The Washington times., 1915-11-21

Prosperity brought to the United
States by the European war. con-
fined for months TO specialized In
dustries and producers of food prod
ucts. has gradually extended through
a greater demand Tor labor and in
creased wages until at length Ameri-
can markets have broadcned to a
point seldom before witnessed.
Today practically every industry
has booked orders for its products
before they are made, with the result
that old stocks of goods have been
cleaned out and little. or none. OF the
present output Is Eojng Into stock.
The thoroughfarcs of trade are be-
coming congested by the enormous
movement of freight to and fro. The
railroads which for years have or
d,ied practically no equipment he
cause of their poverty stricken con-
dition. are placing osdeis for cars
and locomotives IN enormous volume,
but deliveries will be impossible in
time to relieve the carriers from the
embarrassing prcdicament that Will
confront them before the winter is
over, Fortunately the political tenn
Dor of the country is now directed to
the conservation of the commercial
u,tclIcs, and with the growing ease
ui money they viii henCttorth De
able to Iinancc their Necessities with
increasing facility. In the meantime
,uvy have apparently begun to pront
from their hard lessons Ia economy,
lor, after all. most of their ills are
directly traceablc to eNtravaganceS
10 tn" limit Of profligacy. Most of
the trunk lines of the country have
merged from a long period of de-
preston. with their efficiency 50 sys-
tematiZed that If their present pros
petty continues. their operating in
come Is certain to show surprising
results. The movements of their Sc
,uritics have only in a small measure
as yet begun to discount this devel-
vl ment.
Unlike anything In recent years. trans
continental freight Is keeping every
available car on all the big Northwest
roads busy; Eastbound freight. con
slsting of lumber, grain. and fruit, Is
heavier than for several years. The
Glcat Northern has had to borrow
freight cars from several railroads OF
cihC WAS forced to send all of its new
equipment to the Coast. The newer
Milwaukee line has had all the freight
II can take care 9f right along in spite
of its lack of feeders.
Freight westbound Is heavy. a large
sspount of 1t being destined for ship.
nlent by steamship to Japan, China, nd
Siberia. The movement from Seattle tC
\ladvostok has increased 1000 per cent
IN the last six months. The local freight
yards and the Oriental docks are con.
ecsted with freight offerings, some OF
the Japanese ships having freight book.
ed six months ahead.
with the unusual and uncxpeCte &c
heavy passenger traffic all the past
summer taxing the big railroads, thi!
harvest OF freight Is making the bust,
ress the most profitable in its,history.
Conditions in the steel trade have
reached the point whore they are a
source of positive embarrassment tc
mi II. The capacity of the modern
plants has become so overtaxed that
many OF the corporations are compelled
to reopen works which several months
ago they were prepared to dismantlC
because of their obsolete character
Earnings for the current quarter are
running beyond the most optimistic es
Inmates of the late summer. The United
States Steel Corporation, II the prcseu
price Is kept up, will show net returns
ior october. November. and December IA
the rate Of over 500 o0O.0OO year
an unprecedented total All tn,
steel companies. according to theil
capitalization. will make correspond
ing showing. No smal part Of this ex
pansion Is due directly or indirectly tC
the European demand for ordnance anC
munitions, hut constantly increasing
proportion Ia IN legitimate response I,
the uuickening pulse of domestic bust
ness.
With It's output sold for three month!