Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-03-10

Gross earnings of 1919 railroads in
December aggregated 282 million
dollars. Net earnings We're 1902 mil
lion dollars compared with SO million
dollars in December, 1914, an IN
crease in net of 73 per cent. Gross
earnings for the entire country in
November were 307 million dollars
compared with 240 million dollars in
November, 1914, and net earnings
were 11S million dollars compared
with 68 million dollars in November,
1914. The enormous gains in both
gross and net earnings in November
more than made up for losses in that
month in 1913 and 1914, and the
gain in November net earnings, re-
ported last month when returns were
not all in as 71.5 per cent, now
stands at 1875 per cent. Partial re-
ports Of gross earnings during Janu-
airy show a total Of 67 million dol
lars as against Sc million dollars in
January, 1915, gain of over 20 per
cent.
The net number of cars idle i'll
the United States on February l
was q ,485 compared with $685. on
January 1 and 279,411 on February 1
last year There were 7,145 flat
cars and $3.50 coal cars idle on Feb
ruary 1 compared with 1851 flat cars
and IA, 706 coal cars idle month
previous. Although there were 12,-
1913 box cars idle on February /,
there was a shortage of 22,209 Of
these cars, leaving a net shortage of
9,416 box cars on the first of the
month.
The output Of pig iron in January
was 1888 thousand tons compared
with 3,2C3 thousand tons in Deem
Der and sol thousand tons in Janu-
pig iron output in January is ascribe
to the strike at Youngstown; had
there been no labor trouble there,
January would have shown an in
crease in the output of pig iron of
about 80 thousand tons. On Febru-
airy l there were 307 furnaces in
blast with a daily capacity of 107
thousand tons compared with 295 on
January l with capacity Of 1O5
thousand tons per day.
The untitled tonnage of the Steel
Corporation on January 81 was 1928
thousand tons which compares with
1906 thousand tons on December 81
and 4,249 thousand tons a year ago.
Shipments of coke from the Con-
nellsville District totaled 46,098 cars
for the four weeks ending with jan
uary 20 as against 25,511 cars for
Production of copper at the five
principal mines during December ag'
gregated 59,512 thousand pounds COM
pared with 56,322 thousand pounds in
November and q ,203 thousand pounds
| in December. 1914. Early returns IN
dictate some falling off in the Janu-
airy copper production due to bad
weather. Stocks of copper on De-
cember 81 are estimated at 1856
thousand pounds compared with 1922
567 thousand pounds year before
and 1,439 thousand pounds two
years before. Copper supplies in the
last few weeks have been SHOW ing
| Il CIT h 10Th
being generally looked for, with some
decline toward the close of this
| year.
Receipts of zinc and spelter at the
principal market for the year to
February II tOtaled 594 thousand
slabs compared with 4S9 thousand
slabs for the same time last year.
Shipments from this market for the
same time aggregated $40 thousand
slabs as against 444 thousand slabs
last year, indicating some decrease
in zinc and spelter supplies.
Transvaal gold production during
January totaled 7S7 thousand ounces
compared with 7S1 thousand ounces
in December, and 715 thousand
ounces in January, 1915.
Commodity prices again advanced
during the month, Bradstreet's Index
standing at $11.1415 on February 1,
new high record, and comparing
with $10.9163 on January 1, and So
1921 on February 1, 1915. During
January, 81 commodities advanced in
price, Is declined, and 38 remained
stationary, while compared with
year ago, IS articles are higher, IA
are lower, and are the same.
Recent estimates place the produc-
ton of gasoline for 1916 at 41,6OO
thousand barrels compared with a.,
915 thousand barrels in 1914, $4,000
thousand barrels in 1909, and 1920
thousand barrels in 1904. Since the
production of crude oil has not adj
vanced in anything like this proper