Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-07-13

FINANCIAL STANDING
Bank CIearings Increase-Agri'
culture Is.a Paying Indus
Observation-Disclosures
Doing Well.

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 a pO-
sition, financially. scarcely hoped for
as a nation for years to come. EX-
port surplus of $5O,OOO,OOO 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
cas- owe normal yeurs of mt 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
600. and accounted for about 80 per
cent of the total agricultural product.
Other things counted also. Look at
dairying. In Ontario the dairy pro-
duction was increased 20 per cent,
and prices were over 10 per rent
ahead Of 1914. Other provinces shared
in the increase. especially Alberta.
Saskatchewan. Quebec and Nova Sco-
tia. The dairy COW was ION the job
in 1915. So also were the beef cattle,
the pigs and the hens.
1t is not fair to the farmers of the
Prairies to call the wheat crop OF 1917
a miracle" crop. The farmers cult
waited more land and gave attention
to their seed. Providence gave them
favorable weather. Then they tOiled
early and late in the harvesting AMI
threshing. Good cultivation gave big
ger yields than careless work. As BUSH
els as against 81.
The wealth of Western Canada Is
by no means all in it's wheat crop. If
the country had no wheat at all 1t
would still he famous ms a land of sue
cessful farmers on account Of its stock
production. From n shipping point
(High River. Alberta) over $75.OOO.U'
worth of horses have been sold In the
last two months. The average price
to the farmer has been about S115.OO
per hend. According to Government
returns there are n million and q half
horses in Manitoba. Saskatchewan and
Alberta. worth probably $150,0OO.OOO.
The investments which farmers OF
Western Canada are making in live
stock and farm improvements are
good evidence Of the fact that they
have money for these purposes. 1t Is
npparent, however. that they nre 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 SS,OO0,OW
and almost $9,OO0,OOO. respectively
for the first week Of March $4,000.
OOO over 1915 and $1S,NoO.OH ove'
1914. The same excellent story come:
from Moose Jaw. Sask., where the!
showed from 40 to 100 per cent ove1
the previous year. Calgary, Alta.
bank clearings continue to reflect TIN
greatly improved business conditions
as compared with n year ago. Cana
da's bank clenrings for the month o
February, 1915, were the greatest TO
any February in the country's history
The totals amounted to 1864, 300. OOO.N
MS compared with \S4ST 296.OO0.W TO
the same month a year ago. An in
crease of SLIT 900, 100000 in bank clear
ings for the month tells its W stor,
of the country's prosperity.-Adver
tisement.