The Arizona copper camp., 1919-01-04
BRADSTREET'S REVIEW Of 1918

been so successfully borne by the
world. AS to the cost in life, no def
mite measure can be had as yet, but
probably between 100000 and 10000
600 fighting men laid down their lives,
while massacre disease and starvation
may. have taken as many more civil
ians. OF our own part in it, it can be
said that while our financial costs have
been great, perhaps $4,000, 100000 to
date, our own loss of life, directly due
| to the hostilities or to diseases and
attendant evils, possibly 100000 men,
while regrettably large in our case,
was slight compared with either those
of any of our foes or of our Allies.
Feeding Our Allies
In the work of feeding our Allies, a
really marvellous plan of substitution
of other cereals for wheat was first
necessary in 1918, and to bring this
about, the 51a to bushels per capita
of domestic consumption at the out
set was cut down to below three bush
els. The average for the entire year
was not over four bushels, and whereas
a total export of only 100000 bush
els was estimated as possible from our
deficient 1917 harvest, we actually
shipped 13O, ,O0O, 900 bushels without ap-
parent injury to our own population,
which accepted wheatless and meatless
days, record high levels of prices, some
rather drastic limitations of individual
liberties, and a myriad of other sacri-
fees, as something all in the days
work" of winning the war. In doing
this, by the way, the free stock Of
wheat was reduced to 10 days sup
ply by the time the new crop was
available.
Super-War Prices
Up to the middle of the year the
movement of commodity prices, if a
slight seasonal reaction in March be
excepted, was quite steadily upward,
reflecting the needs of our Allies, the
high buying power of our own people,
and, last but not least, the concen-
trated buying of our government for
army needs 100000 men being il
arms and still greater number being
in prospect). The August l number
however, reflecting, as it did, govern
ment price-fiXing Of cotton goods
showed a decline, and the following
numbers showed a rather uncertain
but, on the whole, downward trend
until December !, when, contrary tc
many expectations based on the re
turn of peace, the Index Number
moved upward, due to the rise II
Il meats and dairy products, which, o1
course, are and have been in class
by themselves, owing to war demands
! Illustrative of this, it might be said
} a selected list of meats, breadstuffs
dairy products and groceries on JULY
: 1, 1918, showed gains of 65 to 160 pei
cent, as compared with the prices rul
ing at the outset of the great war il
1914. Bradstreet's approximate Index
Number of December 1 shows thai
prices as a whole are only seven-tenths
, of 1 per cent below the high point o.
July 1, are per cent above Decembei
1 a year ago, and 118 per cent above
the level ruling on August 1, 1914
Compared with April 1, 1917, on tbs
eve of our n1ry ir TO the war, the ad
: vance is 80 per cent. The Index Mum
-ber for the entire year 1918 is $18.75
which is PIC per cent above the low
record year 1896, twenty-five years
ago.
The Crops.
OF the crop outturn of 1918, it may
be said that it was excellent in part
: fair in other respects and bad in but
few, the conspicuous shortages being
however, in animal feeding stuffs
corn, hay, oats and potatoes, which
has been an unfavorable element ir
the matter of meat production anf
pI1CSS. OWiuS W q lCCOlO yAO4O VI
spring wheat, the wheat crop as 6
whole was classible as good, though
100000 bushels below the high rec
ord of 1914 Oats and potatoes fell
off little, but the loss in corn due tc
drought in the summer is hard &c
make UP. Barley, rye, sweet potatoes
peanuts and beans and tobacco al
showed record yields. Cotton yielGs
were larger than in either of the pre-
ceding two years, but short when
measured by the yield of 1914. In the
matter of prices paid, farm products
left little to be desired, corn, potatoes
rye, beans and cabbage being among
the few showing smaller financial re
turns. Cereal crop values as whole
$6,971, ,634,000, break all records, ex