The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-31

more. The fear Of foreign cILnp a.
Hon il decreasing and the buying a.
readv IN evidence in steel lines inal-
catas a gradual increase In actlVlty
heginning with the first Of the yeaI;
Operations. and possibly prices, Will
remain as they are or decline Slightly
between this date and a i. l. ID
THE Dig iron situation may be salu
to be improving already, althouen
prices are practically at cost OF pLo-
duction and bookings are light. some
large orders have been placed since
Dec. 1 for iron. There is some I'M
nrovement in the copper SITUATION
the visible supply being down to az
most nothing, and the production pc
low normal. The price decline mas
been checked and prices may pc SOU
| to be hard at all markets. The Worlo S
visible supply Of electrolytic coppeA
Is the smallest ever reported.
The average price OF all co!hhloui
ties is about stationary and there Is
no indication of either any marheu
| advance or decline in the near future'
the gains in certain comGnoul'i hx,
| which are inevitable being Offset oy
| the prospective decline in prices OF
other articles. -
While only a slight Improvement Is
in evidence in the anthracite coal
| trade, the retailers are doing a goou
| business. The bituminous trade IS III
O. declining condition and this. coupled
| with a considerable decline in COKE
| production, sums up a wholly I'M
satisfactory condition for the pro
| ducers of fuel. Inactivity in the steel
business is responsible in a large
measure for the condition.
The number of shares traded on the
| New York exchange for November
was, with the exception of August, the
smallest Of the year and smaller than
any previous month zinc 1907, total
ing only 1886, 600 shares. The bone
sales for the month were the lightes'
| since August, 1910. The average
price of a selected list of high grade
stocks is, however, a point higher thar
a month ago, although twenty points
below the beginning of the year. Bono
prices average at their low point fol
the year and lower than at any date
since 1907. These figures apply only
to sales on the New York exchange
Bond transactions just recently hav'
been heavy at private sale and, IL
spite of the dull bond market, a con
| siderable part of the bonds Offered
have been quietly absorbed by inves
tors who believe prices have practical
ly reached the low level.
The final report Of the government
On 1913 crops shows that although TIL
grain crops fell 10 per cent below 191
and the cotton crop a shade below
1912, the farm value of these crop
was considerably greater than las
year. On Dec. l, the farm value o
the fourteen principal crops was onl,
slightly under SIS, 200, O00, 900 while tn
value Of the same crops last veal
with a much larger volume, was onl,
4,757, 000, 900. The cotton crop, TO
example, will sell for more none,
than the bumper crop of 1911. Thes
facts, coupled with the excellent con
dition of winter wheat, rye and oat
at this date, ought to make the yea
1914 look bright to the farmers an,
planters.
The officers and directors of thi
bank take this opportunity to wis
you a most prosperous and successful
year in 1914.
Respectfully submitted,
The First National Bank.
Compiled Dec. 10, 1918.