Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-08-20
UNCERTAIN AS
TO WAR EFFECTS
Writer in Twin City Bulle-
tin is Optimistic in View
point, However.
PREDICTS AN EASY
TIME FOR FARMER
Will Have Money to Spend,
He Says-Many Food
Stuffs to be Scarce.

The current issue Of The Twin City
Commercial Bulletin, a pub
1iShed in the interests Of the north
west wholesale and retail trade, con-
tains an interesting article on the eff
feet of the wal on business conditions.
The article is written in an optimistic
strain and is re%assuring in many re-
spects, although it declares that the
prices of many necessities are advanc-
ing.
Financial conditions" it says land
the handling Of the crop of the north
west are after all the things on which
the business of this territory will de-
pend. Inquiry from those who are in
a position to know the attitude of the
financial interests. brings the reassur-
ing information that the bankers are
amply prepared to take care Of the
marketing of the crop.
$50 far, the movement has only just
started. Millers are in the market for
large quantities of grain to fill the or
ders they are receiving. Consequent
ly there is no particular need for
wheat going into storage at present.
When the crop moves in such volume
that it cannot be absorbed immedi-
ately by the mills, arrangements will
be made to take care of it."
The article also declares that all
restrictions on the payment of cur
rency have been removed. SO that the
banks are paying out money just as
freely as they were before such action
was taken.
The writer predicts an 'easy street"
jaunt for the farmer. He says:
Conditions are such as will insure
the farmer, when he markets his crop,
receiving his money. AS his grain will
undoubtedly bring a very much higher
price than was anticipated a month
ago, it Is certain that the farmer will
have none to spend for necessities
position to clean up his obligations
to a considerable extent"
Imported goods. the writer declares,
will be scarce. This applies both to
the manufactured article and the raw
material, much Of which is finished
in this country.
The Christmas tree and the chill
dren's stockings this yea will De bar
rem Of many things. for toys, dolls,
ETC., are to be unusually scarce. The
jobbers' stocks of these lines, it is
said, Ire already in this country, and
were purchased for the regular trade.
Large retailers in the big cities usual
ly import these lines through their
agents, and a large part of their pur-
chases have not Inc will not be
o1llPPSo. consequently lllcy dlS luTl-
ing to the jobber, who. 1T is said. is
limiting the sales to the big dealers.
In imported dry goods lines, the
same condition exists. There is the
addition, however. of the increased
demand for exports. This is likely to
materially strengthen the domestic
dry goods market. the writer says,
n may result in price increases.
In the matter Of foodstuffs, things
are more uncertain The wrirer con-
tinueS:
What the o and cereal markets
will do in the immediate future it is
impossible to say. The sugar market
has shown continued strength. The
beet sugar producing countries of
Europe are all at war, which means
that they will hardly be able to sup
export to other nations. if communi-
cation were open. The warning coun-
tries, Is we'll as others. are expected
to be large buyers either of sugar
manufactured in the United States,
OF raw sugar in countries where this
nation buys, and of both.
London exchange is still high; in
surance rates from South America to
this country are high, when they are
obtainable supplies are likely to be
slow and uncertain. All his gives
strength to the coffee market that Is
likely to be prevalent for some time.
Fancy groceries. nuts. imported
raisins, currants. figs and other arti-
cles are likely to be scarce and high
In price. Many of these are m
what in the nature of Injuries, but
their scarcity is almost certain to nave
Its effect OF nan more staple lines,
In that the demand for them will in
crease, in order to take the place Of
the things that have come from
abroad in the nast.'