OCR Text |
Show OUTLOOK GOOD According to estimates made in quarters which are usually conservative, there is no reason to fear any decided recession in the general prosperity of the nationduring the coming fall and winter. One significant feature in the present situation is the fact that our export trade is once more showing large gains . For the seven months ending with July the trade balance for the year was in our favor to' the extent of $270,000,000 . For the same period in 192fj the balance of trade was against this country to the extent of a little more than $65,000,000. Our exports have grown considerably during the current year while our imports show a slight decrease . There was an increase in our sales to every grand division of the world showing that our foreign trade is in a healthy state, at least. According to the National Bank of Commerce in New York, autumn trade always reflects fall crops and crop prices and the indications in-dications now are for a steady business during the rest of the year . The bank's survey of the situation indicates a satisfactory condition con-dition in most; of the agricultural regions of the country. It says: "High prices for cattle and lambs and good prices for the last wool clip assure satisfactory fall trade in the range states. California Cali-fornia and most other regions dependent on special crops have enjoyed en-joyed at least a normally good season and fair prices. "The forecast for spring wheat is 100,000,000 bushels larger than the 1926 crop. Even though prices are somewhat lower than a year ago, prosperity is thus assured for most areas where it is a major crop, especially the wheat-growing sections of the Dakotas and Montana. In Idaho, Washington and Oregon, where spring and winter wheat are about equally important, the crop is large." In some of the corn states the crop condition is not satisfactory, the best crops being in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska . Wages are good and employment is satisfactory in the industrial indus-trial portions of the country, the survey adds, and it sums up the situation as follows: "Their demand for goods, together with that from the farming farm-ing region should assure a level of business activity during the fall and winter months as good as or better than that of last year, with some consequent increase in industrial employment." This is a good time to sit steady in the boat and not to try to sell Uncle Sam "short." n |