The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-01
GEN LETTER ON
 TRADE CONDITIONS

t \
 in the industry, the production for the year exceeding any previous record. even though production waSs consider ably reduced during the closing months of the year. Stocks on hand at this time are excessive Shipments
 of zinc and, spelter from the. principal
 market are slightly below the re- ceipts and total shipments are 304pera cent below the same period a year ago a
 The visible pig tin, which has been
 unusually large for a short period, de- cIined during the month to IT thous-1 and tons. domestic d deliveries showing an increase for fae month of nearly 1900 tons 9s4
 Gold production, while continuing
 at a, rate far below year ago, is showing an increase in the Transvaa1
 district which bids fair to continue.s
 General indications are that gthe gold
 output for this year will not sbe quite hup tok normal, although it will prob-5
 ably equal last year.
 Hide and leather prices are. high and firm. even though our Imports of
 hides and skins have declined over a
 period of several rno-ths and our ex-
 ports of leather have also declined
 Leather stocks in first hands are not
 heavy and the leather business should
 Five a good account of itself during
 this month and next.
 The final figures on the production
 of cement1fo 1913 do not agree with
 the generally credited statement that
 plants were rIi1ning> during the last
 few weeks of the year at around 50
 per cent of capacity. The output for
 the year totaled 92 million barrels. an
 increase of 10 million barrels over
 the previous year, ana shipments were 89 million barrels compared with
 were rather heavy at the beginning of the year, amounting to million bar rels, while a year ago only million barrels were reported on hand. The |compIafnts heard from the cement nanufacturers during 1918 were ap- parently not we'll founded and dull business must have been confined to individual plants rather than to the
 industry as whole. Indications are that production and shipments this year will be considerably below Iast years figures s
 Building operations during Feb sruary in so leading cities were about 10 million dollars or per cent be- low the same month of last year. Building activity is spotted. a few cit ies showing tremendous gain and otI1- CTS, led by New Y ork city, showing declines running as high as 50 per cent During March, buildings oper- ations improved at many important points and total operations in the principal cities, so far as reported up I to this time, somewhat exceed the fig ures of a year ago. More than half of the principal cities showed again over March of last year and even New lion ollars below it's March opera tions in 1918. Albany, Kansas City. Minneapolis and St Paul are prpmi- nent among the cities showing in creased building activity. Even iIacfud- l ing New York bull lding opera tions for the year to date have set anew gh record and this fact should be careful I ly analysed and considered not only by concerns interested in !buiIding mater iaIs but by 1ner hand ising interests at large. Railroad gross earnings for January show a decrease Of z million dollars. operating expenses decreasing slightly over 4 million dollars and net earn ings decreasing more than million dollars. This decrease in net amounts to 19, per cent as compared with a year ago and if this condition were
 to continue for a few months, it would be necessary for every road in the country to ask for. not g per cent level increase in freight rates but an l increase Of not less than l 0 per cent on all tariffs. This unhappy January showing was Immediately followed by | a falling off of 20 million dollars in net as compared with February 1913. The decline in net earnings for Fsebru- ary, 1914, as compared with a year ago was more than 3 3 per cent The inability of the roads to bring about 1 material decrease in operating ex- X penses was partially due to bad wealth CT conditions fbl1t, leaving this aside, l the decrease in actua1A net earnings speaks for itself and ought to be the answer as to whether the railroads. not only east, but west and south, are entitled to an increase in freight rates
 The lumber trade is not active but the tone has improved and prices have y frmed up Buying is largely in small 1 lots and for immediate shipment. The | southern pine regions report fairly
 satisfactory business, while in the | north and northwest, shipments are
 about normal. with good prospects for
 i1npr ovement.
 I The crop situation needs little com nnent. The winter crops which are l in the ground are in the best of con- I dition everywhere and seeding and
 planting conditions. except in a few l small spots, have seldom been bet l ter. It would surprise no one if this l year proved to be one of the greatest r crops in our history.
 l The firm stand taken in the Mexi- | can situation promises an early and decisive settlement of our difficulties l with some of the people of that coun- Itry and following the adjournment of f Congress. the Improvement in busi- ness should be marked, although any considerable business Improvement should not be expected for few I weeks at least.
 Joseph Sobelan, aged 8, cut open 9 Igolf ball in Yonkers, N. Y. As usual 1.-the acid squirted in his eyes and he is Temporarily and perhaps permanently blind as a result.
 i CLEANEASY, BEST HAND SOAP Guaranteed not to inJure the skin, I instantly removes Stove Polish, Rust, sl Grease, Ink, Paint and Dirt For the
 hand or clothing. Large can 10 cents.