The Cordova daily times., 1916-02-23
NETHERLANDS |S WELL STOCKED
 WITH GOLD

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands. Feb % Not the least curious of the many strange incidental effects pro duced by the war is the fact that the small country of the Netherlands pro bably contains more gold today than ever before in it's history. In the past year, for instance, continual steady inflow of gold from the European continent and overseas has doubled the stocks of the Netherlands Bank, and with Hollands foreign exchanges continuing their ever downward course there is no saying what figure they may reach if the war lasts much longer and is still kept out of her bor- ders.
 With long queues standing daily at the banks doors, the government at the outbreak of the war had to re- duce the compulsory gold covering the banks callable liabilities from 40 to 20 per cent; those liabilities of 62O,OOOOOO florins, or $258,333, 900, are now covered to the extent of 69 per cent, the gold stocks amounting to 430,000,000 florins. or SITS, ,166, ,OO0. On the other hands a review of the year just closed shows that the bank note circulation has been a record one, reaching the figure of 576,7OO,OOO flor ins on November last, or $24o,291.- GOO. ,,f
 Other evidence of the favorable fac tors which the war has brought with it for Holland is found in the new years speech of the chairman of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, in which he shows that a number of businesses and industries have been able to make considerably increased profits. although the risks were ab- normal. The Dutch shipping compan- ies have been making enormous pro- fits, while the Dutch shipbuilding yards are so crowded with work that orders can only be placed for very distant deliveries.
 It may be noted incidentally that the considerable rise in the prices of American industrial securities was one of the principal factors that aided in a rapid liquidation of the mass of stock loan transactions that had to be compulsoriy suspended when the war crisis broke out, as the Dutch public took advantage of this rise to realize large quantity of their American holdings and obtain the ready money they needed.
 There is, however another side to the medal. for the feyerish activity in some economic departments is more than offset for the nation as a whole by the big rise in the cost of living and the burden of the mobilization costs. The war loan of some S115,- 000.000 has long since been eaten up. and at the end of the year the float ing debt of the treasury had again grown to $54O0O,0 GOO. so that another big loan seems inevitable in the com ing spring, while large taxation in creases are already before parliament.
 The export of cut and rough dia- monds to the United States amounted in the first three-quarters of the year to 13.7S0.00O florins, or $5.745, 500, as against 12,7S1, coo florins. or $5,325,- 400 The demand for rough diamonds, which was small in the beginning of the year increased considerably es- pecially in the third quarter of the year, while prices remained firm. Am sterdam merchants have been estab- fishing more representatives in Am erica than formerly, so that the in- creased stocks i'll their possession should be taken into account in con- neotion with the foregoing figures.
 -:os
 There Mas mite a hlizzard ra n-inc