The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-30
IN FINANCIAL CIRCLES

(Barron Financial News Service.l y
 New York, March so4The bank statement Saturday was poor reflect ing early preparations for the first of the month settlement by outside banks There was a decrease of over $3,000.00 in surplus reserve which re- suited from a loss of nearly $5, ,0OO, 900 in cash holdings and a loan expansion of over s3,700,000. Net deposits de- creased over $1O. 900, 900. A compari- son of the actual and average state in loans toward the close of the week which resulted in materially smaller deposits. Cash losses at the end of the week were heavy.
 .s A statement has been issued regard ing the Corn Products Refining anti trust suit by one of the pioneers of the Glucose trade. in which he points out that the concern is by no means a trust. He states that the Corn Pro-
 ducts Refining Go. has been able to
 operate at profit only through scienti- hc management, and constantly in the face of keen competition. He also. points out that many of it's small
 plants have failed owing to dfsadvan-
 tageous location.
 The Smith bill, regulating cotton exchanges, has been passed by the Senate. The effect of an amendment
 added to the bill is to legalize cotton pools such as that, for participation in which, several cotton men were in-
 dicted by the government several years ago. The bill provides that all cotton transactions must be made in
 terms of grades of cotton fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The differ ence in the value of the different
 grades is to be based on actual conn
 mercial transactions, and the use of the mails is denied persons why try to further or enforce transactions for future deliveries not meeting the re- quirements of the bill. It is the gen eraI opinion that the new bill will not 1 be a harmful one to the cotton future market.
 The Interstate Commerce Comnis- sion will hold hearings early next week for the purpose of taking addi- tionaI testimony on the financial status | of railroads in connection with the re- l freight rates. Nearly every railroad l in the eastern classification district 1 will be represented either by officials 1 or counsel, and the railroads will also | be given an opportunity to present l testimony in rebuttal to the protests l of shippers and other opponents of | the proposed rate increase President l Req of the Pennsylvania, President l Willard of Chesapeake & Ohio and l President Williams of the Delaware
 and Hudson will be among those | present.
 1 There is some uncertainty in the | Street regarding the possible action on 1 preferred dividend by directors of the St Louis Southwestern. The usual | date for dividend meeting is March 20, but it has been postponed owing to 1 the absence of officials from the city. | The main cause for concern, is the i prompt manner in which directors 1 have adjusted the dividend rate to | conditions in the past, and the, recent 1 heavy loss in net revenues is expected to prompt further action along these l lines.
 CT. L. Watson & Co)
 Of the market there is nothing new to say. Evidence accumu1ates of the ] existence of an extensive short inter | est. Brokerage houses and banks aGraa that the Hating sunnU of stocks