The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-07-12
.CAkADA'SExCELLENT
FINANCIAL STANDING
Bank CIearings lncrease-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 DO.
sition, financially, scarcely hoped for
as Il nation for years to come. Elk.
port surplus Of $50,OOO,OOO month is
muking 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 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 $31O,OOO,-
600, and accounted for about. 80 Der
cent of the total agricultural product.
Other things counted also. Look at
dairylng. In Ontario the dairy pro-
ductlon 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 Sco-
tia. The dairy COW was ION the job"
II, 1O1E ole
the pigs and the hens.
1t is not fair to the farmers of the
prairies TO call the wheat crop of 1915
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 and
thres}ing. Good cultivation gave big
ger yields than careless work, As BUSH
nls as against 25.
The wealth of Western Canada is
by no means all in it's wheat crop. If
the country had no wheat at all it
would still be famous as land of sue
ceSSful farmers on account Of it's stock
production. From one shipping point
(High River, Alberta) over $75,OOO.O0
worth Of horses have been sold in the
last two months. The average price
10 the farmer has been about $175.W
Der head. According to Government
returns there are million and half
horses in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta, worth probably $4,000, 600.
The investments which farmers of
Western Canada are making in live
stock and farm improvements are
':ood evidence of the fact that they
nave money for these purposes. 1t is
apparent, however, that they are also
spending some of their profits on
those things which will bring greater
'omfort and enjoyment to themselves,
their wives and their families. The
automobile trade all through the
i'Ollntry is particularly active, and
farmers are the biggest buyers. A re-
rent report of the Saskatoon district
'hows that in two months a million
ollars' worth of automobiles have
,een sold, largely to farmers. Nor are
Ill of these cars of the cheaper makes
some highpriced machines are in de-
nand.
Bank clearings throughout the West
'rn Provinces show greater CONNER
:ial activity than at the same season
1915 or 1911, the increase for the
asst week Of February being SS,OOO,OOO
md almost $9000,000, respectively,
or the first week of March $15,OOO,-
NW over 1919 and $1S,0OO,OOO over
H14. The same excellent story comes
rom Moose Jaw, Sask., where they
!,owed from 40 to 100 per cent over
he previous year. Calgary, Alta,
ank clearinSs continue to reflect the
greatly improved business conditions
IS compared with Il year ago. Cana
las bank clearings for the month Of
february. 1916, were the greatest for
my February in the country's history.