The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-01
General Trade Conditions
and
Business Forecast
ISSUED by The Connecticut National Bank


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all in. Cement prices averaged a
| little lower than in 1913.
For the year 1914 this country
produced So million ounces of silver
valued at 81 million dollars This
ts given as a preliminary estimate
and may be shaded down a trifie by
the Anal reports, but. even il slight
ly reduced, this is a good record
Our gold production-in this country
for the year Is valued at 3 million
/ dollars, a per cent gain over 1919
but somewhat lower than any of the
five proceeding years. California
leads in production of gold, followed
by Colorado. Alaska, Nevada and
South Dakota. Nevada leads In sill
yer production followed by Idaho.
Montana, Utah and Colorado. The
production OF gold at the Rand mines
for December was 695 thousand ounces
compared with 678 a year ago.
Commodity prices on the average
| made slight advances during De-
cenber but not enough to offset the
November decline. The advance was
largely IN staple foodstuffs, notably
wheat, and many other advances were
sympathetic. The tendency of aver
age commodity prices is clearly up
ward.
Business failures during December
numbered 2,o75 with total liabilities
compared with 1914 failures year
ago with liabilities of 81 millions AS
sets were larger for the failed con-
Germs this year SO that the actual loss
to creditors will be less than year
ago and the number Of failed concerns
resuming operations under former
management will be greater. Many
failures recently have been due to
| Temporary financial embarrassment,
| while in the failures year ago, ac-
tual bankruptcies were more znumer-
Gus.
Building Operations (partIy esti-
mate) in 16O principa1ities for De-
cember totaIed IS million dollars com
pared with rs millions a year ago..
only SO of these cities holding their
own or showing an increase in build
ing operations as COMPARED with the
previous year. For the entire year
| 1914, these 160 cities issued build
ing permits totaling 500 million doll
lars, a decline of more than 10 per
cent. from the previous year. For the
year, 20 cities showed a gain and go
cities a loss, compared with 1918 The
principal decline for the year occur
red during the latter half and is part
lily traceabIe to the effects of the war
Dividend disbursements for Janu-
airy have been SO million dollars and
| Interest payments 163 millions com
pared with dividend payments of 1872
i
| est payments OF 164 millions. The
notable item is that interest paid on
railroad securities was seven million
Edo11ars less than last year, railroad
dividends also being seven million
dollars less.
/ The total December first valuation
/ of the crops grown in this country
for 1914 was 6,o44 million dollars and
the animal product for the year 1928
/ millions. This crop figure covers all
/ of the principal crops but, by adding
the minor products in fruit and truck,
1--we have a December first crop of
| more than 10 billion dollars. Even
/ this arno1Int will be considerably en-
| HANGED as on December first COM
modify prices GENERALLY touched about
/ the lowest point since the beginning
! of the war and are now higher than
/ at that date This means that If all
farm products of 1914 were sold, the
/ farmers would receive nearly IL bill
lion dollars, but naturally a consid-
cradle portion of these crops is con-
are eroxvng fI,e animal product bring
/ ing fae largest item of cash return
l+o the growers
verv low cotton prices still prevail
4 and were it not for the price of cot
TON the farm nrod11ction for the year
/ Ivo,1ld make a rn1lcT1 better showing as
The total value OF all other crops is
greatly IN excess of anv previous rec
ora
raging into account the demon
| s+ro+ 1717rc47a sing mower of the farmers
! - +1,fs 7co,7,,+,.17 the cash nayments
| 81 The balIigere1,t nations for things
1hir.1 we 1,ro5,,ce and conside rine in
/ +rfs@ connac+io1, The usually small
stocks II, Tnan,1fa ct1,rers warehouses