The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-06-05

I just one million dollars more Than
In March of the previous year. an In
cree sc OF more than one per cent.
! Those railroads which nave already
reported April earnings shaw n gross
of sc million dollars compared with
SIS millions year ago, a decrease OF
about eight per cent. II is believed
that these early reports came from
the railroads which have made the
poorest showing for the month, and
that when all reports are in. the fall
ing off in gross will be not greater
than in March, or about six per cent.
II the managements are as successful
In reducing operating expenses In
April as they were in March. IL is pos
sible that net earnings will he about
the same as in April, 1918 and 1914.
earnings for the latter year being 80
million dollars, and for the former
so millions.
The idle car report on May l shows
ESQ thousand cars idle compared with
327 thousand the previous month and
229 thousand year ago. The idle
equipment included 100 thousand box
cars and 11s thousand coal cars,
Buildings Hold Up Well.
Building operations for April are
so far obtainable for only about one
half Of the principal cities Of the
country, but these cities show total
OF sc million dollars compared with
so millions q wear ago, decrease OF
something over one per cent bulio-
irc pernits in New York city were
1s million dollars compared with only
10 million dollars last year. the
cities showing the greatest improve
ment include Philadelphia. San Fran
cisco. Clevels nd, Detroit. Columbus,
O.
crease in building operations so far
this year. as compared with last year
has been about 10 per cent The
Aprii showing. therefore. is very en-
coura ging. and aside from strike con-
ditions in Chicago. which have COM
pletely tied up building operations in
that city there is good promise of IN
creased building activity throughout
the country during the next rev
weeks
In April we produced ans thou
sand tons of pig iron com pared with
2.046 thousand tons in March ana
1910 thousand tons in April of last
year. The daily production was near
" II thousand tons compared with 81
thousand tons per day in March. The
present daily CAPACITY exceeds ~
thousand tons, and 1875 furnaces were
active on May l.. gain Of four Tor
the month.
The untitled tonnage Of the steel
Corpora ton on the first of May was
4162 thousand tons compared with
4.256 thousand tons the previous
month, and 4.277 thousand tons
year ago
Copper mines operated during
March at SIS per cent of capacity. and
production has been steadily increas-
| ing. so that 1t is believed that all OF
the principal mines are operating at
pra ctically full capacity at the pres
ent time. The combined production
of five leading mines for March was
"a million pounds compared with 30
million pounds the previous month,
and 30 million pounds in January.
Spelter Ia enjoying a runaway mar
ket and lead is in much more active
demand Lead prices are strong and
| promise To advance.
/ Anthracite shipments IN April were
I sass thousand tons compared with
| s.072 year ago. This set new re-
| cord for April but the market Is
! overloaded with anthracite at present.
/ In the Connellsville district 22,A7o
| coke ovens are active compared with
| 2t75s month ago. Shipments are
ranging from II hundred to 81 hun
dred cars per week. production run
ming close to 500 thousand tons per
week
| Cold production at the Rand Mines
| in April ives IA thousand fine ounces
compared with 6s4 thousand fine
ounces a year ago
| High Level of Prices.
| Commodity prices are higher than
month ago and with the exception
of August * Of last year are the high
est recorded in more than fifty years.
! The lumber cut for March was 100
million feet compared with 500 mil
lion feet In February. and TAT mill
! lion feet in March of last year. ship
ments were re million feet compared
with 4es million feet In February.
and $50 million feet in March. 1914.
/ Min shipments of Western pine for
March were So million feet, exactly
| the same as year ago.
While the various estimates, en-
| Guiding that of the Federal Depart =
ment of Agriculture. would indicate
| prospects Of a wheat crop of $50 mil
| lion bushels. this figure will probably
be reduced hy the weather changes
! between now and harvest. but II seems
reasona ble to expect q crop approx
mating sno million bushels which. of
course. will ~ ready market. Crop
! conditions on the whole are most
promising although roo much mois-
/ ture in the Southwest. too little in
| the Southeast. and too much cold
| weather In the North have done con-
| sdera BILE injury in various sections
! The national crop. taking all crops
and all sections into consideration
as unit, has probably never been bet
! ter.
/ The best business conditions of the
country are found through the Cen
/ trail West, and the poorest conditions