Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-01-12
Ashland, Ore, Monday, Jan. 12, IA
REVIEW OF YEAR 1918
Henry Clews, New YOrk's Highest
Financial Authority. is Very
Optimistic as to 1914.

New York, Dec. 27, 1913.-No in
telligent observer taking mental
stock of the closing year can escape
the conviction that we have positive
ly entered a new era of great politi-
cal, social and economic possibilities.
This remark does not apply to the
United States alone, but to all Eu-
rope and to the Orient quite as much |
as to the Occident. Civilization is
progressing at a tremendous pace, |
and the year 1913 will go down into
history as one of the most marked |
in social and political changes in sew
eral generations. The striking fea-
ture of this movement has been the !
rise of democracy, and an almost uni |
versal effort to bring government and
people closer together. Education
has been the handspring of this move
ment New ambitions and new wants
have been awakened by this silent
but uplifting force; while art, sci
ence, industry and capital are doing
their utmost to satisfy ever increas-
ing demands. New ideas have been
spread broadcast, a few OF which
might be classed as sound, but large
proportion of which are certainly IL
customary, dangerous and unworkable
while human nature continues what
it is. This movement towards de-
mocracy, usually styled social unrest,
ingly complex and has many reasons
for its existence. Chief of these is
the desire for material betterment.
In this respect there is steady ad-
vance; the average man never having
had more to enjoy than today, and
this in spite of the so-called increased
cost of living, which not infrequently
has been due to higher standards of
living and lack of thrift. What the
outcome OF this movement will be
it is OF course impossible to predict
In the long run it is likely to prove
beneficial and to lead to higher
standards of conduct, and a widel
distribution of material benefits than
heretofore. To those in the thick oi
the battle it is not always easy tC
see the progress already made. New
ertheless, within the past decade big
forward strides have been taken. In
spite OF popular denunciation, bust
ness standards were never so higl
as today. Many abuses have beer
permanently eliminated. Much legis
iation has been enacted for benefi
OF the masses. Benevolence and hu
manitarianism were never upon sucf
a wide and intelligent scale as today
Social betterment and science are do
ing much to improve moral and hy
sienic conditions, and IL the average
man could only be induced to stol
and take account of these various
gains he would find much less occa
sion for prevailing pessimism, and
great many reasons for a more ra
tional optimism. AS matter OF fact
there is less cause for popular dis
content in the United States toda!
than there has been for many years
and a recognition Of this fact woult
do much to restore popular conf
dence, business activity and NOR
genuine goodwill.
Problems Being Solved.
The year 1913 closes with man,
reasons for encouragement which die
not exist when II began. II opene'
with grave uncertainties concerning
tariff, currency, trusts and railroad
Jproblems which for many years hav
been at the bottom OF much OF tn
diScontent in business and politics
It closed with several OF these prob
lens practically settled and with ad
justment to the new order OF thing
the CHIEF necessity Of the future.
The tariff bill has been passed an
is now beyond range OF discussio
which kept so large a portion OF tn
business community under constar
discouragement and uncertaint,
Our manufacturers now know tn
conditions upon which their calculi
tions must be based, and they ca
20 ahead without disconcerting vi
certainty. or course, foreign con
petition is a somewhat unknown IA