The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-12-31
Depression
Dangers Pass With
Economic Tendency
tcc-.inued from mare one,


Land values have become stabilized
in many sections with every indica-
ton Of another two or three years
seeing the land problem . thing Of
the past except In . few isolated
areas. State and national banks have
reduced their "other real estate"
holding - per cent from the peak In
1926.
Owners of large farm acreage are
showing definite results from super
vision and additional investment In
improvements to permit moro eff
cient operation Of land BY tenants.
Wholesale grocer sales during 1879
were about equal to lS26 with retail
lumber sales somewhat In excess Of
1878.
Production Of Ignite coal reached
l 800 900 tons. the highest In history.
Income Taxes lncfeose
Income taxes collected during 1879
for the year 1923 totalled 96l3.392.
tho highest on record and almost
800. 900 In excess Of the previous year.
Total state taScs In 1879 were
$3.434.ll5. as compared with q total
IS per cent higher In 1872. Combined
local lcvics increased 2 per cent COM
pared with 1928. which was about
equal to 1921. without Z bond issue
the state has graded s. per CENT Of its
total highway system Of 1850 miles
and gravel surfaced 81 per cent.
Purchases Of new passenger auto
mobiles during 1920 vert II per cent
! higher than during 1913 which in turn
was ~ per cent higher than 1877.
About SO per cent Of 1929 grain Is
still owned by producers. this being
about 20 per cen in excess Of normal
holdings BY farmers at the end Of the
! year.
Greater Farm Efficiency
North Dakota's definite trend to-
ward greater efficiency In operating
; tho individual farm unit is ~associat-
cd with q reduction in costs Of pro-
| ducing grains as well as more bolanc.
cd production" tho review asserts.
while farmers arc making tre-
mcndously important shifts In acre
| ages to provide feed for the increased
livestock population. As well rs send
ing q more finished hog to market
and increasing the butterfat produc-
| ton per COW. they = also whiting
down their grain costs. This no doubt
explains why the state purchased
more than $500 combines during the
past year.
Total trucks in use, with about IS
/ per ccnt used on farms. now total
about 5000 as compared with fewer
than 5000 five years ago. Tractors
know number more than 10000. Of
which 5000 have been purchased
! during the past two years.
It Is a recognized fact that North
| Dakota farms are rs well equipped
with labor saving machinery Is any
In the world"
Trade Territories Defined
"As the more important parts Of
the states highway building program
are completed" the review deserves.
the new trading territories are be-
coming defined with subsequent stab
ilization of real estate values In fav-
0red smaller business centers. This
changing of trading areas has been
of far reaching influence In North
Dakota. With the competitions Of
railroad lines. territories tributary to
cities and towns were established.
Then almost yer night. as improved
roads provided new avenues for pas
sengcr and freight traffic. changes
were brought about. There was re-
] sultant confusion and much apprc-
hension but this is passing rs the new
! lines are now being generally recog-
nized. This probably accounts for re-
newed building activity in many Of
| tho smaller centcrs.
Larger cities continue to expand.
| Total building permits In the four
largest cities Of the state amount 70
95,335,2l during 1920 IS compared
with $5,5o6.8s8 in 1919 which was the
leading year since the war. Debts to
| individual accounts for the first II
months Of 1929 in Bismarck. Devils
Lake. Dickinson. Fargo. Grand Forks.
jamestown, Mandan. Wahpct0n and
Williston totalled $3.50. l47 900 Is COM
| pared with $559. IT.. 900 In 1922
Touching briefly upon the farm
| real estate situation. the review notes
| that in most sections Of North Dako-
ia land has been selling during the
past two or three years. It finds
North Dakota farmers and business
men looking with distinct favor on
the announced intention Of large land
owners to refrain from dumping their
| holdings and to make additional In
vcstment in improvements 50 that
| tenant farmers operating their lands
| can show fair returns to the owner
as veil as to themselves. Institutions
which have demonstrated the better
business judgment back Of this ap-
| proach to the large land owners' pro-
blem have encouraged others to adopt
4 similar course.
Bnsiness Prcspccls
with North Dakota farmers still
In possession Of 50 per cent Of the
le20 grain CROP" the review declares.
and monthly returned from cream
checks generally meeting running ex-
penseS. 1t seems fair to expect . fair
| volume Of business between now and
mid -summer. There Is ample evil
dencc that. the North Dakota farmer
today is spreading his buying over
most Of the year rather than crowd
| ing 1t into three or four months. This,
! ol course. Is. a direct result Of the fact
that much Of the farmers income
comes from cream. poultry products.
etc. It also permits him TO meet the
| general demand for cash for grocer.
les. clothing. gasoline. ETC.. with COM
meneurate saving to him because Of
this system.
I'm some sections Of the state where
feed was short. there has been some
premature shipping Of livestock but
generally speaking North Dakota
herds and 1lOckg IRE not heinz q.
plsed Is they were In some sections
In nm. Weather conditions 6nnYine