Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-02-05

ployees eliminate some current ex-
pense and reduce payrolls but fixed
charges remain and it will, therefore,
| be natural for the roads to restore
their normal service as rapidly as
possible as only in this way can
| they reduce the percentage of fixed
earnings. Thousands Of men have
already been put back to work, or
ders for materials and equipment are
more frequent and inquiries broader
Pig Iron production for December
was 1,516 thousand tons against 1918
The previous month and 1884 year
ago. We began the month with LAT
furnaces in blast with a capacity Of
40 thousand tons per day, a slight
increase over the capacity of the pre-
vious months but no change in num-
Der Of furnaces in action.
The Anthracite shipments for De
cember were 5,702 thousand tons
compared with 1868 year ago. For
the year 1913, shipments were 68
million tons compared with 50 mil
lion tons the previous year. Total
coal output for the year 1914, in
Guiding Bituminous, has been esti
mated at $40 million short tons, q
decrease Of SO million tons compared
with 1913, the decrease being wholly
traceable to the bituminOus mines,
particularly in the coking districts.
Final figures on output of crude
Petroleum for this country for last
year are 292 million barrels, a Is
per cent increase over the previous
high record made in 1913 at 248 mil
lion barrels. High prices stimulated
the increased production early in the
year
The output Of Portland Cement for
1914 was estimated at 80 million
barrels compared with 92 million bar
rels the previous year, decrease Of
nearly 4 per cent. These figures are
partly estimated as reports are not
all in. Cement prices averaged slight
ly lower than in 1913.
For the year 1914, this country pro-
duced 68 million ounces Of Silver,
valued at 81 million dollars. This is
given as a preliminary estimate and
may be shaded down a trifle by the
final reports but, even if slightly re-
duced, this is a good record Our
Gold production in this country for
the year is valued at SO million dol
lars, a per cent gain over 1913 but
somewhat lower than any Of the five
preceding years. California leads in
production of gold, followed by Colo
RADIO, Alaska, Nevada and South Da-
kOta. Nevada leads in silver pro-
duction followed by Idaho, Montana,
Utah and Colorado. The production
of gold at the Rand Mines for De
cember was Cos thousand ounces
compared with 673 a year ago
Commodity Prices on the average
made a slight advance during Deem
Der but not enough to offset the No
Vember Decline The advance Was
largely in staple foodstuffs, notably
wheat, and many other advances
were sympathetic. The tendency Of
average commodity prices is clearly
upward
Business Failures during December
numbered 2,075 with total liabilities
of approximately 35 million dollars
compared with 1,514 failures a 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
a 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 en-
barrassment, while in the failures a
year ago, actual bankruptcies were
more numerous.
Building Operations (partly esti-
mated) in 100 principal cities for De-
cember totaled As million dollars
compared with Is millions a year
ago, only so Of these cities holding