The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-01
TRADE CONDITIONS
SHOW IMPROVEMENT
American National Bank Issues
General Bulletin on the
Situation.
MISUNDERSTANDING WHEAT CROP
Gross Earnings Of Railways Show
MISUNDERSTANDING WHEAT CROP
Gross Earnings OF Railways Show
Sharp Decline, Which Bulletin Says
Will Continue Until Freight Rates
Are Materially Increased.

General trade conditions show a de-
cided Improvement according TO q but
WGt,n ISSUED yesterday by the American
national Bank of Richmond Nhil.
hioSt Oh the statistical data was corn
piled before the war news OF the past
Two or three days produced new con:
ditlonS. IL was generally held that while
the change in business conditions since
the last bulletin had not been remark
for the better. This turn is described
In the bulletin as an undercurrcnt
welch may, not be especially noticed
on the surface OF business immediaie-
1T is the undcrtonc or foundations"
SAYS the bulletin. which makes for
uulte safe to say that we are out Of
the deep water and can see before
us "a period OF good business,
me paragraphs Of the bulletin as to
crop conditions. building operations.
x ,,i, ranWay earnings follow:
WHAT BULLETIN SAYS
The remarkable crop situation in
: this country promises we'll for general
| 6 business during tho coming months.
There have been many dcpro ssing In
,luences at work. and some OF them
naNe no. not yet been eliminated. but the
, already harvested, and some Of when
are ready for the harvest. insure a
bounteons food supply which means
Detter times for all the people The
wheat crop cannot now fall below $50
600. 600 bushels. and the governments
estimate Is 100000 900 bushels Outside
OF this country, the worlds wheat crop
IL not above average, which means that
We can probably export our surplus
Nithough all OF the crops Will not bt.
grains. vegetables and fruits Will BIO
satisfactory, and even Ne cotton crop
has made such an Improvement in con.
dition during the past six weeks that
th"r" Is good prospect OF crop Of
$500 600 bales. The condition OF to-
bacco Is far below normal. and tn.
.s,.w 4.
sie pounds 10 the acre, compared with
So pounds. the previous average.
record. the price received for these
crops because Of present low com.
| the. price received for the 1913 crop,
, which was much smaller in size, but
sold a, higher prices than the farmer
can hope 10 get this year.
BUILDING OPERATIONS
AND RAILWAY EARNINGS
In 14l cities. building operations
totnied $500 ga 900 in juno compared
crease OF 100000 for tho month, which
is Indicative OF real Improvement. as
55ui i,l opera tons in Greater New
for long period. Gains Of more or
less consequence were reported from
seventy five out Of ~ cities For the
these cities have been about $40. 900. 900
below last year. or per cent. Gains
for the month were made in the Cen
trail West, and in New England
Gross earnings for all railroads for
| May totaled S239.000.000 against S2G5,
10000 FOR the same month last year,
a decrease OF nearly 10 per cent. while
net earnings were SIS ,oO0. 900 compared
with SI3.0oo.ooo last year. a decrease
of II per cent. Our carly reports on
| slight Improvement, and the decrease
shown by the railroads which have so
far reported averages Z per cent. Re-
| ports from few railroads for the first
week in July show Il decrease in gross
| of only per cent. As VIC arc Just
entering tho heavy erain-movinE
! period. earnings should Increase i'm
incdiateiy. and with the resumption OF
coal -mining in Ohio and a settlement
OF the Colorado mining troubles, both
OF which events are To he hoped for,
railroad gross earnings will make a
more favorable comparison with the
past two Ncars. \ much better show
ing in net is not expected until ma
( tcrial freight rate increases are in Eff
| feet on both Eastern and Western
railroads. The number of idle cars has
declined somewhat. although we still
have more than 100000 cars idle,
which is three times the number idle
IL year ago