The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-23
HENRY CLEWS. AND BUSINESS

The prime actor in our business sit
uation at the moment is the splendid
crop outlook. Wheat has been doing
particularly we'll The result has
been a decline of about lie per bushel
during the past month. and the out.
look is for yield of about 700 ,000,-
1000 bushels, compared with 621,000,-
600 last year, provided no injury oc-
/ curs during the next ten days The
only crops of Importance concerning
which there is any uncertainty are
corn and cotton. Both are late, but
have recovered much of the lost
ground. Their present outlook is for
a very large yield. but both crops have
a number of weeks to run before ma
iturity. August is usually month Of
deterioration for both OF these crops.
whose chief danger is early frost.
Fortunately there is ample margin In
present conditions to secure full av-
ferase yield if nothing more than ordi-
nary deterioration occurs. The out
look agriculturally, therefore. is emf
rently satisfactory: and once more
the farmers who must still be consid-
cred the backbone of the country are
assured profitable harvest
Prices are still high for nearly all
agricultural products, but that mus.
be chiefly attributed to relative scar
city. The United States is much in
need of better results from the farm
The last census shows that while our
population increased 20 per cent in
the decade the acreage under cuultiva-
ton increased about 2 per cent. This,
ut need hardly he said, has not little
TO do with the high cost OF living
Our farmers should get busy and in
crease their product by more scientific
methods, if not by larger acreage
Living on the farm is in many re-
spects much more attractive than for
merly, and it is high time that the
tide should turn back to the farm, if
only to prevent the unwholesome, con-
gestion of population in our large cit
les which seriously augments social
discomfort and unrest.
Another direction In which i'm.
provements is noticeable is in the iron
trade. The railroads have again been
buying materials and equipment with
greater freedom and in spite of adj
vancing prices. It is many months
since the steel trade has been in as
satisfactory condition as today Pro-
duction is running on a record-break-
ing scale General business cannot be
expected to persistently ignore such
encouraging conditions in agriculture
and in the great basic steel Industry
From all parts of the interior come re-
ports OF increasing confidence on the
part of business men, bankers and
those at the head of Industrial af-
| fairs. Preparations are now being
made for good fall and winter trade.
i Politics are much less disturbing and
there is an inclination to sidetrack
such issues as far as possible. West
Of the Alleghanies the drift OF senti-
ment is decidedly toward optimism,
and this feeling is slowly but surely
making itself felt throughout the en-
! tire Atlantic seaboard.
The monetary outlook has improv-
ed. A better demand for funds is an
ticipated in the early future owing to
crop requirements and the increasing
activity of business. Our banks have
been strengthening their position BIZ
calling in of loans, which evidently
had much to do with last weeks IL
quotation in stocks. The situation
abroad has been much easier since the
July settlements in Berlin were safely
passed, and there is no immediate
/ prospect of any further European d..
rnands upon our financial resources