The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-01
BUSINESS OF NATION SHOWS
ABNORMAL INCREASE FOR YEAR
Great Demands Made on Everyone From Farm Boy to Cor
poration Head Leaves Nation Steady With Heavy Re
serves Coming Up for New Year-An Purchasing Is for
Needs and Wants and Speculation Abolished.

E%TG 80 1Aba0 Ra1
lie today by tae United States cham
Der or commerce shows that extra
ordinary and abnormal demands made
upon everyone from farm boy to cor
a& operation head have left the nation
s1eady n with heavy reserves com
Ing up for the new year. The report
~ made by the chambers permanent
committee of statistical exports, OF
which Archer Wall Douglas. OF st.
Louis, Is chairman.
The attitude of the business world
toward the future. runs the report,
seems to depend more upon local con
uitfons than upon any general sentt-
naent- In those sections where the
crops were poor there Ia a great deal
Of natural rvBtion and caution
in making purchases and commit
rilcnts, for the common sense OF the
buyers generally prefers to await the
results of the coming crops.
In some sections Of the East there
Ii more or less of this same heslta-
fion and doubt, despite much indus
trial activity, and apparently because
OF drastic economy among the pur-
chasing public. also the pinch OF the
high o $ OF living. and the realiza-
ton that all Of wars burdens are yet
10 be felt. In general, however. in
the larger portion of the country the
a myths Ro@E CT VI lNS LfSHy Ia EIEaIEk
and more widespread than ever be-
fore, SO that the general view seems
10 be a sustained confidence, tenn ered
ey the realization that no one can
possibly divine what the future holds
In store for us, and consequently all
purchasing is for needs and wants,
with the element of speculation al
most entirely eliminated. Apparently.
the general volume Of busin ess seems
W. - mHs.AA "a. ~ i. fA~ 4Etga Tee vnrnunas
status during the coming winter
months.
The following extracts are -suficient
70 bring out the most important parts
OF the report:
.sgrfcuit Dire.
the corn crop greater In Yield than
ever before. has the dis~advAntage ~
much soft corn In teh Central West
and I'm portions of teh Southwest and
The Northwest. THhis is due to an un-
usually early and severe frost and
freeze In September and subsequent
wet weather IN these same sections.
Much OF this soft corn was usad in
eIlos as early az possible. and later
on by feeding It iihHraliy TO live stock,
especially hogs. Sections where soft
earn Is most abundant are getting
I shipments OF cattle II hoes from
other sections where feed is high and
scarce. thug endeavoring to equaIixs
h situation.
Corr, in South.
rn. sa,,.h,s rrorortton oe corn in
very large this wear. and the crop
In of most excellent quality. Excep~
tgons 10 good Yields are Oklahoma
and Texas. which suffered severely
from long-cobtinued drought Else
where the South has corn to ship. :
for IL raised more than v sufficient
amount for its own needs Il also
has an abundance Of other feed for
tive stock, SO fhAt stock ra's ne Ia
becSminu NOR ana more a necessary
aid Important adjunct of farming IN
the territ .ry south of Mason and
nixon's line.
rh,~a, Conditions I'm So,th-
1.-Two
: ne ran "In'@e'"t 40" - r,.,,n
HaoasH 81 %Fft@n Ia
N asFtFu"HtSt ""u 1870 49,
lions seefhs a'faest ulosre..@ ett,,L
ws's po.tIoIs :" ~ -. $50 In 1
N ms .itne iaSt ye", ~ ~ al
s.aass amy "a he rho,, veeytI and
AIlus. WIS ~ ~ - cnmr1~ta
.as,,,~as Sagrcsx +hc starle arrtcul-
trial fabarers we're leaving in thous-
srss sor tha %nr;h and the East. and
shs f,,ture seemed 10 offer netting
&xsf yhaf grim DUR nNE wGfEh the
So,,ther, neonle have so often ex-
rsr,sncad and rracttced.
- ,
Nfe~" vs." " ~ ,
Todsy the renev'8 throuenoot theSs
BATsae regions are "NtuntStlc 0sSohu
expression and Indicate tnat m" hoASt
~ the South thar "t - the anu VI
opportunity" IL In realitN a sonef
truth. If some crops. sucn as rec
md sugar cane. were not as .afse
- ~ some years paSt wh.an noors
49, r,.ra IN ,ne difference 10 the
nrcs,,rsrs n "a trua thai the same
s.rsa~char f~esye thai hurt r0w, so
Asasv ,b,s year likewise higghted a.
t~~~a ares ~ cotton I'm Ten~essee.
sr,s1sussrns Arkansas and Alabama.
ART aga,n thn nnrreciatson IN pr'ce /
N th.. great staple brought It's COM
r.r.attnn ia .he farmers and piant-
- = trteres,inr side fight on cot-
80 a. traf II ix being successfully
~~ss.d thn,,ph IN y moderate way. as
49, sr,,,s, IN rriorias as the BAY OF
90 -.
Nrxv Southern Crors.
~son.ou
III - eApe'te - $3.50 ~
$500 = ~ .sa.rs so MAJ !,