The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-03

annual production of gold nevertheless
it has been instantly and advantageous
" absorbed by the American people
But when, late in the fall, official sta
tistics were published showing that the
worlds production of gold each year
and for the past six or seven years
has been in excess of three hundred
millions and that at a rough estimate
in the past ten years three billions of
new gold has passed from the mines
into circulation or into the arts, then
there began to be for the first time any
comprehension of how great FACTOR
this stupendous production OF gold may
have been in world affairs.
Recently there have been computa-
tons made of the amount OF new CAPT.
tai created by the utilization of APP
paratus by which the electric current
is employed probably for business I'M
dertakings. Accurate figures are not
obtainable. but the amount of new
capital thus created and invested IN
electricity in it's various commercial
forms has been estimated at about four
thousand million dollars. Whether this
estimate be approximately correct or
not the fact is that the utilization or
electricity has not only created new
wealth in enormous amounts and alb
sorbed vast amounts Of capital, but
has axerted a most important influence
in the management of business itself
But for the telegraph and telephone
in all probability the big business com
of and it has been observed that the
most careful and conservative think
ers. both among business men and in
public life, now regard these big COM
binations as inevitable. rejecting the
operations of an economic law which
lay behind the perfecting of electricity
to commercial use. This view is taken
| by both Republican and Democratic
statesmen. So, too, it is now regarded
as inevitable that there be speedily
i or a in 10 PTClAl
zaticn of machines which travel
| through the air and there is also a
! large use For apparatus of that kind In
| countries where hitherto climatic or
/ forest difficultias-like central Africa
or central South America-have made
/ it impractical to attempt exploration
or exploitation. Already in this city
| there begin to be glimpses of the bril-
/ liant dawn of the day when the Pana-
ma canal is opened up for navigation
For these and for other reasons our
business men are beginning to under
stand that what is really in progress in
| the United States and in other parts
of the world is an earnest attempt to
| adjust society and civilization to new
economic conditions. These conditions
have been created in great measure by
the wonderful achievements of men of
/ science who in the past twenty-five
years have been able to master some OF
| the forces of nature so that they may
| be serviceable to mankind. What poll
tics in the broader, the higher, sense is
! now attempting in this country, our
: business men are beginning to under
stand is the perfecting of legislation
which will make it possible for the new
conditions created by scientific dis
coveries and invention to run riot. Our
/ business men are beginning frankly tc
| say that what the American people as
! a whole are now attempting to do is tc
perfect adequate measures by which
these economic agents may be directed
controlled or regulated. This change
the month of January, is regarded as
the most striking feature of the new
year HOLLAND.