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Show oo . THREE BILLION DOLLARS. For more than a year, the railroads did not order steel rails, or rolling stock, but since the beginning of 1916, they have sent in rush demands for large quantities of all kinds of equipment. equip-ment. Their orders since the "first of January have totaled 1,415000 tons of - steel rails compared with only 510,000 tons for the entire year of 1914. This is evidence of the complete restoration of confidence and the greatly improved financial condition of the railroads. Foreign trade continues to break all records In January, our exports were $409,000,000. For the paBt twelve months, our exports havo been 3.-750,000,000. 3.-750,000,000. Our favorable balance of trade for the period was $1,850,000,000 This means that the outside world became be-came Indebted to the United States nearly two billion dollars in twelve months. Since the beginning of the war, this country has liquidated debts and established a credit to the extent of three billion dollars. The effect of this strengthening of our financial affairs should havo a favorable effect on business in the United States over a long period of time. |