The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-03
PRESENT STATE OF TRADE
AT THE MANUFACTURING CEN.
TIERS OF THE EAST.
Very Favorable Reports from All
Branches, and a Most Hopeful
and Encouraging Outlook.
ESPECIAL TO THE. APPKAL.l

PHILADELPHIA, PA, February O.
Pennsylvania and New York iron
brokers cabled to-day to Liverpool and
London for old rails aygregating 90
900 tons if deliveries could be made
on this side at S22, and for between
10000 and 10000 tons Of Bessemer
pig, at prices equal to $40. Large
orders have just been placed for tin
plate, pig iron, steel wire rods and tin.
Iron and steel makers made inquiries
this week for large quantities of ma
terial in view of the strengthening OF
prices within thhty days. In some
quarters no spprehensions whatever
are felt OF any permanent advance in
prices on account of the enormous
capacity for iron and steel making,
which, If kept at its maximum limits
for a few months, will supply the
heaviest possible requirements. Mer-
chant iron is firm. Nails are declin.
ing, and are selling at 81 %. Steel
rails are $34 to $35. 1t was given out
to-day that 10000 tons of bridge iron
will be placed in February for bridge
work to be erected during the coming
summer.
The textile workers OF New England
have succeeded in establishing two
weeks pay, in advancing wages 10 10
per cent, and in a good many cases
establishing arbitration as a means OF
settling future labor disputes. Sales
OF wool in the leading wool markets Of
the East reached 100000 pounds for
the past week, and manufacturers are
picking up supplies wherever they
can be found.
Textile manufacturers, making car
pets, wooden and worsted hosiery and
Init goods, cloth and clothing, are
everywhere quite busy, with orders in
hand or that they. expect toreceive
within thirty days. Everything is of
favorable character in the textile in.
terests and within thirty days more
machinery will be pnt into place in
this city and New York than has been
placed in position for four or five
months previously. All textilelpro1ucts
will command prices ranging from 10
to 20 per cent. higher than Ia t year,
wherein wool is the principal material.
Notwithstanding the upward tendency
in raw material and finished products,
travelling agents in the South and West
are sending on larger orders than they
did twelve months ago.
The complications in the anthracite
coal combination, it is given out to-
day, will be settled within a week.
Several eff Jrts have been made to es.
tablish bituminous Goa. pool, but
the refusal of the Pennsylvania Com
pany to cooperate and itS known de-
termination to look after it's own coal
and traffic interests, is giving all COM
petitors good deal of concern. This,
however, pi misses the small operators
in the interior of the State but little
advantage, aTit is the programme to
gobble them up one by one and ulti-
mately pace the bituminous coal in
terests in the center OF the State in
the hands of the few.
The paper mills throughout the
New England and Middle States are
increasing their production of all kinds
of paper, but prices have not CORE
spondingly advanced. The improve
ment is taken up by the increased cost
of raw material. Manufacturers are
anticipating a very heavy year, as
buyers Of paper If all kinds are pur-
suing the policy Of carrying heavier
stocks than last year. Prices range
about per cent. below those of twelve
months ago and Is per cent. below
those OF Two years sgo.
The boot and shoe makers OF Phila.
delphia have more orders on hand |
at this time than a year ago. South |
ern trade is poor. Western trade is
good. Morocco leather is bought up
promptly aud manufacturers are AIRY
ing liberal supplies OF leather. The
Cincinnati tanners have advanced |
leather &c per pound. st. Louis tan
ners have advanced leather a second |
time. Several strikes are in progress
in New England, but gradual progress
is being made 10 establish permanently |
harmonious relations through arbitIa-
ton methods.
The demand for all kinds OF lumber,
especially the hard woods, will, from
present indications, be very heavy
throughout the coming year, but
wholesalers along the Atlantic coast
are deferring the placing of orders
until every element of uncertainty as
to demand will be removed. Prices
are firm but will likely weaken, as the
loggers are intending to throw a maxi
mum supply on the market.
The archite cts Ct New York and
Philadelphia report this week larger
amount Of b usiness in hand than last
year. A sti mulus will be impaired to
the erection of manufactures, particu-
larly in the Middle States, by the in
creasing ten dency of manufacturers to
locate nearer to supplies of fuel. Sew
eral textile mills will be started in
eastern Pennsylvania, furniture facto-
ries in the lumber regions of Penn
sylvanis, sash and door mills nearer
to the forest, and variety of general
interests nearer to the
natural gas fields.