Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-03

Bradstreet's review says in part:
With the great apparently ended,
glance over the big events of the four years
and nearly four months additional that 1t
lasted may not be out of the way. First of
all, it needs to be said that no human being
expected it to last the length of time it did,
nor that the financial cost thereof (probably
$3.50, 900, 0O0, 600 to $500, 600, 0o0,O0O) could
have been so successfully borne by the
world AS to tile cost Of life no definite
measure can be had as yet, but probably
/ between 1900, 900 and 10,0O00O0 fighting
men laid down their lives, while massacre,
disease and starvation may have taken as
many more civilians. OF our own part in It,
it can be said that while our financial costs
have been great, perhaps 81, OOO, 00O,OO0 20
date, our own loss CT life, directly due to
the hostilitics or to disease and attendcnt
evils, possibly coo men, while regret
tably large in our eyes, was slight com
pared with either those of any of our foes
or of our allies.
Feeding Our Allies
In the work of feeding our allies. really
marvellous plan of substitution of other
cereals for wheat was first necessary in
6 bushels per capita of domestic consump-
ton at the outset was cut down to below
three bushels. The average for the entire
year was not over four bushels, and "hs:~"
as at the outset of tho cereal year .st&
total export of only 100000 g@Shsts TaS
! estimated as ,oSsible from ~ Se!-Ss3Eo
1917 harvest we actually AElnp@' l3O,-
600 900 bushels without 12p1Fe-: INJURY 10
less and mtat!ess days, record high levels
of prices, rather drastic limitations
of Individual liberties. and Il myriad OF
other sacrifices, as something all IN me
! days work. of winning the war. In DO.
| ing this, by the way, the free stock OF
wheat was reduced to a ten days supply
| by the time the new crop was aValIapIe'
Super-War Prices
| Up to the middle OF the year the move
| ment of commodity prices, If slight sea-
| sonal reaction in March be excepted was
! p1 rpfIa needs
! of our allies, the high buying power OF our
| own people, and, last but not least the
| concentrated buying Of our government Tor
army needs (4,000,OOO men being IN arms
| and q still greater number being IN pros
pect The August number. however, re
| Fleeing. as it did, government prlce-tlXlng
! of cotton goods, showed decline, ana the
| following numbers showed rather uncer-
| tain but. on the whole, downward trend
| until December 1, when, contrary TO many
| expectations based on the return of peace,
| the Index Number moved sharply upward,
! due to the rise in meats and dairy products,
which, Of course, are and have been IN
class by themselves owing to war demands,
! Illustrative of this, it might be sald'
| selected list of meats, bTeadstutfS, dairy
| products and groceries on July l, l9Io'
! showed gains of 60 to 160 per cent, as com
| pared with the prices ruling at the outset OF
! the great war IN 1914. BradstreetS ap-
/ proximate Index Number of December l,
| shows that prices a whole are only sew
| en-tenths Of L per cent below the high point
| of July /, are 8 PEI cent above December l
| year ago, and lis per cent above the level
! ruling on August /, 1914. Compared with
/ April |, 1917. on the of our entry into
! the war, the advance is 80 per cent The
! Index Number for the entire year, 1918 is
! SIS 10, which is 216 per cent above the low
record year 1896 tweGty-two years ago.
! 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 con
spicuous shortages being, however, III am
| mai feeding stuffs, corn. hay. oats and po-
| tatoes which has been unfayOrable Gle
/ ment in the matter of meat production and
nrices. Owing 10 record yield of spring
! wheat the wheat crop as whole was clasSl-
| BILE as good, though 100 600 coo bushels be-
! low the high record Of 1914 oats and po-
| tatC2s fell off little, butthe less IN corn
/ due to drought in the summer is hard to
make up. Barley, rye. sweet potatoes. pea
nuts and beans and tobacco all showed rec
| ord Yields. Cotton yields were larger than
! in either of the preceding 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, jotat0es, rye,
! beans and cabbage being among the few
| showing smaller financial returns. terea
| crop values as whole S6,9I ,634 900
break oil records exceeding 1917 by per
! cent, and all crops, valued at S122I@,4l2-
/ 000, gained > per cent, over the preceding
! year. itself high-record point in values
| These financial returns, coupled with the
! planting or Il record area. 49,O2I,o00 acres.
! in winter wheat, with the third highest CON
! ditiun recorded. contain excellent promise
I for the coming year 50 far aS the farmer IS
| concerned. especially 50 III ina an excellent
| price Is guaranteed him for 1919, in case as
| is possible, u yield exceeding that of 1914
! is realized.
| While a certain amount of the bUoyancy
| with which the victory Of the allies was
j greeted has disappeared, and establishments
| from Il war TO 4 peac" basis in industry
| have made fer a good deal Of uncertainty.
! due mainly to the question Of the fUture of
! prices ana the disposition Of HnH9eded var
|