, it is plain that
some of it has had its rise in the feel
ing that there have been many worse
years in the country's past history
and in the very apparent belief that
some of the years doubtful questions
have been settled. 1t may be we'll
however, to call attention to a few
cautionary signals that are visible
The coming year will in all prObabili'
ty witness an actively fought, if not
indeed. very exciting presidential
campaign, efforts by both the party III
power and that in opposition to play
politics and incidentally tinker with
the tariff, and it no doubt will see con
tinued efforts to put the antitrust acl
to further use in legal way. Then
too, present and probably future high
prices for food will constitute a bar to
fullest buying Of the secondary neces
saries of life. Finally, the effects up
on consumption Of shortened agricul
tural yields, or, as at the South. OF
much reduced financial crop returns
are yet to be reckoned with. On the
other hand, it is probably true that un
der existing conditions neither a presi
dental election nor a prospect of tariff
revision creates the feeling of unsettle
ment that it formerly did. Further
more. the basic facts cannot be OBJ
scured that stocks of goods are dowr
/ to hard pan; that any change after
two years of repression and of growing
up to the country's productive capaci
/ ~ is likely to be in the direction of ex
! pension; that money is and promises
to be reasonably easy, thus inviting
, new investment, and that new croI
prospects in the spring are source
Of possible stimulation. 1t has al
: ready been found in several indus
tries that given right prices an ex
: cellent trade is possible of develop
mont. There are problems still to b.
met and solved. but the cheerfulnes:
after trial shown by the people a.
: large augurs we'll for safe methods O
! trade expansion, for saner views O
possible political progress and of lega
regulation of business, and for rea
national conservation and upbuildint
! in the year to come.