Middletown transcript., 1916-07-08
'GANADASE E1EILL
FINANCIAL STANDING
Bank ClearingS Inerease-Agri-
culture Is a Paying Indus
try-ManufaCtureS
Doing Well.

BUSINESS experts assert titdi Odh
ada is on the threshold of perhaps
the most prosperous era in her his
tory. The unprecedented value Of
the farm products of 1915, together
with the very large output of factories
working on munitions Of war has sud
denly brought the country into Il pO-
sition, financially, scarcely hoped for
| as a nation for years to come. Elk
port surplus Of $50,OOOO00 a month is
making Canada very strong in cash"
Extract from official bulletin OF Feb
ruary II, 1916.
The response by the farmers of Can
| ada to the call for increased produc-
! ton in 1915 was a total net output
exceeding one billion dollars, an in
crease over normal years Of ut least
three hundred millions. The three
Prairie Provinces contributed prob
ably nearly one-half of the total prod
uct.
The wheat crop was worth $4,000
coo, and accounted for about 80 per
cent Of the total agricultural product
dairying. In Ontario the dairy pro
duction was increased 20 per cent,
and prices were over 10 per cent
ahead of 1914. Other provinces shared
in the increase, especially Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova SEQ
tia. The dairy COW was ION the job"
in 1915. So also were the beef cattle.
the pigs and the hens.
It is not fair to the farmers Of the
Prairies to call the wheat crop of 1915
miracle" crop. The farmers cnlti-
waited more land and gave attention
TO their seed. Providence gave them
favorable weather. Then they toiled
early and late in the harvesting and
threshing. Good cultivation gave big
ger yields than careless work. Is bush
els as against %.
The wealth Of Western Canada is
by no means all in its wheat crop. If
the country had no wheat at all il
would still be famous as a land of sue
ceSSful farmers on account of its stock
production. From one shipping point
(High River. Alberta) over 75,000G0
worth of horses have been sold in the
last two months. The average price
TO the farmer has been about $175.00
per head. According to Government
returns there are a million and Il half
horses in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta. worth probably S150,e00090.
The investments which farmers of
iVo IN
stock and farm Improvements are
good evidence of the fact that they
have money for these purposes. It Is
apparent however, that they are also
spending some of their profits on
those things which will bring greater
comfort and enjoyment to themselves,
their wives and their families. The
automobile trade all through the
country is particularly active. and
farmers are the biggest buyers. A re-
cent report of the Saskatoon district
shows that in two months a million
dollars worth of automobiles have
been sold. largely to farmers. Nor are
all of these cars of the cheaper makes;
some high-priced machines are in de
mand
Bank clearings throughout the West
ern Provinces show greater CONNER
cial activity than at the same season
in 1915 or 1914, the increase for the
last week Of February being $S,0G9000
and almost $9,OON,OOO, respectively.
for the first week of March $15.600,-
900 over 1915 and $1S,OO0GOO over
1914. The same excellent story comes
from Moose Jaw, Sask., where they
showed from 40 to 100 per cent over
the previous year. Calgary, Alta.
bank clearings continue to reflect the
greatly improved business conditions
as compared with year ago. Cana
da's bank clearngs for the month Of
February. 1916, were the greatest for
any February in the cOuntry's history
The totals amounted to $G64, ,222. .O0OO0
as compared with $497. .296,000.00 for
the same month year ago. An in
crease of $177,OO0,OOO,O0 in bank clear
ingS for the month tells its own story
OF the country's prosperity.-Adver-
tiSement.