Show MIDAS TOUCH 1 OF WAR I RICHES W Worlds World's arId's Scepter Now Be Be Bel Belongs l longs to U. U S. S for G Good d Asserts Writer By Dr A. A S. S Brown Famous American Financial A I. I W YOUK Dec CO O.- O. O.-No O. No o country Il 1 in th 1 alf aty world world history ever over experienced anything approaching the prosperity o of Jj United d States tES during lurin the pas past f Th old oM 3 year ar leaves es us absolutely lr th Je nation tion in the world orl with a prosperity which measured in dol dollars ar jM I Js is s colossal fIt W J be e remembered renumbered we hav hat Kt rest resources in row raw materials largest manufacturing plants most ox ox- t tens ye railroad and shipping facilities greatest financial power R g the war we undertook t t tb the b manufacturing for fOl bO both l. l neu- neu 7 tralY frat and nd f belligerents Our Oui exports this year yea were Just Justa a u. HWo under as compared i c with In n 1915 In 1916 we imported worth o or goods goods good as s compared with 93 orth worth in 1916 0 Our Jr foreign commerce statistics show how this trade e expansion has extended to all ports parts of ot the world and wo ore now establish establishing lug permanent connections ns' ns that will iII insure continued nt i E this share in world commer commerce e. e Tp To have e a healthy foreign wo must have efficient banking and I financial facilities facUlties We e have hay provided the these these- American banks in 1916 Os' Os etab 1 st h- h b. b branches or agencies throughout the t orld ord The They invested over In industrial plants in iii Russia in China In in L South South America and ada da making the total of their Canadian 1 Investments Our tOt 1 I Investments in Europe Asia Central H and South America have now now- reached L about ThA Th- Industrial activity of oC any Im- Im tit many manu manufacturing community j i acc accurately f tel reflected 1 by by pig iron st st. sta statistics sta- sta and bank clearings Out Our pf iron production avero averaged god torn tons tone I. I per Jer month throughout 1916 a a. production tion don about 70 per cent above normal E B Bank hl clearings In tWenty tWenty- twenty seven cven of ol the j cities averaged ab above Er per week as compared with compared with L' L a The 1 I year Jear ago rhe total totI clearings this 1 year were 00 and in 1915 Our Ou I transactions Increased 3 39 pc per pel cent I Th The bank clearings clearing's indicate prospers prosper I it tty Ity vis j 1 being enjoyed from irom coast to o I coa oat 1 oYt's in most of the ts' ts tres d largest larest industrial n h ha l r higher wages r- r lo boj f. f The average wage increase S Ea Eastern states amounted to c SOper compared with 1915 and 49 per cent wl with I 1914 I Immense purchases of automobiles a and other luxuries s 's by farmers pr I the year has been a precious one for them While crops crops- have not bee f f I large larie high prices pricE's made up for tor the I decrease in quantity r corn crop was valued at 2295 2295 OO as compared d with In G. G This years year's year wheat amounted amoun 1 in Value Vallie r to as compared with a year Jear ago abo The TUe total value of our crops in 1916 was 6 as against in jY 1915 T ih he a enormous business done in 1916 required li-ed li immense investments New capital Issues amounted to as compared with in the ther previous year The years year's Issue included loaned to foreign governments compared with wiLli In ill 1915 1115 In Inthe Inthe Inthe the past two years ears we have loaned foreign interest over lover This money carries c. high Interest alwill ami al 1 will be a source of income to u ua us for some years JT Activities on the investment market are axe reflected in the returns of the New York stock exchange e. e These show a avalUe avalue value of ot in 1916 as a compared corn com pared With in 1915 all an Increase of nearly 4 49 per cent Many any new Industries were to make goods formerly b by European countries Man Many chemIcal chem chem- ical and metallurgical Industries pf or permanent value were developed 4 great dye industry sprang up We ar now independent of Germany in ill dy dr dyes s. s Our zinc and copper plants were enlarged en eu- en- en arged and all the tho metals alloys and ch chemicals required in making mu were made within the r States Stites All AU U these new nev and valuable indus tries will contribute to make H us more mon th than n ever eyer a 11 self contained and self supporting nation Though we have been een long negligent of ot pur ur shipping our merchants have haY taken advantage of or the war to build buildup up a great grent mercantile marine Th There re arE r now 2644 1 ships of ot gross gross- tons ions on the American shipping regi resist regis I t tr 1 Our ship yards ards built in 1916 9 7 e vessels sels of ot a gross tonnage of to tons s as compared with ith 1157 vessels oT dl f I tons in Our ship yards ard ard ar now engaged in building steel t cl I steamers aggregating tons 1 of the yards are working Three I shifts per day clay to tum turn out these ships speedily The railroads have naturally shared in the tho bountiful prosperity There Thele was wa I little new construction but large sums were expended in betterments Gross GrIS country e earnings Increased throughout the I For Foreign n Is-n commerce i is largely carri carried carrie I i onby means mean of credit It is ther t re I impossible to express in concrete s th e exact t value of or our annual trading I profit It is Indicated perhaps in i 1 a relative manner b by our ourS gold reserves 1 form the basis of all commercial commercial commer commer- cial credits I The he present stock of ot gold old in the le e United States is valued at 27 as compared with in I D December cember 1915 This Increase in our god stocks will easily support four times its amount of ot business credit I The increase in the deposits of ot banks and anil saving institutions shows that all classes ses In the tile community have liared I in inthe the golden flood In tn the postal t sa savings iu ings s I persons have accounts amount In ing to standing to to their credit This Is nearly CO GO per cent more than last years year's return Indicated d. d |