The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-01

valued at So million dollars. Receipts
and shipments of zinc at the principal
market show very similar increases
during 1915, the speEter on hand at
this market at the end of the year
being about eight thousand slabs more
than at the close of the previous year.
The output of crude petroleum in
the United States in 1915 was 291 mil
lion barrels compared with 292 mil
lion barrels in 1914. The market pro-
duction was 267 million barrels while
the total quantity held in storage by
pipe line companies is 195 million
barrels, showing a gain of so million
barrels for the year. New wells
completed in 1915 numbered 1888
compared with 12,164 completed in
Portland cement production in 1915
is estimated at nearly SO million bar
reIs against over 88 million barrels
for 1914, a decrease Of nearly 3 per
cent. Mill shipments were practical
1y the same as in 1914. Stocks of
finished cement at the mills were well
over Il million barrels compared with
yearly 13 million barrels thep revious
year, decrease of a little over 10
per cent. Although recovering rap
idly toward the close of the year, gen
eraI cement prices were slightly lower
in 1915 than in 1914.
The output of silver in the United
States in 1915 is reported at 81 mil
lion ounces valued at "a million dol
lars. which compared with So MILLION
ounces in 1914 valued at 81 million
dollars. In 1915 silver production
was exceeded in quantity only in 1914,
but because of the low average price
for silver last year of 81 cents, the
value Of the output fell below that of
many other years. Only an estimate
can be made Of our gold production in
1915 which appears to have been
close to 100 million dollars in value
compared with 95 million dollars in
1914, and SO million dollars in 1913.
Transvaal gold output in 1915 totaled
1904 thousand ounces compared with
8,378 THOUSAND ounces in 1914.
Commodity prices have continued
their upward climb and on January 1,
according to Bradstreet's Index
reached a new high level. During
December, 81 comm odities advanced,
81 remained stationary, and 10 de-
clined.
Dividend and interest disbursements
for January were 263 million dollars
compared with 242 a year ago. Divi-
dends made up los millions of the
January total compared with 81 mil
lions in January. 1914, while interest
payments were 158 million dollars
compared with ISL millions last year
Maturities in February will be near
Iy 33l million dollars compared with
VI, Z.
In no month this year will n1aturities
be as large as they were in the cor
responding month of 1915.
Stock sales on the New York E2x-
change tota1ed IA million shares in
December compared with nearly 18
millions in November and only two
mil1fonse in December, 1914. Bond
sales in December were 115 million
dollars against 100 millions in Novena-
Der and 33 millions in December,-I914
The average price Of 6 2 selected stocks
is 104 compared with "a a year ago
and the average price Of IS railroad
bonds near the close Of December was
81 against S3 year previous.
Money in circulation on January 1
tota1ed 5000 million dollars compared
with 3s545 million dollars a year ago.
The per capita circulation made a. new
high point of $38.48, which compares
with $3.50 a year ago.
December building operations at
100 cities aggregated 68, million dol
lars compared with 4 2 million dollars
in December, 1914, an increase of 26
million dollars or slightly better than
81 per cent. Flor the entire wear
1915, building in 1877 principal cities
reached a total of 822 million dollars
comparing with 785 millions in 1914,
while building permits issued in 1915
numbered 278 thousand against 267,
thousand the previous year.
Domestic consumption OF cotton in
December amounted to sos thousand
bales compared with 451 thousand
bales in December, 1914. December
exports of cotton were 55S thousand
bales against 1902 thousand a year.
ago. Active cotton spindles number
ed 31,724 thousand compared with 3d.
439 Thousand a year ago; 2,629 thous-
and tons of cottonseed were crush ed
from the crop of 1915 prior to Janu-
airy 1 last, compared. with 1898 thous-
and tons to the same date last year
The wool clip in the United States
in 1915 amounted to 289 million
pounds compared with 29O million
pounds in 1914 and 2e6 million pounds
in 1913. The number of f1eeces talk
en- was So, 5s8 thousand compared with
36s584 thousand year ago and the
average weight per fleece was $50
pounds compared with 6.76 pounds in
1914.
The winter wheat area is reported
at 81 million acres, a decline of IA
per cent. or nearly five million acres
from a. year ago. The condition at
last report was a fraction of a point
below a year ago The area sown to
rye is 5, 058 thousand acres, a decline
of, per cent. or So thousand acres
from "a. year ago. The condition of
rye at last report was two points he
low a year ago. The preliminary re-
port on the total production of cotton
flor 1915 indicates a crop, not incIud-
ing 1inters, of 11.161 thousand bales
compared with 16, 1875 Thousand bales
a year ago and a five year average of
1903 thousand bales.
During the past month a tremen-
dous number of wage increases have
been made. We have before US re-
ports of eighty wage increases affect
ing 500 thousand employees the total
of the increases approximating fifty
| million dollars annually.
Indications are that business will be
unusually active for some weeks and
although the 1ul which precedes a
Presidential election will probably be
| in evidence, it will be much less mark
| ed than usual While it is proba BILE
| that Business for the first half of the
year will be larger than for the latter
!