Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1906 — OF THE COUNTEY FOR A YEAR. [ARTICLE]

OF THE COUNTEY FOR A YEAR.

Interesting Statistics Showing the Results of Twelve Months in Agriculture, Manufacture and General Trade, p--Bradstroefs Commercial Agency has prepared an Interesting table showing the status of the iehdihg lines of American agriculture, manufacture and general trade for the year. The figures are given below, although many are estimates and subject to final revision: '*'“ * ' -T' -■ ’' • " -*• - Per-cent,-* ... 1,006.• 1903. gain or loss. Corn, bushels V 2.881,09t>,000 2,707,993.540 Increase 6.4 Wheat, brtshe|s 739.883,000 692,979.489 Increase 6.7 Oats, busfes ................ "863,'382,000 —~~ 953.210,197 Decrease 9.4 Barley, bushels ' 144,528.000 136.6517020 Increase 5,7 Rye, bushels 30,000,000 28.483.952 Increase 5.3 Buckwheat,'bushels'.., ,_5,..... 13,688,000 14,583.082 Decrease 6.1 Total, six leading cereals. ■.... 4,672,5-j7,000 4,503.011,25 Q Increase 8.1 Potatoes, bushels ............. 2* >0.741.294 Increase 16.5 Sugar (Louisiana), pounSs.. .. 593,600,000 739,200,000 Decrease 19.6 Sugar (Porto Bicoj. pounds... 571,200,000 * 477.120,000 Increase 19.7 >’ugTTC Clfrrn-ntil pnTmits r— *»‘»l‘snnnm> -- -Uimimi liuTcase 2.6 Sugar, beet (United States) , pounds 772,800.000 030.160.000 Increase 21.4 Sugar, total pounds ...... 1... 2,882,400.000 2,714.880.000 Increase 3.9 Apples, barrels* i •...... ~..., 36,000000 - 21,000.000 Increase 50.0 Cranberries, barrels 250,000 136,800 Increase 82.7 Cf-tt«n> bales 12,566,000 11.345.988 Increase 10.2 ■ Tobacco, pounds' 628,814,800 033,033,719 Decrease .6 Shoo shipments. cas(?Vu (ten • months)., eases •2,301.509 4:248.057 Increase 2.6 Iron ore shipments (lake), tons 37,000.000 34.100.0Q0 Increase -8.5 Pig iron production, tons. 25,000,000 23,000,000 Increase 8.6 Coal, anthracite shipments (ten , months), tons ............. 45,680,414 50,593,504 Decrease 9.7 Building expenditure (ten mos.) 32 cities . . $400,934,988 $380,516,192 Increase 5.2 Bank clearings, ten months..'. .$131,097,795,346 $115,678,335,231 Increase 13.2 Railway earnings, gross, 9 mos. $1,439,457,962 $1,267,297,075 Increase 13.5 Exports of merchandise (ten ; ——- months) - $1,425,172,707 $1,256,924,354 Increase 13.4 Imports of merchandise (ten. months) $1.046.392.809 $979*717.437 Increase 6.7 Total foreign trade (10 months) $2,471,565,516 $2,236,641,791 increase 10.5 Business failures, number (ten . . \ months" . 77::';..... 1 ; 7,669 —‘ ■ : 8,233 Decrease 6.S Business failures, liabilities (ten • months) ■ $101.27(4480 $100,742,108 Increase .4 Money in circulation Nov. 1.... S2,S6G, 552.756 $2,653,131,578 Increase 8.0 Money in circulation per capita - $33.68 $31.69 Increase 6.2 Explanatory of the above figures, it might be said that the large barley, corn and wheat crops more than made up for smaller yield of oats, the net result l>egau an aggregate yield of all cereals combined 3 percent larger than in 1905, and larger even than the combined record yield of past years. A ~ next to record yield of potatoes, a record sugar crop, a fair sized apple crop, and a next to record cotton crop are among the features indicated. The yield of tobacco will, however, be light. Larger yields of most crops indicate a heavier total money value to the farmer than a year ago. In industry, it is to be noted that nearly all lines of endeavor show larger outputs than a year ago. Shoe shipments show a gain of SALper cent on last year ; iron ore shipments and pig iron production break all records, gaining 8.5 per cent in each case over the hitherto record year 1905. Building construction was never so active. Anthracite coal shipments, however, are a conspicuous exception, showing a decrease of 9.7 per cent from 1905. Prices of-all staples have shown great strength, and the general level of all values, as indicated by Bradstreet’s approximate index number, is 6 per cent above a year ago and 53 per cent above the low water mark set in July, 1896. Large crops, high prices and active Industry naturally find reflection in „ large financial and trade totals. Foreign and domestic trade has reached unprecedented, heights, as indicated by gains of 6.7 per cent in imports and of 13.4 per cent in exports, and in a total foreign trade 10.5 per cent ahead of 1905. Railway earnings and bank clearings show nearly similar gains over a year ago, 13.5 and 13.3 per cent respectively. Business failures are 6.8 per cent fewer while liabilities are only four-tenths of 1 per cent larger- than in 1905. The volume of money in circulation is the largest ever recorded.