The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-15

Daily the country is coming more and
more to a realization that the United
States is at present INDUCING in an orgy
OF speculation never before approached
in its history. Speculation extends from
the floor OF the New York Stock E&-
change to the smallest crossroads store
in the West.
The field Ii not confined to the usual
commodities made the means of specu-
lation. such as stocks. grains. cotton,
and provisions. but embraces pretty
much everything that human beings
come in contact with.
Producers are straining every facility
to meet the demands made upon them
by country merchants who believe that
still higher prices are coming because
of the fact that their customers are call
ing for goods greatly beyond anything
ever known before, and OF higher quail
tiles.
blindly and ignorantly. as has frequent
ly been the case In the heat OF former
booms. They known, In a majority OF
cases, something about the goods they
are handling. and there Is substance De-
hind their properties. The disappoint-
ments that will be entailed will come
when the extraordinary world conditions
now prevailing have passed away.
Check in Stock Trading.
On the New York Stock Exchange
there has been check in the volume OF
trading, brought about by the recessions
that resulted, first, from the talk OF
peace terms that were being sent to the
United States by Germany for presenta-
ton to the entente powers, and then by
the activity of German submarines just
beyond the American coast line.
Significantly, the long. succession OF
million-share days eliminated Fri
consecutive days. barring Saturday,
when the stock exchange is open for
two hours only, the total transactions
on the exchange had exceeded the 1,0oO.-
OOO-shares mark. On Friday the dealing
fell short OF this mark by more than
The unprecedented demand for all
manner OF commodities now existing In
this country resulting from the steadily
growing home market and the pressing
needs OF foreign countries, has estab-
lished prices at present at the highest
level in modern times.
Dun's Index Number of wholesale
quotations on october 1 was. Sl5S, $50:
sia6, 663 o year ago. when the trend also
was upward. On August !. 1914, the
total was sl20,74O. so that there has been
an extreme rise of $3l, SIS. or more than
25 per cent, since the outbreak of the
Current transactions. according to
Dun's Review, continue unprecedented
for the period. and bank cleartngs are
breaking records. the total for the
week being 22.2 per cent in excess Of
last years at leading centers outside of
| New York. The weekly clearings were
! "a. 53.623,277.
Railroad Prosperity Continues.
Railroad prosperity continues un-
checked. Reports fof. twenty-three ina
portant lines for the fiscal year ended
June 30 show earnings of nearly IL per
cent. compared with over per cent
year ago,
The monthly statement OF the Amer
lean Railway Association, published FRI
| day, showed that on October there was
| freight car shortage in the country OF
Is. 749 cars. compared with shortage OF
only 14,2Sl on September l, surplus OF
| a,76a on August !. a surplus OF $1,000 cars
| on October l, 1915. and a surplus of 131,
600 on October l, 1914.
| The statement means that the rail-
| roads are buster today than ever before
| In their history at this time OF the year
| II also means that much new business
| Ii going to the companies manufacture
| ing railroad equipment, In addition ia
| the high record earnings that are now
being reported. The railroads must &c
| into the market for more locomotives
cars, and supplies of all kinds.
| National labor ORGANIZATIONS are circu'
lating statement that since the wal
| began 100000 workers have received
'Nage increases totaling &NO.QVc.Wol The