Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-22
TRADE NOT so BRISK.
The Iron Market Very Weak-The Tend
ency Of Prices Still Downward.

NEW YORK, Dec. Pr. G. Dun & Co s
weekly review of trade: At St. Paul, mild
weather is held as cause of tardy trading
and movement at Kansas City is rather
light, but more activity is noticed on De-
troit and other reports from the north
west indicate a satisfactory volume of
trade. In the southwest. there is more IT.
regularity and while the cotton movement
is now large and the clearings heavy, the
situation seems less wholesome. At
Memphis, the character of recent failures
is that indicative of an unhealthy state of
trade. Plttsburg finds southern iron I'M
derselling northern products and the same
is reported from Philadelphia. The pay
ments all through clearing houses are still
about per cent larger than year ago,
and at all cities OUTSIDE of New York the
amount is about 80 per cent larger.
Weakness in the iron market is dis
tinctly due to the over supply. Sales
of Alabama iron equal to the East
ern Gray forge which sells at SIC and
SIC 80 are reported at SIS. The trade in
bar iron is weaker and slS is quoted by
mills which want orders. Nails are ruin
Ously low at S1.90 or even less. The official
report shows sales of steel rails of 1,25l. III
tons for eleven months with l,1lG,7SS tons
deliveries
Coal IS weaker with an increase in tide
water stocks of 100000 tons in November.
The anthracite coal trade closes with
stocks accommodating aud sales below cur
rent quotations.
Cotton staples are only in moderate de-
mand and print cloths at 1897 bid. Dress
goods are steady and better demand ap-
pears for low grade overcoatings and sat
inets, but other mems woolens are quiet
More activity is observed in carpets. A
French syndicate has bought heavily of
raw silk and a sudden advance of
20 per cent in French and Italians
and Is per cent in ,Japans has followed.
Raw cotton-9$4c for middling upland.
Sales here for the week were "a 600 bales.
Coffee has been lower at 1870, with sales
for the week of $4,000 bags. The oil
speculation is more active. Copper is dull
and lower at S1740 for December, and tin
at DC
Wheat sales here have been only 7, 800, GOO
bushels and this offset the difficulties at
Chicago, where favorable reports as to the
growing wheat begin to be felt. The eX-
ports from Atlantic ports for three weeks
have been 81, 591 bushels. against !, 19S, 32l
last year; of -four, $685. 92 barrels, against
Cos 259, and corn exports los, 036 bushels,
against l ,414,074 last year The price of
corn has advanced &c, with oats I'M
On the whole, the tendency of prices is
Stlll QoWnWafu al western points anu some
appears.
The value of exports from this point for
two weeks was per cent larger than last
year. Imports show above last years, the
increase for three weeks being &c per cent.
The movement of specie is controlled
rather by financial demands on the other
side than be the state of merchandise
trade A million gold went abroad
on Wednesday. The treasury has
paid out during the week at all points ST.
400. 600 more than iG has taken in. Bankers
look for a further outgo of gold in ,Janu-
AIRY, though annual disbursements are ex-
pected to stiffen the market for securities
The business failures during the past
seven days number 81 as against total of
BOB last week and 305 the week previous;
for the corresponding week last year, 290.