The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-30

since September, 1911. January will show 8 considerable increase, 7 al though the productionsw will not reach thatsof Januarys 191 g..
 The Unhlled@T0nnage of the Steel Corporation. at the close Of the year was only 4282 thousand tons, the smallest total eS thrilled orders on their books since the close of Novem- Der. 1911. Bookings for this month have been good and the untitled ton mage at the close of January will un- doubtedly show an increase, even though production is. being pushed and orders filled rapidly.
 Although the visible supply of cop- per increased during December and the production increased, the copper business is still in a chaotic state on accaunt of the Calumet strike. The price is lower and still lower prices may be quoted before the. upturn which must come very soon unless the visible supply increases materially.
 Shipments of spelter from the lead ing market last year were only 42sO thousand slabs compared with 56c1 thousand the previous year. Snlp-a mepts for this year to date are only slightly over half what they were Iprs the same period last year. There IS no active demand but the price mas been stationary for some time.
 The Tin Plate mills of the Steel Cor poration are operating at about S5 per cent. of capacity. The month has seen a fair advance in prices.
 F All anthracite coal miners are now working full time and the promise of seasonab1e cold weather for the next .nonth or two will keep up the produc- -tion. A continuation Of the warm weather would have meant the laying off of a considerable force.
 The bituminous coal market Is acc tive but weak. Both labor and cars are plentiful but as stocks are heavy at the portss production, if not de- creased by labor troubles, will have to be curtafled soon.
 Gold production for last year in tk e Transvaal was only S7s5 thousand fine ounces compared with 9124 thou sand the previous year. United States gold production for last year was valued at S8 million dollars, a decrease of about 5 million dollars from the previous year and fife smallest pro- decrease in the gold production both at home and abroad is partially res ponsible for the-fact that commodity prices average lower than at any time since October. 191L
 Shares sold on the New York Ex- change during December numbered 7152 thousand which was about the average months sales for the year. This compared with sales of 12, 632 in December, s191 ?, which was; however, about 10 per cent above the average for that years The ayr craze for that year. The average price of sixty leading miscellaneous stocks is 82.38 compared with 101.1 a year ago. Bond sales for Decem- Der were nearly 46 million dollars compared with A millions for Decem- Der of the previous year and beinss since April, 1913. The average price of a selected list of bonds is 92, com pared with 96 year ago,
 Dividend and interest disbursements for January totaIed 266 million dol lars, 9 gain of Is million dollars over the same month last year. Although some important dividends were passed during the year. initial dividends were declared on number of issues and in terest payments increased because o1 new loans.
 l. Building operations for Decembel
 states, considerably less in the south
 ern states and much heavier in tla< eastern states than for December 1912. Building operations in 60 prin- | cipal cities were per cent. less ir
 1913 than in 1912, and almost 10 pel cent. less in the 20 yeading cities ot
 the country. There is every prom. ise of considerable building in the ear
 ly weeks of this year and lumber l shipments for the first ten days O.
 January were as heavy as for any ter
 days in recent years. If this prove i to be a real revival in the lumber bus
 mess, it will probably extend to al .libuilding materials in time.
 Although the- weather has been uS EseasonabIe in most sections, crop ant
 soil conditions in all parts of tn,
 country are excellent The big fruf districts are hopeful of a better thai average crop as they have fortified | themselves this year especially agains
 sudden. temperature drops.
 Even though business totals fo 1914 may not exceed those of 1913
 the condition of business general is healthier and this year, in so ia I as judgment can be rendered on pres ent indications, should prove a profit able one to the manufacturer. tn