The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1916-12-30
The New Year
and Retrospection


Stevens county. No sudden ex-
pansion has taken place in our
factories, no "war babies" have
made sudden wealth for our citi-
zens, and no unexpected increase
in our products has come. But
the steady development of our
lands, mines, timber resources, and
livestock possibilities has given a
frmer basis to the business life of
the county. The feeling of hard
times Of few years ago has grad
ually slipped from our minds in
the increasing cares of new busi-
ness, and at this close of the fourth
year Of the administration of
Woodrow Wilson it seems that
perhaps he might have been right
in his statement that the hard
times are largely of a psychologi-
cal nature.
Eastern Washington has profit
ed during the last two years, in
the increase in prices of wheat
and ores. Stevens county has re-
ceived but slight result of this
profit. But when the wheat and
ore prices go back to normal,
this county's developed lands and
it's herds Of stock and dairy cattle
will not permit any appreciable
notice to be taken of changes, for
our prosperity is built on a more
solid basis.
Merchandising has been good
this year. Although the banks
do not carry much greater vol
ume of money than formerly,
money is now in circulation, with
the resultant profit to the many.
When it was in the bank vault,
no one profted from it. Mer-
chants say that the holiday trade
broke all records in Colville, and
other towns report in the same
strain. Prices are higher in most
lines than normally, but at the
same time the producers of the
county are receiving top-notch
prices.
A retrospect of conditions is al
ways easy-just as is the prophecy
of the future. But when we come
to compare past prophecies with
the following performances, we
find that the mind of man is not
always accurate in prognostica-
ton. And as the new year will
be starting next week. with the
future bright, why not consider
this idea of prophecies, and see
if the new year can not also be
made happier by reason of our
experiences.
To go back a few years. Do
you remember when it was pre-
dicted that the rapid growth Of
the moving picture show was look
ed upon with alarm by the bust
ness men, the theatrical houses,
the actors, the churches, and even
the saloons2 Yet we still live.
Do you remember when the parcel
post was likely to break up the
express companies, ruin the cOun-
try merchant, and throw all busi-
ness into the citiesY And the pos
tai savings bank was about to
wreck the country's banking sys-
tem2 And the federal reserve
act would kill our money SYSTEM
Yet during 1916 were you partic-
ularly injured by any of these9
And do you remember how the
lowering of the tariff was to
wreck this country's industry,
kill the farming business, lower
wool and grain and meat prices,
and bring upon us several other
threatened calamities2 What
battles we fought over this ques-
ton four years agol And yet
the very opposite was the result.
And do you remember how To-
cal option was prediction the
one hand to lower court costs and
improve business, and on the other
hand to increase drunkenness and
kill business2 Neither prediction
came true. And do you remember
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