Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-01-02
new YEAR BRINGS
PROSPEROUS TIME,
OBSERVERS Think
President and Speaker Predict a
Business Boom During the
Coming Months.
TRADE REPORTS HOPEFUL
Feeling of Optimism Expressed in
Financial Reviews and Other
Summaries.

Belief that period of real pros
perity will prevail in the United
States with the turn of the new year
has grown considerably during the
last week and has been expressed by
no less persons than President Wilson
and Speaker Champ Clark, while it has
been commented upon in all financial
journals and trade reports, so that the
feeling appears to be countrywide.
A dispatch from Pass Christian,
Miss, where the president has been
spending his holiday vacation. says:
President Wilson believes real
period of prosperity is ahead. With
I the new tariff law in operation and
the currency bill enacted, it is now no
secret that the president believes the
! interstate commerce commission will
grant at least part Of the increases
in rates asked for by the Eastern rail-
roads and also expects this action will
result in the release of millions of
dollars of equipment orders.
"This will have the effect of launch
ing a real wave of prosperity. in the
presidents opinion, and he wants the
trust bugaboo eliminated SO that 1t
will not act as damper on increased
business. He will have his views on
the trust question ready to give to the
committee as soon as he gets back to
The capital"
Speaking In Boston recently on
our Of New England, Speaker Clark
aid;
There is a big business boom COM
ing, sure as shooting. Take the cur
rency bill. 1t will give the small mer-
chant and manufacturer Of the coun-
try money to do the business of the
country. Furthermore, the bill will
absolutely prevent panics. With the
tariff settled and money at their dis
posal business men can look for good
times ahead. There is big boom
coming"
Probably as close q student of cur
rent business conditions in the United
States as there Is, Is w. s. Cousins,
editor of "The American Banker"
whose weekly reports on trade condi-
tions in this country are recognized as
as authoritative as such reviews can
be. What he says, then. in his latest
report issued this week, is valuable as
3 indicating the upward trend of affairs.
Bearing out points made in editorials
in THE WASHINGTON STANDARD last
week, he says:
"Those who have been the most as
tute, as we'll as themost critical observ-
ers of the signs of the times, profess to
see in the present situation the promise
,of the most encouraging prospects for
the new year upon which we are soon
to enter. The newspapers Of the past
week have contained more of that par
ticular kind of information which
, should allay the fears of those who
have lost faith in the future OF the
country than those of any similar pc
riod in many day.
when we read that the new tariff
schedules have been readily acceptable
to the business interests of the coun-
try; that the new currency bill has
been enacted into law: that the policy
OF the Wilson administration toward
big business organizations Is to be one
Of helpfulness and not of unreasonable
persecution, and that the leaders Of
these business organizations have an
nounced their intention and desire to
work in harmony with the authorities
at Washington, it Is not easy to con-
ceive of more substantial array OF
favorable conditions for the transac-
tion of the increasing business of this
great country.
President Wilson has, in fact, al
layed alarm in business circles by his
moderate and conservative attitude to-
ward the large concerns which come
under the provisions of the Sherman
antitrust law. Instead of pushing
matters to extreme by hostile suits by
the department of justice. the corpora
tions concerned have been invited to
cooperate with the government in
adapting themselves to the require
ments of the Sherman law The course
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