The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-28

Business men who study the cause kof the advance or decline in their own individual lines or in general business are paying particular attention just now to three factors. To these factors we must for the time look for indi- cations of the trend of business in any line or all lines and they are, named in the order of their importance, la l Dor, transportation, and building op- erations.
 The labor situation is tense. First because many labor organizations have taken advantage of the opportun- ity brought about by war orders to enforce better working conditions, shorter hours, higher pay, or all three
 If reasonable demands are met by the employers and if unreasonable de- mandS are not met by the employees, the next few months will be a period of practically full employment. The laboring people of the country mum Der 21 millions from which number from two to four per cent, that is from 400 thousand to 800 thousand are always unemployed. They may be taking vacations, they may be i'll, they may be moving from one point to another, but for one reason, or an- other an average of perhaps three per cent of our laboring men and wo- men are always idle Aside from strikes and lock outs, the idle labor at
 
 million peTsons, nearly one4ha1f of v F1om will find employment during the next few weeks if they desire it.
 In 16O cities building operations for September were slightly over TO Tni1- lion dollars comp with 54 million dollars in the same cities last Septe1n- Der. The number of permits increas- ed IS per cent over last year and tor tai operations about 80 per cent. The average price of building materials increased considerably during the month of September and is now high CT than a year ago.
 The cut of Northern Pine during August was 106 million feet compar- ed with 115 million feet a year ago, while shipments were 73 million feet. comp with 1 million feet a year ago Mill shipments of Western Pine orlAugust were 101g million feet conn pared with 84 million feet a year ago. The cut of Yellow Pine for the same month was 385 million feet compared with 403 million feet a year ago and shipments were 4f2 million feet conn. pared with 400 million feet a year ago.
 Gross earnings of railroads so far as reported for September were near ly TT million dollars compared with 576 millions a year ago, an actual in crease of s709 thousand dollars or nearly one per cent. In September of 1914, however. these roads showed "a falling off from the previous year of m ore than seven per cent. Gross earnings for August so far as reported sh owed 8 decline Of about five per cent from the previous year. Full re- ports for July show gross earrings of 263 million dollars compared with 26 1 millions last year, a gain of nearly one per cent. Net earnings for July were 88 million dollars compared with IS million dollars a. year ago, an in- flf aI-1U nearly 13f per cent largely brought about through a decrease in operat- ing expenses of about four per cent Gross earnings for the first half of this calendar year of all steam rail- roads were 1,407 million dollars com. pared with 1, ,447 million dollars for the first half of last year, a decrease oe 40 million dollars, -or nearly three Der cent A reduction in operating expense of 8S million dollars or eight of S95 million dollars compared with BAT million dollars for the first half Of the year, a gain of. nearly T. per cent, Bringing net earnings above even the first half of 19A 3.
 Rails ordered for the year to Oct- tober 1st, totaIed 1s618 thousand com pared with 1,331i thousand tons for the same period last year. September rail orders were 404 thousand tons. For the year to date the railroads have ordered about 67 1900 jars, Il, ,150 oS these being ordered in September. Cars ordered up to September 1st, this year, were 56, $50 compared with 79,- 946 last year.
 The number of idle cars on the first of October was 78 thousand compared with 1855 thousand a month ago and 131 thousand a year ago. During the month there was a material decrease in all kinds of idle cars, including box, flat, and coal cars.
 Lake commerce during September tota1ed 11ni1lion tons compared with eight million tons a year ago. carried by 3,141 vessels compared with 2,696 yesseIsy year ago. East bound freight totaIed nine million tons com pared with six million tons a year ago while Westbound freight at two mil lions tons was slightly less than 9 year ago.
 Lake Superior iron ore shipments for September were 7,863 thousand tons compared with 5,431 thousand tons year ago and ,260 thousand tons two years ago. Shipments for the first nine months of the year were 35 million tons compared with 27 million tons last year and S9 mill lien tons two years ago
 The September production of pig iron was 1858 thousand tons a year ago. The daily rate production was 95 thousand tons which exceeds the previous high record made 1n F epTu-# ary 1913 There were 268 furnaces in blast on the first of October against 249 srnonth ago and the daily capa-9 ciyt- is now 9s thousand tons, more than five thousand tons higher than any previous record. Iron and steel exports in July set a new high record at 36 million dollars compared with IT million dollars a year ago. fConsid- erable increase was made in mach inery exports which were more than Il million dollars.
 Total fire arms exports were less than two million dollars but large in crease were made in wire, structural steel, billets, sheets and plats and in. gots.
 The unified tonnage of the steel corporation on the first of October was 5318 thousand tons compared. na 1l +c>r,s. racnrn