The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-30


 millions compared with PIP millions the previous year. These figures cover more than 300 principal electric lines | and indicate the reduction in the 1 number of passenger trains by steam roads helped electric lines to main 1 tain their earnings.
 In March the production of pig | iron was 2,O64 thousand tons com pared with 1,675 thousand tons the previous month, and 2,348 thousand tons in March last year. There were at the beginning of the month, 191 furnaces in blast with a daily capa- city of nearly z 1 thousand tons conn pared with 176 active furnaces a month before, with a daily output of 63 thousand tons. An increase in out put of nearly 45 per cent. has been made since the beginning Of the year and the actual rate of output has been increased from IS million tons when the year opened to z6 million tons at the present time The great bulk of this iron is going into steel.
 The unified tonnage of the Steel Cooperation on April first was 4,2565 thousand tons compared with 4,654 thousand tons a year ago. The Cor poration and the principal independ- ent steel companies are operating at an average rate of TO per cent. of Youngstown section most of the mills are atsnearly 80 per cent of capacity. The export tonnage from thef Pitts burgh district has nearly doubled in the past few months.
 Although copper production is con stantly increasing. the heavy foreign demand has caused a contfued price advance since last October. Present duction, is not setting a. new record but for the past four months the out put has increased by more than five
 million pounds each month so that I the monthly output at present is per- 11a.ps 25 per cent. over that of NoveIn- Der or December. March exports of copper were TO million pounds and mines were operating at 80 per cent of capacity. Refineriess will soon be operating at fully TO per cent. of ca pacity.
 March deliveries of tin were S,20o. tons in March, 1914.i Total stocks of tin on April first were 6,345 tons com pared with 4,309 tons a month ago. andl 10.189 tons a year ago. United Estates stocks were only 905 tons conn-9 pared with 14.548 tons a month ago land 16a989 tons a year ago. The sup ply Of tins zs light but the demand is also light so that a decreasing rather than an increasing price may reason- ably be expected.
 Receipts of zinc and spe1ter at the principal market for the year to April i17, were 1,193 thousand slabs com pared with 1,041 a year ago. While lthese figures show a large increase lover last year, the actual increased activity in the zinc industry is still greater and at least as. long as the war icontinues all branches of the zinc in ] dustry will be very active.
 Receipts Of lead at one market us 1 ually handling about 10 per cent. of Ithe total output of the country show an increase of 10 per cent. over the same period last year, while the in- l crease in shipments has been about I half that amount or 5 per cent. The Lead industry is enjoying a material I Improvement in demand but so far 1 has not kept pace with copper and I zinc. There is a good promise, how l ever, of a still stronger demand and a ready market for an increasing out
 put.
 for March were 4,985 thousand tons
 compared with 5,165 a. year ago. The l lower prices in effect on April first
 have started even more than the usual l activity in anthracite, the increase I having been somewhat in excess of
 Expectations The opening of lake
 navigation in a few days will start heavy shipments.
 The bituminous coal trade remains I quiet and with production averaging
 about 40 per cent, for the entire coun- try the supply is still in excess offthe Idemand.
 Tn the Connelsville district 21,756 coke ovens are at work with 16.354 I out The production is about 300 I thousand tons per week and ship tments are ranging between s7i500 and I 5000 cars per week.
 Gold production at the Rand mines ] in March was 754 thousand fine oun- s ces compared with 676 thousand a
 month ago and 687 thousand a, year
 ago. This increase accords with the
 that for the next few months the out
 put will naturally show an increase lover last year. The production of SI gold in the Transvaal is being increas- ;. ed as rapidly as possible in accord
 ance with the expressed desire of the
 government
 The average of commodity prices has steadily advanced since Novem-
 Der until it is now nearly at the point
 reached on August 18th, last. With
 the exception of that day commodity
 prices stand at the highest point since the Civil War.
 # The condition of winter wheat and rye is reported by the Government as somewhat below the condition a year ago but as acreage was greatly in
 creased the indications are still for practically a. record crop of both o1 these grains The planting season is under way throughout the country and broadly speaking soil and plant : ing conditions are good, although per. haps 20 per cent of the agriculture. area of the country has had too mucI ) moisture recently and another ares 3 Of equal size needs considerable pre- cipitation. About the only sprins f fsoWn. crop which is far enough aIonz : to be judged is oats and the crop st - far as inspected and reported look : good.
 e Sales of stocks on the New Yorl
 Exchange in March totaled 7.84. e thousand shares compared with 4.38i - thousand the previous month and g., e 86O thousand a year ago. Even il Y March, 1918. total sales were onI. . 7,143 thousand shares. If the activi .,ft