The Washington times., 1916-12-31
SUPERLATIVE YEAR
COMES TO A CLOSE
Reports Of Staggering Totals
: Come In fer All Activities
Of Twelve Months.

NEW YORK. Dec. s0.--A year Of SUI
perlatiyes In the financial and business
world closes today. From all quarters
have como reports OF staggering totals
Of the years commercial and financial
Nctivity.
Tho month OF December. which closed
with n, half-honday session In most
quarters today, has been remarkable as
the turning point In the tide which
swept the United States along TO record
exports. record earnings and huge 'divi-
dends.
Speculate ON Peace.
On every hand ms the year closes.
bankers. business men and economists
are specializing and talking peace and
It's meaning In dollars and cents In
Aperica. Opinions vary. the bulk OF
them being that prosperity con-
tinue--with ro-adjustments
Voritnblo mountains Of money arc
represented In tho year end figures and
estimates OF the country's business.
During tho year si.boo.0op.0 900 OF world
financing was fioated In tho United
States.
Europe shipped ssso.oeOooo In gold here
10 pay for munitions and supplies and
to DoibtcT nor cfcuit WIN urs
Record Bank CiesriAEs.
Bank ciearings are estimated ut t259.-
ococoo.ooo. a s per cent increase over
tho record year Of 1915
Although crops failed" production
falling behind last year 10 TO IS per
cent. farm products were valued at
seven and n half billions or more. %
per cent Increase over last year.
Railroad earnings are estimated ut
s7is.000y0o0. which IL a i5 per cent In
crease over 1918
on tho stock exchange sales for the
year showed &c per cent jump. the
years total sales being nearly 10000
900 shares
10000 New Freight Cars.
Railroads ordered 10000 new freight
cars and issued countless embargoes In
their nght 20 move the nations freight.
In Wall street new war babies" were.
born. grew paper values with mush-
room kpced and tottered as peace APP
pearcd on o distant horizon.
-As the year closes big financial men
In Wall street are talking peace
babies and conservative interests are
reported loading up with shares OF
railroads and Industrial companies
which are not dependent upon the war
for their prosperity.
BsrEais Prices.
The general crash In prices. when
followed Holiwegs peace proposal
and wilson's message 20 the beiliGer.
ents--the greatest since the Northern
Pacific panic In ip0i--made bargain
prices for the peace baby" opponents.
Spectacular individual performers
In the 1910 speculative marts include;
~ is.cent cotton during the heaviest
operations on the Cotton Exchange
since the Daniel suiiy pool opera
tons: May wheat At si.eos. the rec.
ord price since the civil war. barring
one day. when q 81 level prevailed
during the Hutch corner. United
States steel common At si2pT5: Both
iehem steel at s700 q share.
Leaders Price. sA''.h.
Peace discussion has shrunk the
prices OF these leaders. Cotton now
ranges from 10 to iTis cents a pound.
May wheat closed yesterday at $40.
Steel common at slO8.25. and Bethle.
hem at $3.50. Stock Exchange records
reveal, In contrast that many rail.
roads. largely Western, and many In.
stocks, especially preferred
issues. have orept forward 90 their
highest or nearly their best prices OF
the year during the panieky month
now closing.