Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-09-06
By Henry Clews.

New York, Aug. 2s-This is the
season when crops are the controlling
factor in business. At the moment
the outlook is for much bigger agri
cultural product in both quantity ano
values than the country has ever ex
perienced. A big wheat crop, fine il
weight and quality, has already beer
harvested and is bringing good prices
The biggest corn crop on record will
soon begin to be garnered. This
crop has already overcome its back
wardness and is now normal as to
time. In another week or two cut
ting will become more general and
if frosts is only escaped in the corn
belt until the usual date, which is
about October l, the biggest crop in
record will the be practically safe.
Some enthusiastic estimates are run.
ming as high as 3,00o,0OO,OoO bushels.
The only important crop concerning
which there is real uncertainty is cot
ton. Present expectations are fer a
100000 bale yield or over, but an.
other three or four weeks of good
weather is necessary to bring these
results. August is usually a
month of deterioration in cotton, it
would be well to hold extreme cptim-
ism somewhat in reserve. tt is al
ready an old story that We have Sc
cured big crops of hay, oats, fruit
etc. Nothing short Of disastrous
weather, therefore, can now prevent
a year Of record breaking prosperity
for the American farmer. This means
a powerful stimulus to many lines of
industry. The corn crop by itself is
of incalculable value, because If the
many directions in which it is utilized
as food or for manufacturing pur-
poses. Cotton, too, is one Of the vital
elements in our national prosperity;
being one of our mainstays in the ex-
port trade, as well as a ruling factor
in eur textile industries. These two
great crops will not only vitalize
many industrial pursuits, but will also
enable our farmers to be liberal buy
ers of both luxuries and necessities
during the coming winter.
Local merchants throughout the
Northwest ase confident Of good bust.
ness this autumn. TIL. leading bank
eTs in that section are also exceed
ingly optimistic. Railroad managers
throughout the Northwest are strain
ing every effort to avoid congestion
CT traffic when the crops begin to
mcve, Reports of an impending ear
famine are coming from al! directions,
and can only be averted by shippers
promptly cooperating with The rail-
reads in avoiding s1eh conditions.
One oe the most beneficial effects Of
a big harvest would be its tendency
to reduce the cost of living. Food,
the principal tenn in she cost Of living
to the masses, will certainly be cheap.
er at first hands; and if there is not
a substantial decline in the prices of
breadstuffs and meats next winter it
will not be the fault of the American
farmer. The blame if any, will be
more than likely to fall upon the dis
tributor. .-.
: The activity of the iron trade con
tinues phenomenal. Prices have risen
s$6 to So per ton from the lowest point.
Many plants are running to the full
limit of their capacity, and com
plants are increasing of tardy deliv-
cries. The demand for steel products
Of course, comes chiefly from the rail.
roads, which are compelled to renew
both equipment and rails upon an ex
tensive scale. The possibility that
steel prices will advance still further
is also forcing out many orders which
have been deferred s long as pos
sible. Orders for rails thus far in
August have reached over 100000
tons and are quite likely to exceed
100000 tons before the month closes.
There is also 4 notable increase in
the construction of large buildings in
our principal cities which Of course,
consumes heavy quantities of iron.
This is proving the second element Of
Importance in the iron industry. The
iron trade has always been consider
ed one of our best barometers and
its activity in this instance can be
directly attributed to increased traf-
fc and housing requirements follow
ing the growth Of a wonderfully ac-
tive population.
With the two greatest Industries in
such sound and active condition, how
long win it be possible to defer bust
ness activity At present business is
prosperous here and there because of
the liberal profits arising from ad-
vancing prices, but what about the
volume Of buanesss That is not in
creasing satisfactorily. While Europe
has been enjoying an enormous trade
expansion during the last two years
quite as great in quantity as in value
the United States has been practical