The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-21 00:00:00

State of Trade.

MANCHESTER, Nov. 20.—The market continues flat and
without any positive improvement, though in some few
descriptions of yarns and cloth the low prices quoted have
brought in buyers. In shipping yarns sellers report a mo-
derately fair amount of business, at last Friday's rates.
There have been considerable offers made at still lower
prices—in fact, at rates too low to be accepted by spinners.
The market for home-trade yarns is much the same. Prices
are, so far as any change can be noted, rather weaker than
last week, but there is more disposition to do business at
the decline. In cloth the low rates now submitted to have
brought in a few buyers,
aas
t h andat
of
spinners although
is
verythe u
positionn sat i of
manufacturers as well
factory, because of the sacrifices they have to make, the
holders of goods have obtained some relief by the diminu-
tion of stocks. In most kinds of goods suited to the mar-
kets of India some business has been done. The market
has been somewhat depressed by the rumours of further
expected failures. As compared with last Tuesday the
quotations of leading agents are uniformly 3d. per piece
less on madapollams, printers, and shirtings up to 91b.
weight. For 101 b. shirtings quotations are 6d. per piece
lower ; 111 b., at 18s. 6d. last week, are offering at 17s. 9d.;
and 1211., at 20s. last week, are quoted 19s. 3d. per piece.
Jaconnots and T-cloths are mostly quoted lower than last
Tuesday, the former in some instances id. to upwards of
id. lb. Messrs. John and Co. report of to-day's
per
cloth-market
We have to-day to report a very flat market, with
little or no inclination on the part of buyers.to operate.
During the week prices have gradually declined, and
though to-day we have reduced our quotations, they must
be considered entirely nominal."
CARDIFF, 19th.—For Welsh steam coal there is an active
demand, and, while the several collieries are in full opera-
tion, steps are being taken at many of the works to increase
the output. The Mediterranean and French ports are
taking large quantities, and very heavy supplies are being
cleared out for the coaling stations of the mail packet com-
panies. Orders continue to come in regularly from the
foreign markets, and everything indicates the keeping up of
the existing activity. The home trade isbeing rapidly ex-
tended, as evidenced by the increased quantities sent by
railway to Birkenhead and the markets for the metropolis
and the midland counties. The improvement noticed last
week in the demand for home qualities is maintained, and
coasting merchants are purchasing more largely, especially
for the West of England and Irish markets. At the various
ironworks the men are fairly employed, and although the
orders are not numerous, there are several good ones in
hand, particularly on American account. Trade with the
United States is moderately active much better than was
anticipated at one time, and the export of rails is, if any-
thing, above the average. With the other foreign markets
business is rather quiet, andin the home trade there is very
little stir. There is much difficulty in obtaining fresh home
orders, buyers evincing'the strongest objection to burden
themselves with heavy stocks. In pig iron there is very
little activity, and quotations are in favour •of buyers.
During the past week a slight falling off has been experi-
enced in the demand for tin plates, and orders are accepted
on somewhat easier terms.

LEEDS, 20th.—The attendance of buyers in the cloth-
halls to-day has been of a moderate character, and the busi-
ness done was aboutlan average of the last few weeks. Still
things wore a rather quiet aspect. In the coloured cloth-
hall there was a little more inquiry for both tweeds and
meltous than last week, and of the former tho stocks are
not at all in advance of the supply. A few parcels of heavy
goods and hair lists were purchased in the white cloth-
hall, and generally at late prices. There is, however, no
disposition on the part of merchants to increase stocks at
present, and hence the markets continue quiet, as they have
done for the past two thonths or more.
ROCHDALE, 19th.—There was a moderato amount of
business done in the flannel-market to-day—at least, quite
as much as for the last few market days. The finer
flannels continue to find purchasers more readily than
heavy ones, and the manufacturers of such goods
are well employed. The home trade and export demand,
upon the whole, are both rather dull. The demand
for the Australian colonies has been and still is good, which
has helped to make up for the falling off in the demand for
other parts. The Yorkshire goods trade is steady, and fully
as much business is doing as for some time past. The local
wool trade participates with the state of the flannel-market,
not much business having been done to-day. Prices are
without Change.