The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-13
Men And Markets
 By P. F. B.
By P. F. E.

Fire losses in the United States and Canada for November total $39,0s1 500, as compiled by the Journal Of Com merce. This Is nearly $10.OOO,O0O over the November figures of last year and almost S90OO,O00 above those Of the same month in 1922. In November or this year there were 447 fires causing a damage of $10,000 or over. However, the figures for the eleven months or the wear are more encouraging as they show a loss of $33 ,052, ,450 as against s563, ,S54, 400 for the same period or l9l3 saving of approximately $3O,0oO,ooo. None of these figures take into account fire losses of forests and timber iands' The price of carelessness comes hlgn.
 New England is the thriftiest section of the United States if the per capita savings deposits are any indication. Ac- cording to the American Bankers asso- citation the per capita savings deposits in the New England group or states is $443. The Middle Atlantic group comes next with per capita savings deposits of $3o5. However, the greates' percentage of increase in per capita saw ings deposits for the past twelve years is shown in the southern states where in 1912 the amount was only $lS while this wear 1t is $52 an increase of 1Ss per cent, The nearest approach to this is that of the Pacific group where in 1912 the per capita savings deposus were $101, as compared to $E4U m ls14 an increase of 137 per cent. Watch the Southern and Pacific states the next few years!
 Electric power consumption has been showing a steady increase over 1925 fig nres. According to the division of pow CT resources of the department Of the interior the average daily production of electricity by public utility power plants in October was 167,2oo,ooo klo. watthours, an increase of A per cent over October 1923, and 19 per cent over the same month of 1921. Electric power is one commodity which since the war has steadily decreased in cost to the consumer.
 Business failures, according to Brad streets for the week ending December number 399, compared with 33l last week and 461 for the corresponding week in 1923. While this is an increase over the preceding week, failures TOT November show 8 decrease of "A per cent with liabilities 37 per cent below those for October; and decrease of 11.6 per cent with liabilities 57 per cent below the total for November 1923. This is most encouraging as 1t tends to show that business Is becoming readjusted with more prosperous times ahead.
 Three hundred eighty thousand hogs were received in Chicago in week The previous high record was 334,OoC hogs the first wek of January 1916. A short crop, with high prices, is not conductive to hog raising.
 The workers pay envelope Will buy 26 per cent more today than In 1914, ac' cording to an analysis made by the na' tional industrial conference board Roughly, wage rates run about 1O( per cent higher than ten years ago while the average living costs stand at the present time, about GA per cent higher than in 1914. The standard oi living of the American workman has advanced, too, and that may be one reason why the pay envelope does no seem to reach around any better than il ddi in 1924.
 The United States national debt has been reduced at the rate of $500 100000 year during the past five and one half years. Government securities 1T the hands of the public June 30, 191: were $25, ASA, ,506 ,160, as against $21,241, 535, ,13S on December 1, 1924. This is 2 most remarkable achievement. In tht meantime, however, our state and mu nicipal debts are 1eaping upward. Here is where we need the firm financia hand.
 Stock exchange transactions in No vember, says Bradstreet's, aggregated fl, ,369 1925 shares, the second largest to tai of any month on record, the high est record being 41,686,097 shares fol the month of April 1901. Last montl exceeded November, 1923, by abou nineteen million shares; the larges days total being 2,5S6, ,180 shares on th' goth, and the smallest s67,670 share: on November 8, just before the election Yet, from all indications a surprising ly low percentage of those purchest were on margin.
 Four hundred fourteen thousand ton! of rubber is the estimated world produc tion for 1924. Of this amount the Unit ed States will probably require 315,0O( tons. This is about seven times thu amount we consumed in 1913. We ma. soon literally be riding on rubber" | WEEKLY LIVERPOOL | LIVERPOOL, Dec. 12.-Weekly cottoI statistics: total forwarded to mills 67, 900 bales of which American 4S,00O
 Stock 5720oo, American 430,00o. I'm ports 186,O0o American 165.000. Exports l. .000 American 1000.