The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-29
General Trade Conditions Business Forecast
 Issued by-The Connecticut National Bank.

the same month last year. Dividend and interest payments for four months ending with aJuIy will total sos million dollars compared with E644 millions for the same time last year. an increase of 24 million dol lars.
 Ship building is one industry which is receiving permanent impetus through the war, and hu1ls totaling over 800 thousand tons are just now under construction. Most of the shipyards are booked up for from twelve to eighteen months, the work being largely on merchant vessels.
 The production of pig iron in June was 2.381 thousand tons compared with 1,918 thousand tons for the same month last year. This is the largest production for any month since October, 1918. The average price of pig iron at all markets has been. about stationary since last Octo- ber. On the first of the month. there were 21s furnaces in blast with a capacity Of 80 thousand tons per day, q gain for the month of twelve fur nacesl and of nearly five thousand tons in daily capacity. An upward movement in prices is expected to be- gin soon and continue for a long pe- r1od.
 The thrilled tonnage of the Steel Corporation at the end Of June was r4s Ot JaOQScb1Q tons sCOI1pSISQs fW1El 4s033 thousand tons a year ago. This is the largest thrilled tonnage report ed, for more than a year. Unfi1led tonnage reports from the principal Independent companies are onssa6 par with those of the corporation.
 PfoductIon Acf electrolytIc copper for the lake district for June was nearly 27 million pounds compared wAsH g24 millions for May This was the largest months output this year and the current month is expected to show a further increase.
 Our crude oil production for the First half of 1915 is estimated at 146 mi llion barrels. which is exactly one half of last years production and a. gain over the same period of 1913.
 The produetibn of gold at the Rand mines in. June was 56 thousand fine ounces Compared with 718 thousand ounces in June Of last year.
 On the first of July. Bradsfreefis index shows commodity prices at the highest point in the history of this country This figure is arrived at by averaging the prices on ninety six articles of general consumption me extremely high prices of some par hcu1ar commodities in this instance distorts the figures Many of the fOodstufEs, especially fruits and vege- tables, are quoted at very low prices and some Of the metals. as for in Sle1AtNS5sE Q48 4AO11. are SLlll# Very ssIDN,, as are fuel oils. The average price of all commodities will probably not be higher, but the prices of sofne commodities. now priced at unrea- sonahly low figures, must of neces- sity s.dvance. while lower prices may be 'speeted in some of the metals and other commodities which are. now priced at figures which can only be maintained by manipulation Copper, among the metals, can hard ly conttnue it's sensational advance
 Gross earnings of all steam rail- roads for May were nearly 245 mil lion dollars compared with over PAS millions fors the same month a year ago. an increase of exactly 132 s thousand dollars. Net earnings were 72 million dollars compared with 57 millions a year ago, a gain of nearly l 2 million dollars or more than 25 per cent. These figures need tile ex- planation that May. 1914, made a barticu9arly poor showing and an actual loss in net However, the, showing for this year contains an ele- sIrl ent of hope through the fact that 5operating expenses for the month were per cent less than for the same month year ago, making d sayfng Of over million dollars. AS the movennsnt in cotton and grains was lighter during June. earnings for that month when the report comes in will make a poor showing. The beginning of the movement of the new crops will now gradually and, we trust. steadily, bring, about a ma teriaI increase in gross earnings. $ On the first of July, idle cars mum bered 275 thousand compared with 300 thousand month ago and 22O thousand year ago During the n1orth, idle box cars increased and idle coal cars decreased, indicatine
 more activity in the coal regions
 Tn the ConneIsville district. there are 26t682 coke ovens in blast com 22.47O two months ago. Shipme ents are averaging better than nine thou sand cars a week. which is ma tcriaI Improvements
 On the whole, crop conditions are quite satisfactory. It is hardly to De Ecprn can live up to the government estimate but. outside of corn. all #crops promise to give a good account of thenselvee and even the ccttor scrop. or an acreage reduced by about I 5 per cent if oEas last year. is prorn- Using to run as much as twelve or thirteen million bales. Of the last cntton crop, we have exported up to now. S,255 thousand bales compared with S,975 thousand bales to the same date last year. Our exports this year were made later in the season but for complaint in this showing of cot ton exports
 The area of poor business condi- lions in the United States continues to diminish and at present covers only a part of the southeastern states. in- c1udipg strip along the tlantic coast from South Carolina to New York. The central west is partfcll- iarIy active and the business map of the whole country today is as good as it has been at any time since 1909, Arbitration of the existing and threatened strikes and 1oekouts would irnrn ediately make it better Those good people who are praying for the war to continue for fear peace will mean business depression for us should be told that peace in zTiurope will probably mean a long period of great prosp erfty in this country and the end of the war could