The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-31

or financing extensions, equipment and other improvements.
 In November, there were 1,700 bus mess failures with liabilities of 25 mill lion dollars com pared with 1,305 fail ures in November a year ago with lia- bi1ittes of 24 million dollars. There were only 25 large failures compared with 50 last month and 40 in November of last year The liabilities of these 25 totaled 10 million dollars, so that the remaining 1.675 averaged less than 10 thousand dollars each.
 Gross earnings of railroads for Octo- lfber were 269 million dollars compared with 298 a year ago, a falling off of 10 per cent, while net earnings were 58 millions compared with 96 a year ago, southern group and the Pacific coast group showed the heaviest decline in gross, considerable decline was re- corded by all of the groups. The New England group, the eastern and middle group and the southwestern group, all managed to show some gain in net, the gain by thes New England group amounting to nearly 6 per cent, the others being a mere fraction.
 Building operations ip 16o cities total ed 50 million dollars compared with 1 5S millions last year. The lumber cut for October was s09 million feet Icompared with s7O a year ago but shipments were only 827 million feet compared with 839 a year ago. As l these reports do mot cover the same Humber of mills. the actual showing was a decline of 100 million feet ill cut for the month and of 152 million feet in shipments.
 The pig iron production for No vember was 1,518 thousand tons which is the low record for any l tonnage Of the Steel corporation at the close Of November was 3,325 thousand tons compared with 3,461 a month ago and 4, 396 a year ago. The mills of the corporation shipped at lsthe rate of one-third of capacity dur ing November. The railroad rate de- cision will be boon to the iron and steel trade and probably the report l ed reduction in wages under consid- eration by the Steel corporation can I be indefinitely postponed if railroad l Buying increases in volume simme- diateiy.
 Anthracite coal shipments for No vember were 5.92S thousand tons iscompared with 5,787 a year ago, in dicating that the anthracite roads were fairly busy.
 Pipe line deliveries of oil showed a big Increase over last year in both I October and November Tin de- 1iveries= into American consump ptfon for November amounted to 3, 500 tons I'conpared with 2g8O0 last year new 4e1GlOE Q01nduQlnG attention 1 is zinc exports which the quarterly period ending October S1st, are re- ported by the government at 65 505 thousand pounds compared with ,347 thousand hounds for the same quar- lster Of 1918 The highest exports ever made in q given year were in 1897 when the total for the year was l S5,s70 thousand pounds. Our ex- ports for September alone were in l excess of that amount. Here Is an ether evidence that Europe stocks up when visible supply is large, business l is dull and prices low. She has sup- | piled herself with our copper for the past few months at ridfcuIous1y low prices and apparently has at the same time been loading upon our zinc
 The output of gold at the Rand mines for November was nearly 716 thousand ounces compared with 734 last month and 67SIa year ago. Commodity prices dropped again