The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-03

Der and December may show a sligh
 decline from the production of the
 years output will be nearly 32 mil
 lion tons.
 The thrilled tonnage of the United States Steel Corporation, at the close of last month, was 4,514 thousand tons compared with 7,594 thousand 2 year ago and 3,694 thousand two years ago. The thrilled tonnage of the lead ing Independent Companies stands in l about the same relation to previous figures. The steel production of the country is almost equally divided be- | tween the Corporation and the 1nde- pendents. The steel plants are op- l erating on finished steel at about 50
 per cent. of capacity, while shipments | which were at the rate of 90 per cent. ] of capacity two months ago are not
 far from 75 per cent. of capacity at | this date. It is believed that the ac-
 tivity will drop to about 60 per cent. l of capacity on Pig Iron, unfinished
 Steel and finished Steel before the 1 close of the year. A decided up-turn
 in demand, and therefore in bookings, | is expected not later than February
 and it is not believed that prices can
 go much lower in the interim.
 There is the natural activity in the anthracite coal trade, while the bitu-
 minous coal market is becoming more ! unsatisfactory.
 Coke prices are low and the market
 weak, but the producers are not talk ing 1914 contracts in any volume at present prices. Shipments are run ming slightly over 10 thousand cars per week, with 30 thousand ovens in blast and 10 thousand idle in the Con
 ne11sviIle district.
 The operations of the cement plants
 of the country are at about one-haIf capacity. The demand is uncertain
 and prices irregular.
 The production of gold at the Rand
 mines in October fell to only 71S thousand ounces compared with 769 thousand a year ago, and with the ex- ception of September. was the light est months output since February, 1912. The output for the year, to date, has been 142 thousand ounces less than for the same period last year and this decline will show an in- crease for the balance of the calendar year because of the disorganized con- dition resulting from the strike.
 Commodit prices in sympathy with the decline in gold production, and for other reasons, have shown a con siderable decline in England, present prices being the lowest since January, 1912. In this country, prices are con- siderably below a year ago and con siderabIy below the beginning of this year, but are slightly hfghersA than during the summer.
 The number of shares traded on the Stock Exchange was about one-ha1f of last years transactions for the month of October, but bond sales picked up slightly, amounting to Al million dollars compared with 46 mil lions year ago and 73 millions two years ago. Stock exchange dulIness is still a stubborn fact. Bond prices average lower than at any time since November, 1907, and stocks average below any quotations since April, 1908. a fSsa
 Building and real estate operations for October. were decidedly light and for the year, to date, in the one hnu- dred and sixty leading cities are be- low last year. The difference of over million dollars in building opera ions in New York City accounts, how ever, for nearly all of the decline and outside of a half dozen cities, the building movement has been larger this year than last year or the year before. ss--.a--sz~
 With the exception of cotton, the crops are harvested and the story is told. Wheat production increased, while corn. oats, barley, buckwheat, white potatoes and tobacco show a decrease as compared with the 1 previous year. Rice and rye held their own. The average price of farm products is enough higher, however to offset the difference in the crop and farmers, as a whole, are not the l sufferers this time. Farmers in some sections where the drought was severe are, of course, in bad shape.
 From the ginning figures at hand, | indications are that the cotton crop | will almost reach last years figures, l the price is enough higher to insure | a much greater total value for the | crop than last year and the value in | dollars for the smaller crop may aI- most, if not quite, equal the price | brought by the 1911 bumper crop
 The best business conditions are | still found in the states bordering the | Great Lakes and the poorest cond1- | lions in the middle South and South | west, exclusive of Texas where busi- l ness is just about normal. There is almost a boom area covering Michi- | gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North ern Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Montana and Wyoming are above 1 normal and the unmentioned portion of the country just about average
 It is unnecessary to comment on the Mexican situation which continues to have it's daily effect upon trade and | financial operations in this and other countries. A peaceful settlement would mean much to our general bus mess conditions.