New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-12-30

] those for the previous calendar
year by 50 per cent, and those
for the year 1914 by 157 per cent
Imports aggregated $2,36O.OO0,0O(
exceeding 1915 and 1914 by 81
per cent. Gold imports totaled
$500, 100000, surprising exports
by $50O,0O0,0OO. Our gross i'm
ports Of gold during the war have
aggregated $1,100,OOO,OOO, and
the net imports 1898, 100000,
while our sales Of merchandise
for the like period were consid-
erably over double our purchases.
Hence the estimates that we
bought back $2,OOO,OOO,OOO of
American securities, and, in addi-
tion, became creditors for an ad-
ditional $1,000, 100000 of foreign
bonds or notes. AS our export
trade has grown since the war be-
gan. its character has gradually
changed, and the early large ship
ments Of foodstugs have become
dwarfed, partly because of crop
shortages, by later enormous ex-
ports Of manufactured goods
not all Of these, by the way, mu-
nitions-though it must be said
that our shipments to Entente
countries have far exceeded those
to the rest of the world. Our
gains in trade with the part of
the world at peace have hardly |
expanded as much as might have
been hoped, though it is hard to
see how our factory production,
strained as it was to the break
ing point, could have been furth-
er increased. Credits based on
the new and vast supplies of Sc
curities and gold have expand
ed, and the country's banking po-
sltion has become one of unpar-
alleled deposits and resources.
Bank clearings for 1916 testified
to the enormous volume of the
banking movement in a total of !
$3.50, 100000, 900, a sum never be-
fore equaled, and gain of 40 per
cent. over the 1915 high record ,
and OF SO per cent. over 1914. If I
The normal excess of bank trans !;
actions over clearings at leading =
cities, 2 IL to l, be regarded asI h
guide, the country's total bank I
ng business in 1916 was easily .
1850, ,WO,0OO,0OO. Stock specula- >
ion was more active than for a h
'ecade, total sales at the New !,
FORK Exchange aggregating 232.- +;
10000 shares, a gain of 30 per \
ent. on 1915, five times what it h
vas in the "closed" year 1914, 3
nd only 18 per cent. less than in -
he record high year 1906. Bond 6,
ales aggregated 81 ,16O, 900, 900, q :,
otal showing a gain of % per st
ent. over 1915, and second only .,
, 1909. compared with which n,
ear transactions fell off 12 per "a
INT. Government bond sales, re- =,
ecting large foreign fotations. Id
ere eighteen times as active as IN
1915. Money was easy until le,
ward the close Of the year, and ca
elections were good, with many ldt
d accounts iquidated, especially ne
the south. Failures for the ua
ar, rejecting the final closing !
It Of old crippled concerns and de
new ventures insuficiently ial
divided with experience, capital he
other requisites, were large inI du
lmber, second only in fact tof
10. from which they decreased f.,
per cent; but the rarity Of ~,
portant suspensions is shown in -;
9 volume Of liabilities being the 81.
lallest with one exception since - IN
W, 30 per cent. Below 1915. ~,
d less than half those Of 1914. az,
Ice Movements. mi
As pointed out elsewhere. the ap]
'p outturn was not in keeping gle
III other developments, and to ket
8 cause as much as to active has
elgn demands were due tho at
' and dizzy heights reached by and
ny commodities included in ind
ldstreet's Index Number, which -.
'er rose steadily early in the sO'
r, faltered in the late spring
sumner. and then took new Gas