Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-26
THE PROPHET.
WE all like to be prophets. II

a time in the worlds history when
1t was a paying role. A prophet
whose reputation was established
ranked about as high as a king, and
he got the ~emolunents of his office
all right. Ignorant and supersti-
tious people reverenced and feared
him and he generally made them
pay we'll for their confidence in his
power to see into the future. In
fact the fortune teller and the mar
or woman who makes claims to be
| able to see into the future still
finds credulous people in this year
of our Lord 1922 who are willing
to pay out good hard cash in order
to pry into the future and learn
what it has in store for them. Even
those who have no real belief in
the power of an old gypsy wornan
to tell them what will happen to
them in the future are often will
ing to cross the withered palm Of a
bag with silver, and wonder if by
any means her pleasing tale will
become true. Among primitive
people, the witches, medicine men
and wizards are held in high honor
and grow rich on the ignorance
and superstition of their clients.
In the old time prophets claimed
to get their insight into the future
through supernatural powers. The
modern prophet sets up his own
superior wisdom and powers of OBJ
servation deduction as the source
of his power. When he makes a
lot of predictions that do not come
true he forgets about his false pre-
dictions and every one else for
gets about them. When any of
them come true he is sure to re-
mind us of the fact and demand of
US admiration for his wisdom. Yet
there is in most people a streak of
superstition left that makes them
like to listen to the self appointed
prophet whether we believe in his
powers or not. Perhaps it is an
impress that comes down to us
from many generations of ances-
tors who believed in prophets,
witches, priests in communication
with the Creator, and other super
natural powers.
Perhaps trading on this instinct
of a past experience, Forbes Mag
azine assumes the role of the
prophet and lifts the curtain of the
future to show us what is going to
happen in the next year on twenty
five propositions. These revela-
tons of the future may be classed
as important if true" Some of
them seem to US quite likely to
come true, because they already
cast their shadows on the indus
trial and political world. Others
strike US as mere guesses. Here
are the twenty-five propositions.
Our readers guess about their
truth is probably quite as good as
the prophets guess about them.
/. Rather acute scarcity of un-
skilled laborers.
2. A rising tendency in wages.
3. Serious congestion on the
railroads, with grave delays in the
delivery of goods.
q. Sharp rises in not a few in
dustries.
s. A further advance in cotton
and cotton goods.
6. Greater expansion in imports
than in exports.
7. Some revival in shipping.
8. Distinctly higher money rates,
starting very shortly.
9. Less voracious absorption OF
new security offerings.
10. Increased activity in stocks
and decreased activity in bonds,
with more or less bullish excite
ment in stock speculation.
IL. Scarcity of a few classes of
merchandise and many instances of
clamoring for immediate delivery.
IL. Harvesting of satisfactory
crops and freer buying throughout
the grain-growing states, with some
what improved conditions also in
the south.
IS. Cheaper coal.
IA. Lowering of rents.
IS. November election results
which will spur the republican law
makers to conduct themselves IN
more b~usinesslike fashion.
Is. Recognition of Mexico.
II. Pacification of Ireland.
10. An upheaval in Germany,
precipitated by the ~hardships i'm