The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-04
World m of Finance finance
General Trade Conditions
Qssued by The Connecticut National Bank)
and Business Forecast

blast on July 1st with a daily capacity of 107 thousand tons compared with 10S thousand tons a day for the 32l furnaces active onN June 1st.
 The unified tonnage of the Steel Corporation fell off during Juno, standing. at 9,640 thousand tons on June 30th compared with 9,93S thou sand tons on May 31st and 3,67S thou sand tons on June 30, 1915. Until this statement, the unified had made continuous and successive increases each month since August of last year.
 Structural steel bookings during June totaled nearly 100 thousand tons compared with 13S thousand tons in May and 138 thousand tons in June of last year. For the first six months of the year, structural steel bookings were 793 thousand tons compared with 555 thousand tons in the same period a year ago.
 Production of coke in the Connells- vile district in the four weeks end ing July 1st totaled 1880 thousand tons compared with 1,4S7 thousand tons in the entire month of June, 1915, and shipments for the four weeks were nearly AS thousand cars compared with 40 thousand cars in June of last year. On July Sth, there were 33,611 ovens in blast compared with 34,072 on June 18th.
 The Federal government estimates the production of bituminous coal in the firsts half of 1916 at 261 million tons compared with 194 million tons in the same period last year, an in crease of 25 per cent. and new high nrd fny- T,o
 Domestic consumption of tin in June aggregated 6,398 tons compared with 5,455 tons in May and 3,9OO tons in June of last year. Shipments of tin from the Straits Settlements to this country in June amounted to 1,7OO tons compared with 2.145 tons in May and 3,075 tons in June a year ago. Stocks of tin in this country at the close of June were 3,963 tons com pared with 2,468 tons a month pre- vious and 2.319 tons year ago.
 Receipts of zinc and spe1ter at the principal market in June totaled 564 thousand slabs compared with 551 thousand slabs in May and 3S8 thou sand slabs in June year ago while shipments were 345 thousand slabs in June compared with 356 thousand slabs in May and 36S thousand slabs in June, 1915.
 Our crude oil production in the first half of 1916 is estimated at 14S mill lion barrels compared with 145 mill lion barrels in the same period of last year and total production in 1915 of 291 barrels. Oil refining compa- n1es have been unusually active in the first half of this year, the leading refners making large additions to their plant sand equipment to meet the increased demand for the various products of petroleum.
 Transvaal Gold production for June totaled 762 thousand fine ounces com pared with ITS thousand ounces in May and 755 thousand ounces in June 1915.
 Commodity prices continue to re- cede although, as previously noted in these reports, it may be some little tlme before these lower prices are felt by the consumer. IBradstreet's Index of commodity prices stood at $11.53 on July 1st compared with $11.69 on June 1st and the third successive monthly decrease since the high point or $11.76 recorded on April 1st of this year. The present index compares with $9.S7 on July 1st year ago.
 June business failures numbered 1,239 with liabilities of ten million dollars compared with 1922 failures Tn June year ago with liabilities of nearly nineteen million dollars. AS the assets of the concerns failing in June this year were less than five mill lion dollars compared with not quite eleven million dollars in June a wear ago, net liabilities were five million dollars compared with eight million dollars last year.
 Financing by corporations in June totaled 50 million dollars compared With 67 million dollars in June of Ia st year, an increase of nearly 25 per cent. Estimates of the percentage Of this amount used in refundine vary from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. Ju- ly maturities will total 54 million dol lars compared with S5 million dollars in June and GA million dollars in July. 1915. Preliminary estimates of secu- rites maturing during August place the amount at 22 million dollars com pared with 31 million dollars in Au- gust of last year.
 New and large corporations formed during June have a total capitaliza- tion of BPS million dollars compared with 231 million dollars in June of last year, an increase Of 42 per cent.
 Dividend and interest disbursements during July will total 292 million dol lars compared with 27O million dollars in July, 1915, being the largest July disbursements ever recorded July dividend disbursements will be dos million dollars compared with 94 mill lion dollars year ago, while interest payments will be 1S4 million dollars compared with 176 millions in July. 1915.
 Sales of stocks on the New York Exchange during June were over thir- teen million shares compared with over sixteen million shares in May and nearly thirteen million shares in June of last year. Bond sales for the month aggregated S2 million dollars compared with 99 million dollars in May and GA million dollars in June a year ago. The average price of se- lected list of 62 stocks at the close of June was 1923 compared with 1O14 a month previous and 90.2 at the close of June a year ago. The averag gc price of 90 railroad bonds at the close of June was 91.67 compared with 91.74 a month previous and Ss.67 a