5 JANUARY 1929, Page 32

Finance Public and Private

New Year Prospects

WinAm time -alone can reveal the happenings of the future, there ari/elii possible ori. -.Which at the beginning of the year it-is not POssible iO.disc-etii events calculated to exert a considerable influence over financial developments. Thus, for example, a twelve- month ago, when contemplating the prospects for 1928, there had to be a careful remembrance of such facts as the impending Presidential election in the United States .arid the political elections- in France and- Gerthany, while Yet another point which was clearly looming ahead was the possibility of the stabilization - of the franc. -All those events were • consummated in due course and all, in their turn, had influence upon financial developments in 1928. . . •