The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-08
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
Commercial Affairs Shaping Into a More
Healthy Condition.
INpIANAPoLls, ApriI Z.

OohiAherciaA Affairs Shaping Into a More
Healthy Condition.
INDIANAPOLIS, April 7.
Trade is spoken of as being moderately active.
Country merchants are conservative, a majority
of them still buying in a hand-to-mouth way and
mourning no liabilities that they cannot readily
meet. But the belief is that the situation gen
orally is improving. Speaking of finance and
trade the New York Dial says: Commercial
affairs, which have been shaken to their base,
are in a much safer and more healthy condition
by reason of the shaking up, or rather down,
they have had. Commodities are not like stocks.
They have value all over the world and are nee
e~ssaries of life, which stocks never are. People
must eat and wear, but never buy stocks unless
they take the notion. Prices of staples of com
merce are now lower than ever known in. some
cases, and relatively low in most. As a rule,
they are below the average, which should make
them safe as investments as well as for future
use, especially where they are below the cost of
production. Such must advance. 1t is only a
question of time. The only question is what the
cost of production now is. There are, no doubt,
many articles of commerce which are seeking a
lower natural level than the world has known,
and hence legitimate values based on old rules
of production need revision. This is particu-
larly true where the introduction of labor-saving
machinery has been greatest" In the local mar
ket there is little new to note.
Fluctuations in values to-day were few and more
in the way of adjustment than otherwise. Eggs
drop to IA cents; receipts increasing. The poul-
try market is dull; the consumption falling off,
too many poor setting hens being sent in to the
market. Speaking of the butter market the In
dianapolis Grocer aptly says: There is a wide
divergence of opinion as to price; it is no easy
roaffap 70 CIV vrho& n 41,h &c cxrno4 oo11pfp1r h11t-
ter would bring if some country dealer should
let a stray shipment get away from him; all the
way from 81 to "a cents is the way produce
dealers talk. But a circus would not be a
greater boon to the juvenile heart than a tub Of
this grade of butter to the commission mer-
chants. So, dealers, get your butter makers to
do their best; there always is a market for the
right kind of stock. The soft, white, and the
common, and the poor go trooping from door to
door in quest of takers at from IA down to 6
cents per pound, and the buyer puts a clothes
pin on his nose when he takes it in"
GRAIN,
sick, covers the local grain markets. The
Board of Trade Price Current says of wheat:
Where, o, where are the 81. 25 per bushel proph-
ets9 Who answereth wherel The bucket
shop yieldeth up the ghost, and abideth not in
its wonted place. Strict search in every apart
ment of the Commercial Temple faileth to dis
close the presence of the able bull" The bo-
vine Spectator weepeth for his shekels, and
refuseth to be eomforted, because they are not.
This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Local markets, in sympathy with the general
decline, fail to exhibit any strength of tone,
and have dropped off one cent from Saturdays
figures. Seaboard has suffered a sharp decline,
New York leading with 3 3-sc lower market,
Baltimore l lie lower, while Chicago in the
earlier part of the day touched soc for May, yet
at noon had rallied and reached about Satur-
days figures. We quote:
No. l Mediterranean,
No. 2 Mediterranean, LOO
No. . Mediterranean, so
NO. z lied, track ~
Corn-The persistent hammering on wheat
has had its effect on corn, and we note a decided
weakness in local markets. Buyers less willing
to invest, and are evidently waiting the result
of this feverish condition of things. Arrivals
light, and choice grades are scarce. Futures
ef, Baltimore &c, and Chicago 1 1-4c from Sat
urdays quotations. We quote:
No. 2 white,
NO. D Whlte,
Yellow, track
High mixed. track
Mixed,
No. RED, track 42l2
nelecueq, track
Onmerchantable track
SOUND ear, track
Oats-This cereal has begun to weaken, like
the rest, and all grades are only wanted at lower
prices. We quote:
No. 2 white, track. .36lo
Mixed
Rye-Nos 2 quiet and nominal
Bran-Quiet; Sl350 bid; no sellers.
icaGfeF -F GRAIN IN STORE.
! ~tssos.g sag April 8, 1884.
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