The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-31
Review Of Local Conditions
Shows Good and Bad Features of 1915 Business

A review of conditions in this
county at the close of the year is
at once disappointing and assuring.
The beet crop alone lends optimism
to the situation at first gIance. There
is more acreage and more tonnage.
Aside from that there Is vein of
gloom in the review.
The hay crop was not so good
this year, but the price is better.
The potato crop of 1915 was on
fewer acres and not so many in a
hill; but the price is good The yield
of grain was only fair and the price
is fair. Hogs flourished in 1915,
but pork is low if ono .; selling as
a producer. 1t is sttI nigh when
selling across the counter. Other
meat products commaha good prices
and there is considerable in the
country. Horses have been sold off
until there is not much to be shipped
out.
The record of products shipped out
by rail from Blackfoot for the year
1915 shows a slight gain over 1914,
but 1t has bad analysis. Taking
the sugar beets out of the review
and dealing with all other shipments
out, it shows a decline of 33 per
cent from 1914. But even that has
its hopeful side, for the fall of 1914
witnessed the shipment of hundreds
of car loads of potatoes that profit
ed little or nothing and the 1915 po-
tatoes are in storage IN ,ne county
and moving slowly at double the
price of year ago. The same may
be said of hay. Little of it has been
shipped this fall, but on the con.
trary it is being fed to focks and
the fiocks are still to be sold and the
price will be good. Not much of
the grain has been shipped and much
of it is being consumed by stock and
will bring rich returns as compared
with grain shipped as such. In short,
the beet crop and the sales of alfalfa
and clover seed have carried the fl |
nancial burdens of the fall trade, and
enabled people to hold their other
products for better prices or to be
converted into meat products that
will bring in money later.
People staid at home and worked |
In 1915. At least the record of pas
senger travel by rail does not ascend
with the usual ratio over the past
year. With all the added travel to
the expositions, local passenger re-
ceipts show only a small increase
over 1914. People bought autos it
is true and they travelled some that
way, but the public records show
great numbers of mortgages paid off.
Business In the abstract office has
been light, indicating few sales and
few mortgages given. Fall trade
among the merchants has been good
and collections on accounts have been
gratifying. People are cul-
tivating thrift and paying up. Bank
deposits are mounting higher than
ever before, as shown by bank state
ments published, and we have evil
dence that two local banks have
enough depositors to make an &C
count for every family in the county.
It Is not claimed that every family [
in the county has bank account or
money to their credit, nor do the I
TWO banks in the county seat do all I
he banking business done in the {
county 1t does indicate, tho, that g
he citizens Of the county are play
ng the financial game ON approved I
plans and are getting ahead. Ia
The freight shipments out Of Ia
for 1915 totaled 4.237 cars e
against 4,172 in 1914. OF this num-
Der 1876 cars we're sugar beets, r
against 2,125 cars Of sugar beets in
1914. Other products amounted to
1852 car loads in 1915, against
',047 cars in 1914. Comparison by
ar loads per month is given below c
md 1t includes the beet and potato
hipment in both years, but in 1914
he potato shipments ran high in o
october and November and in 1915 8
hey were neglible, but beet ship \