River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-07-06
ANADA'SEXCELLENT
FINANCIAL STANDING
Bank CIearings InCreaSe-Agri-
culture Is a Paying Indus
try-ManufaCtures
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. Elk
port surplus of $50,000,000 a month is
making Canada very strong in cash."
Extract from official bulletin of Feb
ruary IL, 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
crease over normal years of at least
three hundred MILLIONS. The three
Prairie Provinces contributed prob
ably nearly one-half Of the total prod
uct
The wheat crop was worth $310,00O,-
900, and accounted for about 30 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 cent
ahead of 1914. Other provinces shared
In the increase, especially Alberta
Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova SEQ
tia. The dairy cow was ION the job"
In 1915. So also were the beef cattle,
the pigs and the hens.
It is not fair to the farmers of the
Prairies to call the wheat crop of 1915
miracle crop. The farmers cult
yated more land and gave attention
to their seed. Providence gave them
favorable weather. Then they tOiled
early and late in the harvesting and
threshing. Good cultivation gave big
ger yields than careless work, 45 bush
els as against 25.
The wealth of Western Canada is
oy no means all in it's wheat crop. Ii
the country had no wheat at all 1t
would still be famous as land Of sue
.essful farmers ON account of it's stock
production. From one shipping point
HIigh River, Alberta) over $75,OOO.O0
worth of horses have been sold in the
asst two months. The average price
10 the farmer has been about $1,000
Der head. According to Government
returns there are a million and a half
lOrseS in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta, worth probably $15O,O00OOO.
The investments which farmers of
Western Canada are making in live
stock and farm improvements are
good evidence of the fact that they
lave money for these purposes. 1t is
apparent, however, that they are also
spending some of their profits on
hose things which will bring greater
comfort and enjoyment to themselves,
heir wives and their families. The
automobile trade all through the
country is particularly active, and
armers are the biggest buyers. A re-
.ent report of the Saskatoon district
shows that in two months a million
lollars' worth Of automobiles have
)een sold, largely to farmers. Nor are
III Of these cars of the cheaper makes;
some high-priced machines are in de-
nand.
Bank clearings throughout the West
ern Provinces show greater CONNER
ial activity than at the same season
n 1915 or 1914, the increase for the
asst week of February being $8,0O0,0O0
md almost S9OOO,OOO respectively,
.or the first week of March $15,00O,-
700 over 1915 and $18,OO0,000 over
1914. The same excellent story comes
rom Moose Jaw, Sask., where they
showed from 40 to 100 per cent over
he previous year. Calgary, Alta,
)anlz clearings continue to reflect the
greatly improved business conditions
IS compared with a year ago. Cana
las bank clearings for the month of
February, 1916, were the greatest for
any February in the country's history.