The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-09
FOREIGN TRADE, NOW.

Wise heads are puzzlng over the problem OF
keeping, guiding and fostering through years
to come the great foreign trade which should
flow to this country when international trade
shall again have freedom of action and develop
tment American citizens have much to learn
in this department of citizenhood, as IN many
others (according to appearances) but 1t may
be supposed that people so quick to adapt It
self to circumstances and opportunities Will
somehow achieve respectable degree OF sue
cess in solving this new problem Of the future.
The future problem may wait It's own time
for solution, however; the present condition OF
our foreign trade-for which we can claim no
credit for prudent handling-is imposing be
yond all past records in its proportions Our
exports during last November reached a total OF
$517 900 900; our imports were but Sill ,oOU,Uoo.
For the twelve months Of the year just past the
grand total of exports was little less than
$5OOO,OOO. 900; for the year 1915 the total. ex-
ports came to $3,195, 100000. In 1913 we had
reached our highest record until the war, s.,
25O,eOO,OOO. The rise from two and quarter
billions to close to five billions in three years is
an event hound to create q feverish condition
it will take skillful financial and economic doc
tors to restore healthy equilibrium when the
course of the fever breaks and turns.
statement by the bureau of the mint on
the production of gold in the United States
gives first place to California, as usual. The
returns for the year 1916 show that the west
coast state gave out 1,O65, 585 fine ounces of the
yellow metal. valued at 500, 10000, Colorado
being good second. Nevada county, located
between the foothills and the top of the Sier-
ras. may soon fly the banner as the premier gold
producing region in California, it now being
second only to Amador But Nevada county
has one great advantage over Amador In adj
dition to having gold under the surface of the
earth there is gold above it, in that all kinds
of fruits, including the luscious Bartlett pear
thrive there and return dollars for cents ex-
pended for care by the growers. Two of the
county's cities, Grass Valley and Nevada City,
seldom heard of and too infrequently visited
by the tourist, nestle, one in a happy valley, the
other on slightly hilltop. Grass Valleys claim
to attention is the fact that it has within its
corporate limits the most artistic grounds sur
rounding gold mine, the Empire, that human
mind can imagine and sight desire, and also
that it is the habitation of Mary Hallock Foote,
writer of tales of western life and who is known
the country over. There are other things than
gold and fruit in California, and these are good
will and an endowment Of intelligence I'M
planted in its men and women. And Nevada
equity has lions share of humanity carrying
these desirable attributes.
Belief is established that neither party to
the railway wage controversy will be satisfied
with the operation Of the Adamson law in case
the supreme court of the United States de-
clares the statute constitutional The law in
creases the expenses of the roads, but on the
other hand the men fear that under its opera