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Show OUR GREAT BURDEN. There is no better judge of business prospects in this country than i -Jcnry Clews of New York, banker and economist. In his last letter D The Standard, that distinguished authority, makes this comment n the outlook: This country is passing through one of the great, if not the greatest, crisis in its history. Though far distant from the seat of war, and much less injured than any other combatants, we are feeling the economic results almost as sharply as they. The very fact that we suffered less means that we must help more ; hence in the work of reconstruction our burdens are actually much heavier than we had ever expected them to be. We have ' not only been obliged to feed Europe more freely than usual with our spare grain and meat"; but now that peace is here we are aslo called upon to suddenly furnish immense quantities of cotton, copper, petroleum and steel products, in order to fill up the void created by five years of intense destruction. Europe's demands are not easy to measure. In addition to ! those just mentioned we have been called upon to provide ships, I other sources. Such exceptional demands forced high prices in 1 every direction, and the urgency of these requirements enables labor to insist upon higher and higher wages. Domestic extravagance extra-vagance is also an important element in high prices. Whether these movements have reached their climax or not depends upon how far the demand has been met. When buyers cease striving for goods, because either satisfied or exhausted, then the advance will surely end and dullness ensue until demand re-C re-C ceives fresh stimulus from new inquiries or lower prices. As long i as these conditions last, it is useless to expect industrial stability, i Return to the normal will require many months of large product i and hard work. The fed" al reserve board wisely said that the I ' only cure for the present c. li is "work and save." This applies j to all classes of workers, tl of hand and head alike. I C Washington will be the center of interest for the balance of - the year at least. On the surface our foreign relations appears j! to be the chief factor. As a matter of reality, our industrial prob- ; j lems are of far more pressing importance. The stoppage of prof-: prof-: I j iteering is at the moment of greater consequence than playing j politics with the peace treaty. It was urgent that an immedi- j j ate check be placed upon the rise in prices, which may modify I : the advance in costs somewhat, but cannot stop the demands H 1 1 for high wages. The latter are based not altogether upon high ' prices, but in part upon the desire to secure a larger share in the general prosperity as long as it lasts. I |