St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1918-01-05
REVIEW OF THE
BUSINESS FOR
THE PAST
YEAR
Bradstreet Company Tells
of Wars Influence
on Prices.
A DRY SEASON BUT
BIG MONEY CROPS.
War a Moving Feature In
the Trade Of United
States.

Nineteen hundred and seventeen
will be memorable because the great
est OF the worlds demoeracies. the
United States Of America-its for
eign commerce forbidden, its mer-
chant ships sunk and it's citizens
ioulIy murdered-forsook the paths
Of neutrality and went forward to
seek with the sword peace and rep
araticn from country which thru
wo years preceding ahd broken its
pltghted word to US. had treacher-
ous.y a.sai-ed US while protesting
friendship, and had drenched the
whole world in blood.
BY and through this act and the
consequences growing out Of Amerl-
cas- absolutely necessary step, the
war took on a new character. the
irrepressible conflict between the
worlds two great systems OF govern
ment became clearly defined. and
this country, once sneered at as a
mere collection of traders in the mis-
fortunes of others, stood revealed as
one willing to battle and suffer for
ideals to which its enemies declared
t was ar absolute stranger. Nat
urally, the trade history OF such a
year as that just closed is difficult
one to write because old standard
Of living were perforce abandoned,
now and strange problems presented
themselves to be solved, and new
rules Of action and measures OF at
tainment were set up. 1t is still,
even nine months after our formal
embarkation In the war, difficult to
say what final success attended this
country's efforts to adjust itself to
war conditions, but 1t may at once
be said that many Of the steps taken
and the progress made in transform
ing it from a peaceful neutral to a
great military and naval power have
been comforting to those who have
believed not only in the desirability,
but In the efficiency under strain, OF
a republican form Of government.
Briefly stated, this country has
been disclosed aa capable Of raising
great army and. allowing for nat
ural differences Of conditions, OF
providing food and munitions for Its
millions and those of the Allies, OF
taking a fairly active part in war,
at the same time permitting the pur-
suance of the necessary peaceful arts,
and OF acting as banker of the Allies
and loaning unprecedented sums to
further the war In doing this 1t
has had to impose taxes such as
were never dreamed OF by Its own
! people, it has foated vast loans to
unprecedented numbers OF subscrib-
ers. it has requisitioned men and ma
terials alike for war and peace pur-
poses, has set up rules for buyinc
and selling, eating and drinking. and
has directed the growing and mark
eting OF crops and the dtsposa, OF
their surplusses among the nations
In a word. it has done most OF the
things thought necessary for the sue
cess Of its policies, and, to the
amazement alike of friends and foes
has done all this with g minimum OF
apparent copmulsion, and indeed
with apparent anxiety on the part
Of its people simply to learn wha'
was required and to do 1t with q
| promptitude and completeness un.
eoueled in the worlds hirtorv. II
the doing Of these things. and In
.nrenaration for other greater under.
! takings, It has broken as many pre-
cedents of policy as It has records
I Of production. Indeed, the big
events occurring and the great basi'
! change made have been veritabl,
Continued nm page 6.)