Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-05
DECEMBER WILL
BEB|G MONTH
IN BUSINESS.
Reports From the Ninth District
Reserve Bank Shows splen.
did Outlook.
COLLECTIONS GOOD
PROSPERITY APPEARING g
Heavy Shipments Of Iron Ore Ind
icates Greater Activity in
Steel Manufactures.

lcates dfeater AActlV1ty III
Steel Manufactures.
Minneapolis, Ninn., Dec. 4.-Tne
notsble feature snsthe nlontl! in tie
Ninth Federal. Nrye district has
been an increas ptimism over the
Immediate busii 0utlook and pros
pects for at least" the dfrst aalf OF
1915. November as a whole has been
the best month Of the year. Collec:'
ions are very good. Orders are large.
All classes of business: are active and
the lumber business, In which there
has been some depression, has under
gone very noticeable Improvement
The predictions of representative con-
Germs in all parts Of the district are
that December will be big month
and that the new year will start with
business on an active and healthy
basis, and with very favorable out
look. Financial circles are beginning
to look for more active demand Tor
money.
Developments.
A DEVELOPMENT of the month, that
will later exert favorable influence
vipon lines of business using steel and
steel products, is the opening of the
new plant of the Minnesota Steel COM
pany near Duluth. This concern,
which is owned by the United States
Steel corporation, has blown in 1ur.
naces that will require 1000 tons OF
iron ore daily, and will have pro-
duction for the present of 1000 tons
Of pig iron ore per day. Its present
payroll is from 1900 to 1900 men, with
wage disbursements of. approximately
4 500. 900 per mouth. Steel 'billets Will
Z lbe t.ae only production at the plant
for some weeks to come, because OF
delay in completing the equipment OF
,rthe rail and other mills. When in
fulltbpeYatipn, the plant, which is one
1aM theadnost modern in the United
estates I and l.issof great extent, Will
i; aproduce ifulh line Of plates, structur'
{. al shapes andoother steel products.
,iTha plant f9the Universal Portland
!.G:esBent company, which is being com.
-- pleted lin conjunction with the steel
plant, will begin operations on Feb.
ruary l. The policy Of both compan'
les has been to retain as many OF the
men employed in construction as can
be used. The steel and iron industry
regards the new steel plant as guar
antee Of prompt delivery of material,
and reports that it will enable many
large concerns to reduce the amount
of stock usually carried, and the in
vestment therein.
Heavy Iron Ore Shipment
November closes with unusually
heavy shipments of iron ore down the
lakes and with the close Of naviga'
ton very near at hand, reliable esti-
mates are that the shipments from
the Minnesota ranges this year will
be approximately 5000, 900 tons ahead
of last year. and equal to the heaviest
previous season the ranges have
known. The eryi,heavy production
has created condition of great bust.
ness activity and optimism through
out the northern section of Minneso'
ia, which is reflected outside OF the
mining districts. !. The RAILROAD and
terminal situation continues good.
At the Twin Cities and at the .Du'
luthISuperior terminals the various
lines have been able to take care OF
the incoming rush of wheat without
congestion. There have been some
reports of car shortage at local points.
but reports from the individual lines
show no difficulty in meeting the sit.
uation, although should the trafhc
movement increase to any appreciable
degree, there will be difficulty in pro-
viding cars to move it. ...,....
A Wheat Situation.
Receipts of wheat in Minneapolis
and Duluth from September l to No.
vember 20, inclusive; exclusive OF
bonded wheat, were 1l15,807 900 bush
els. as against S8,O47 900 bushels a
year ago. Minneapolis receipts for
this period are 10,901,000 bushels
ahead of last year and Duluth receipts
we're 6,95p, 900 bushels ahead of a year
ago.
Elevator stocks in Minneapolis are
very light, amounting to only S,sS1,'
600 bushels on November %, as
against .15, ,915 900 bushels a year ago
on the same date. The combined Min.
neapolis and Duluth stocks on that
date were LIS y852, 600. bushels, as
against 27,473,000 bushels year ago
on the same date, shortage of H..
81. 900 bushels. This is accounted
for by the fact that -four production,
for some time past. has been upon a
maximum basis, willie there have
been heavy demands for both -four
and wheat to fill foreign orders and
very large purchases of wheat for
mills in all parts Of the country.
These demands have drawn heavily
upon incoming wheat, absorbing the
greater portion and leaving only a
limited amount to go in store. For
the week ending Move mber 20 Min
neanolis mills produced 433,4c5 bar
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