The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-02
SUCCESS CROWNS EFFORTS
CONTINUED from Page y

tScitiudCu u6C ~
and the preparations for the confer
ence at Versailles gave peculiar an
phasis to the Christmas season and
were fraught with favorable auguries
for the ushering into the world of a
truly Happy New Year.
With the great var apparently end
ed, a glance yer the big events Of
the four years and nearly four months
additional that it lasted may not be
out of the way. First of all, 1t needs
to be said that no human being ex-
did, nor that the financial costs there
of (probably $3.50, 600, OOO. 900 to $780,
600, 600, 000) could have been so sue
cessfully borne - he world. AS to
the cost in life, no definite measure
can be had as yet, but probably be-
tween 5000, 900 and 10000. 900 fighting
men laid down their lives, while mas
sacre, 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 $22, 900, 000, 900 to
date, our own loss of life, directly due
to the hostilities or to disease and at
tendant evils, possibly 100,000 men,
while regrettably large in our eyes.
was slight compared with either those
Of any of our foes or Of our Allies.
In the work of feeding our Allies,
a really marvellous plan of substitu-
ton Of other cereals for wheat was
irst necessary in 1918, and to bring
this about, the SIX to 6 bushels per
capita of domestic consumption at the
outset was cut down to below three
bushels. The average for the entire
year was not over four bushels, and
whereas at the outset of the cereal
year 1918 a total export of only 40
0OO, 900 bushels was estimated as pos
sible from our deficient 1917 harvest,
we actually shipped 130, 900 GOO bushels
without apparent injury to our own
population, which accepted wheatless
and meatless days, record high levels
OF prices, some rather drastic limita-
lions of individual liberties, and a
myriad OF other sacrifices, as some
thing all in the days work" OF WIN
ming the war. In doing this, by the
way, the free stock of wheat was re-
duced to a ten days supply by the
time the new crop was available.
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,
rejecting the needs OF u Allies, the
high buying power of our own people,
and, last but not least, the ~concentrat-
ed btying of our government for army
needs $4,000, 900 men being in arms
and a still greater number being in
prospect). The August l number,
however, rejecting, as it did, govern
ment price-f1xing Of cotton goods,
showed a decline, and the following
numbers showed a rather uncertain
but. on the whole, downward trend
until December /, when. contrary to
many expectations based IN the re-
turn 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 a
class by themselves, owing to war de
mands. Illustrative OF this. 1t might
be said, a selected list Of meats, bread
| stufYs. dairy products and groceries
on July /, 1918, showed gains of 90
to 100 per cent, as compared with the
prices ruling at the outset of the great
| war in 1914. Bradstreet's approx
mate Index Number of December l,
shows that prices as a whole are only
seven-tenths of / per cent below the
high point of July /, are s per cent
above December / a year ago, and
11S per cent above the level ruling on
August /, 1914. Compared with April
/. 1917. on the eve of our entry into
the war, the advance is 30 per cent.
The Index Number for the entire year
1918 is 1873. which is PIG per cent
above the low record year 1896, TWEEN,
ty-two years ago.
OF the crop outturn of 1918, 1t may
be said that it was excellent IN part
fair in other respects and bad in but
few, the conspicuous shortage being
however. in animal feeding stuffs
corn. hay, oats and potatoes, which
has been an unfavorable element in
the matter Of meat production and
prices. Owing to a record yield oil
spring wheat, the wheat crop as 2
whole was classible as good, though
lOO. 600, 900 bushels below the high rec
ord of 1914. Oats and potatoes Eel
off little. but the loss in corn due tc
drought in the summer is hard :;
make up. Barley, rye, sweet potatoes
peanuts and beans and tobacco al
showed record yields. Cotton yields
were larger than n either of the pre-
ceding two years, but short wher