The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-29
Business Forecast
Issued by The Connecticut National Bank)
and a

but there was a smaller cotton move
 ment in the South.
 As indicated in our April Letter, the
 number of Idle Cars has increased,
 and on April 1 there was a net surplus
 of idle cars in the United States of
 3,65O compared with a net shortage
 on March 1 of 20, 551, and a met sur
 plus on April l., 1915, of 327, ,O84.
 There was net shortage of 17,208
 box cars on April 1, a decrease from the shortage of 29,273 on March l,
 while the March 1 shortage of 5,831
 coal cars has become on April 1 a
 surplus of 4;977.
 March orders for Railroad Cars to- tailed 21,457 compared with 12,836 in
 February and 1,2S7 in March, 1915. March Locomotive orders tota1ed 519
 compared with 4e3 in February and
 40 in March. 1915. Rail orders were a feature of the equipment market in March, 1,O52 thousand tons of rails having been booked compared with 125 thousand tons in February. and #15O thousand tons in March, 1915.
 Anthracite coal shipments in March were 6,127 thousand tons compared wilh 5,o75 thous2l-os in March last year, an incree5e Of G52 thousand to1;s. All the carriers included in tfiss report showed an increase during
  tErs cite coal at tide-wa1er shipping ports on March 21 were 339 thousand tens compared withs s7 6 thousand tons a month earlier, a decrease of 77 thousand tons during March
 Tae. bitunainops coal market, like the anthracite is awaiting the end of the conferences bestwe en the operators anu the miners.
 Ma-on production cI Fig Iron was >3,338 thousand tons compared with 3O87 thousand tons in February and 2,O64 thousand tons in March, 1915- The daily output during March was nearly 1O8 thousand tons compared with over 1O6 thousand tons day in February There were 317 furnaces in blast on April 1 with a, capacity of nearly 1O9 thousand tons a day com- pared with SIP furnaces a month ear Her with daily capacity of i1O7 thou sand tons.
 The thrilled tonnage of the Steel Corporation on March 31 was 9,S21 thousand tons compared with 8,569 thousand tons on February 29 and 4,256 thousand tons on March S1, 1915 The unified tonnage on March March tota1ed 2.50O tons compared
 Shipments of Tin from the Straits Settlements to the United States during March tota1ed 2,5O Otons compared with 2,O9O tons in February and l. 555 tons in March, 1915. Domestic consumption of tin in March was A. 726. tons compared with 6,3S8 tons in February and 3,2O0 tons in March last year. This decrease in con sumption of tin, together with slight Iys better shipments during March from the Straits resulted in stocks of tin in this country at the end of March of2, ,746 tons compared with 1908 tons a month previous and 905 tons year previous. The total visible supply of tin at the close of the monta was 1S,782 tons compared with 16, ,511 tons at the close of February and 15,467 tons at the end of March, 1915.
 Production of gold at the Rand
 Mines in March amounted to 797 thou srnd ounces in February and 754 thou san Idounces in February and 754 thou sand ounces in March, 1915.
 On April 1 the average, of all com modity prices stood at the highest point ever recorded, Bradstreets In dex on that date having reached $11.- 76 compared with $11.3S on March and $9.78 on April 1, 1915. During March, 52 commodities increased in price, 18 decreased, and 36 remain ed stationary.
 Domestic consumption of cotton in March aggregated 614 thousand bales compared with 525 thousand bales a year ago. March cotton consumption was the greatest ever l1fown it be- ing the first time that this figure has ever passed the 500 thousand bale mark. March cotton exports totaIed 459 thousand bales compared with 1 ,2O9 thousand bales in March last year, and imports were 60 thousand bales compared with 39 thousand bales a year ago. Stocks of cotton in consuming establishing ents on March 31 were 1,9S1 thousand bales com pared with 1,742 thousand a year ago and stocks in public storage and at compresses~ were 3,41O thousand bales compared with 3,379 thousand bales on March 31, 1915. There were 32 2O33 thousand spindIes active during March compared with 3O,9O7 thousand in March of last year.
 Our merchandise exports in Febru- ary totaIed 40 million dollars compa- red with 299 million dollars in Feb ruary, 1915, while imports of rner- chandise amounted to 1914 million dol lars compared with 125 million dollars last year. Our favorable balance If trade in February aggregated 216 dollars compared with 174 mil lions in February a year ago. As the Weekly Report of I'm ports and Exports at the thirteen prin- cipal Customs Districts of the coun- | try has been discontinued, we can not | present our usual estimate of March l foreign trade at this time, but these figures will undoubtedly present satis- lying totals for many months to come. | with imports slightly larger through i out 1916 than they were in 1915.
 The condition of the winter wheat | crop indicates crop of a approximate ] Ly 500 million bushels compared with | b55 billions last year and 685 millions two years ago. The condition of the rye crop is nearly two points below a.