The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-09
PROSPERITY ON
 PACIFIC COAST
 COMES AT LAST
Four San Francisco Banks With Deposits of Over
 $25, ,OOO, ,O00.
CASH IS ACCUMULATING
 ALL THROUGH WEST
And AIaska's Resources Are Not Being Exploited By
 the Government.
(Holland in Wall Street Journal.

For a few months. after the begin ming of the European war, some of the reports which came to. this city from the Pacific slope told of some commercial depression there, showing that this condition prevailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific, The reports were found afterward not to be ex- act1y correct and those best inform ed were inclined to think that gen. eral business and commercial condi- tions were much better upon the. Pa cif1c slope, excepting perhaps in the lumber industry. than elsewhere in the country.
 But whatever may have been the conditions a year and a half ago or two years ago in the business world of the Pacific slope, some accurate sta tistics make it clear thAt prosperity is abundant there now. For if it be true that bank deposits and resources are a fairly good index of prosperity then proof of this kind is furnished by latest reports from San Francisco.
 In recent publication prepared by the Comptroller of the Currency, John Skelton Williams, he gave a list of nearly 50 banks in the United States the deposits of each of which are in excess of twenty-five millions.
 Careful study of Comptroller Will liams' table reveals the somewhat cu-
 
 Kansas City, which has bank deposits : in excess of twenty-five millions, is San Francisco, and not only one bank there but four now, show deposits in excess of this amount. San Fran4 lcisco also ranks above New Orleans, as well as Denver and Seattle, with respect to bank deposits. Apparent ly deposits are rapidly growing in the San Francisco banks and as there is Tnr Do rff fio Cr,o ct ion there this increase fin deposits must be referred to rapid accumulation of funds by the people who are carrying on greatly increased business.
 These San Francisco figures that tell the story of increased bank de- posits, make it clear that general prosperity and accumulation of large funds are not exclusively characteris- tic of what was calledSthe great mon ey centers of the East, but are nation wide.
 The energetic men of the Pacific slope who have been occupied with an agitation with intent to persuade Congress so to act to stimulate the development of Alaska do not appear to be hopeful of immediate action. Charles E. Shepard of Seattle, who has been prominent in this agitation, 1 has collected information which shows the magnitude of the realized resources of Alaska, hundreds of mill lions in all, and what these have Kmeant ment for the United States. Y ct 1t seems almost impossible to persuade Congress. that if there were wise leg 1 islation and proper regulation and a correct attitude. taken toward conser- vation, Alaska would pour into the United States many millions more a year than the territory is now doing.
 A like complaint comes from Colo rado, where there is no disagreemen ent ! of opinion respecting the inexpedient l attitude of the government toward conservation of Co1orado's resources. l The timber industry there is suffering from the "do-nothing'' policy. Those who are undertaking to corporate the industries of the United, States so that industrial preparedness may be per fected know how much depends upon our ability to obtain a sufficient SUD- ply of radiun at a fair price. Sup plies of radium could be obtained in Colorado and the price for it, be much reduced because this mystic metal would be, relatively speaking, abun- dant1y secured. Colorado is rich, sc to speak, in radiun1, but the citizens of that state say thel government lets it go undeve1oped.