Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-04
period of striking irregularity in trade

period of striking irregularity In trade
and industry, but despite evidences OF
widespread caution and repression, q
fair, in some lines q record, business
was done. This, it is conceded, was
generally at the expense Of proflts,
which latter, rather than. the aggre,
gate volume OF business, came in for
widespread complaint. It was a year
of generally high commodity prices,
broken, however, by some remarkable
extremes Of movement In staples,
causing especial strain alike upon
manufacturing industry ana consump-
ton anu eventuating in lessened vol
ume of business and much idle ma
chinery. It was, Furthermore, year
Of decided unsettlement, of intense
agitation in some financial as we'll as
industrial lines, which for the first
time experienced the application of
hitherto untried methods of legal regu-
lation. These, at first viewed with
alarm, later lost most Of their terrors,
and with the passing of the year to-
ward it's close saner views OF pollt1co"
economic questions led to a percepti-
BILE improvement in general sentiment.
" One of the most notable fea-
lures in many lines of trade and In
dustry as the year draws to close
is the air of conservative cheerfulness
in evidence. While there is testimony
to this having solid basis in actual
Improvement already registered, 1t is
plain that some of 1t has had it's rise
in the feeling that there have been
many worse years In the country's
past history and in the apparent belief
that some Of the years doubtful ques-
lions have been: settled. 1t may be
we'll, however, to call attention to.
few, cautionary signals that are Wis
ible. The coming year will In all
probability witness an actively fought
if not, indeed, an exciting presidential
campaign, efforts by both the party in
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
act 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
necessaries Of life. Finally, the effects
upon consumption of shortened agr1-
cultural yields, or, as at the south, OF
much reduced financial crop returns,
as yet to be reckoned with. On the.
other hand, it is probably true that
under existing conditions neither
presidential election nor prospect OF
tariff revision creates the feeling OF
unsettlement that 1t formerly did.
Furthermore, the basic facts cannot be
obscured that stocks of goods are
down to hard pan; that any change
after two years of repression and OF
growing up to the country's produc-
tive capacity is likely to be in the d.
rection of expansion; that money Is
and promises to be reasonably easy,
thus inviting new investment, and
that new crop prospects in the spring
are source Of possible stimulation.
It has already been found in several
industries that given right prices an
excellent trade is possible of develop
ment. There are problems still to be
met and solved, but the cheerfulness
after trial shown by the people at
large eugurs we'll for safe methods
Of trade expansion, for saner views
of possible political progress, and of
legal regulation of business, and for
real national conservation and up
building in the year to come. ,1
Altogether the year opens up with
bright prospects ahead. The past
year witnessed a general disturbance
of business by the Sherman law agita-
ton and a smaller crop than the aver
age yet conditions were not serious
ly disturbed. Given good crop this
year and 1912 should be hummer.