The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-30
World % of Finance finance
General Trade Conditions
Qssued by The Connecticut National Bank
and a < Business Forecast

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 The aggregate of all commercial
 transactions. as previously noted ir
 these reports, recorded its highest
 point some months ago. but various
 individual factors continue. now and
 then, to set new high marks for theii
 own particular lines. This has beer
 the case the past month, and as @ re- suit the general situation is stronger now than 1t was at the time of oul last report.
 Bank clearings at 162 cities in Aug ust totaled nearly 20 billion dollars compared with IA billion dollars in August of last year, g. gain of 3S pe1 cent Outdde of New York city, Aug ust clearings aggregated nearly bill lion dollars, compared with not quite
 billion dollars a year ago, a gain of 39 per cent. Only two of the 162 cities show losses when compared with last year.
 Exports of merchandise during July amounted to 465 milliop dollars, the same as in June, and compared with 26S million dollars in July a year ago. Imports in July aggregated 1S3 million dollars, compared with 143 millions, in July, 1915, and 246 mil lions in June of this year. This com- bination of somewhat rfduced i'm ports and large exports tresulted in July in the largest export excess ever recorded in any one month, the favor- able balance of trade for that month being 26s million dollars
 Building operations in August at l6s cities totaled Fl million dollars, composed with 70 million dollars in August, 1915. Following, as it does, many months of large gains when compared with last year. this figure seems unsatisfactory, but in reality, a decline in building operations has been evident for some time and the August figure carries no special signifi- canoe. Building operations Have been abnormally large and it seems natural that the aggregate of permits should. decrease as cold weather draws nearer. l<
 For the first time in many months. lumber shipments have exceeded the cut Of lumber. July shipments total- ing s35 million feet. compared with 1,02e million feet in July, 1915, while the July lumber cut aggregated 930 million fleet, compared with 976 mill Hon feet in July year ago. July shipments were composed of S66 mill lion feet. of soft woods and 69 mill lion feet of hard woods, compared with 964 million feet of soft woods and 62 million Meet of hard woods shipped in July of last year. The July Number cut consisted of 862 mill lion feet of soft woods and 6S million feet of hard woods, compared with SO6 million feet of soft woods and 70 million feet of hard woods cut in July. 1915. Gross earnings of 453 railroads in June totaled 2S5 million dollars, com pared with 238 million dollars in June a year ago, gain of 20 per cent and net earnings totaled 98 million dollars, compared with 77 millions in June last year, a gain of 27 per cent. A, com pilation of the earnings of 49O rail- roads for the first half of this year shows a gain of 23 per cent. in gross earnings and AZ per cent in net. Net earnings of 150 railroads in July were e3 million dollars, compared with 76 million dollars year, ago, gain Of 24 per cent Gross earnings of A railroads in August totaled SC million dollars, compared with 69 millions in August, 1915, a gain of 24 per cent. Grain and cotton movements are large and increased passenger traffic is also a factor.
 The shortage of railroad cars, which this report indicated a month ago was impending, has already assumed con- siderable proportions, there having been a net shortage of IA thousand freight cars in this country 6n Sep tember 1st, compared with sur plus of idle cars on August 1st of 10 thousand. making a change of "A thousand cars during August. This is tho third successive monthly de- crease in the net surplus of idle cars. That the situation will become even moro serious seems probable, and the prospects warrant vigorous precau- lions on the part of all shippers.
 There were 148 locomotives ordered in August, compared with S1 in July and no in August of. last year. July rail orders totaled 16s thousand tons, compared with A thousand in July and l60 thousand in August a year ago, Orders were placed in August for 1873 railroad cars, compared with t0 0,40z in July and 4,623 in Au- gust. 1915,
 Lake commerce through the Soo Canal in August totaled IA million tons. compared with 10 million tons in August of last year and only 50 sand tons less than in July of this year. the record month. The east bound traffic aggregated eleven mil lion tons, compared with two millions fin August of last year.
 Lake Superior iron ore shipments in August again set a new high mark of e.s50 thousand tons, compared with e.750 thousand tons in July and S,OS1 thousand tons in August a year ago:
 Production of pig iron in August S,294 thousand tons compared with 3,e25 thousand tons in July and, e,7S0 thousand tons in August, 1915. The daily rate of production in Aug ust was 19a thousand tons compared with l04 thousand in July. The blast furnaces are working at top speed but the hot weather hampered operations somewhat in August.
 The thrilled tonnage of the Steel recovered somewhat dur Ing August after two successive monthly decreases and stood at 9,66o Thousand tons on August 31 compared -- i- :. ---- / = - - :