| Show GAGE TALKS ON GOOD TIMES I SOMETHING TANGIBLE RIGHT AT HAND HE SAYS Clears Away Some Things Which Are Incomprehensible to Men Not Gifted Like Mr Gage New York Jan 2Under the heading head-ing Secretary Gage Confidently Hopeful Hope-ful the Times will tomorrow publish an extended interview with Secretary Gage in the course of which he is quoted a saying The coming of good times to our country is not now something intangible intangi-ble far off our good times are right at hand dependent altogether on our willingness lingness to worthily greet them and keep them Some people are I believe disposed to be pessimistic because great sums of money accumulate in our banks They urge this u a sign of national business unhealthfulness merchants I I ana manufacturers tney say iacK confidence con-fidence are unwilling to assume normal I nor-mal responsibilities and thus the coun trys general trade has shrinkage threatening i This is a superficial I view After rears that have been practically panic times exceptional I elements enter into the business sit uation And the unparalleled volume of idle money in the banks signifies I think something very different from what the pessimists harp upon More largely than yet can be appreciated these great totals of bank deposits reflect re-flect the liquidation of western indebtedness indebt-edness What the western people have I accomplished during the year past a I I payers of debts will when we come fully to comprehend it seem fairly to I be a chapter from the days of romance ro-mance The west has been paying back to the east millions borrowed years ago and during some recent times regarded as an exceedingly doubtful asset and faces in 1898 the most inspiring situation I situa-tion known to its history Another factor having much to do J in making the large sharing of funds kept on deposit rather than put actively I ac-tively into base use reflects newlyde veloped prudence among our people in the east as well as west j The average citizen who has prospered I pros-pered in 1897 is inclined to hold tight I for the time at least to his new surplus I sur-plus it is not that he doubts the safety safe-ty of the falling into step with the good times it is not that he has become be-come a drone a mere absorber but appreciative of recent experience he chooses for a while to wait |
