The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-07

World Of Finance nance

The most important feature OF the
business situation is the gratifying
progress made by the crops during
the last month. The small grain Is
now harvested. Wheat is threshins
out better than expected. oats are
tremendous crop, big in yield anu
fine in quality, and barley ana rye
are good. Corn only wants to be let
alone by the frost to make crop
larger than the record by 300,0o0,ooo
bushels, and larger than last years
by s0O,o00,000 bushels Potatoes,
beans, garden products and fruits will
be in abundant supply. The pack OF
all kinds of canned and dried goods
will be much larger than usual, but is
being put up ON a higher basis Oh
costs than usual.
The price of old corn in Chicago is
down about so cents per bushel from
the top, to about $3.50 per bushel,
and the new crop for December oe-
livery In down to about $l.0S per
bushel Meats, however, will be fnlgn-
err for some time, as many cattle ana
hogs have been sacrificed IN an un-
! finished condition, on account OF the
high price OF all kinds of feed. Hogs
| have sold UP to $40 per hundred
2 WElkuL at OnlCAHQ otA@@A6
weeks upon small receipts. but from
this there has been a reaction to
about SIG. Well posted persons say
that there are fewer cornsfed cattle
in feeders hands than at any pre-
lyious time since the heef-making In
idustry was well established.
The cotton crop promises very well
/ east OF the Mississippi River, but has
suffered from drapght in Texas. 1t is
now thought probable that the yield
Twill be above either that of last year
or the previous year, and as the South
has undoubtedly raised more OF the
food crops than heretofore the out
look for that section is very good
"a crop of 100000 bales is possible,
(which viii about meet consumptive
requirements and promises very re-
;munerative returns to the producers.
The market is down several cents
from the top, closing the month at
about % cents per pound.
To SUM up. the yield Of. agricultural
4 products now cpramises to be large.
! and with prevailing prices the pur-
chasing power Of the agricultural
districts in the coming year will be
beyond all past experience.
This situation is very reassuring
because IL puts a solid basis under
business for the coming year. 1t
means that a great reserve of pur-
;chasing power exists in the country,
more In fact than scan be exercised
| WITH the present war requirements 1t
should put the farming industry per-
nanentIy on q better basis financial
I ly. Moreover, although agricultural
! products will bring prices which, taxi
y, en- together with the large yield, will
be very remunerative to the grow
ers, the supply is sufficient to meet
the needs of the population, and to
( give assurance that the necessities
as o. rule will not average higher than
1 during the past year, and for most
Of them should be lower.
The best criterion as to general
trade is to be found I'm railway traf-
ssfic, which Is constantly up to the ca
pscity Of the roads. and for June was
26 per cent. above the tonnage OF
I the same month last year There
would be more IL they could handle
] it. The companies are straining every
resource. and the public is co-opera-
1 ting by loading cars more heavily, but
in many instances production is still
held In check by the inability of the
roads to move materials.
/ Labor troubles continue to give
embarrassment particularly in the
copper mining and lumber districts OF
the West. Lumber production has
been seriously hampered in the Paci.
tic northwest. 1t is to be hoped thai
with prices for the common article.
fof food upon more normal basi,
rthe Industrial situation win be les
strained.