Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-18
TRADE MOVEMENTS.
Leading Features of Jobbing Inter.
estS for the Week.
NO REVIVAL IN PRODUCE LINES.
Hog Products Have a Drop in Sympathy
With Fall of Hogs.
UPHOLSTERY GOODS VERY LIVELY

OFFICE OF THE PTTTSBURG DISPATCH, I
SATURDAY, February 16, 1889.
There were few marked features in the trade
of the past week. Produce commission mer-
chants have not yet fallen into the habit of
talking cheerfully over the situation. The
same old song of quiet trade, which we have
heard since the ingathering of fruits and crops
Is still sung. and it is not much wonder, in
view of the losses which the majority have sus-
tanned.
An illustration of the situation is furnished
by the following facts in an apple deal: A Lib
erty street commission firm sometime last fall,
invested a few ducats in apples at a very low
figure, and for some weeks after the purchase
brother merchants were made to feel a little
envious over the nice little profit of the apple
deal. AS time went on it was discovered that
the apples had TO be repacked. The cost of
storage was 1Oc month per barrel. The nice
little speculation which had been for time
subject of congratulation and jealousy has
ended in dead loss, and the parties in chief
are now glad that the loss was no greater.
Apples are cheaper to-day than when first
gathered and the speculator who thought to
make a nice profit by storing them away for
the spring trade has discovered that the best
laid plans are sometimes spoiled by weather
and trade winds.
A Sad Winter.
What is true of apple speculations is true of
now drawing to a close has been a winter of
discomfort" to producers, commission men and
spectators, but a comfortable one to the
millions who consume The consumer seldom
secs time when his vegetables and fruit are
as low at this time of the year as now To be
sure his meat, flour and rents hold up to the
old-time figures. but there should be a reduc-
ton OF 20 per cent on meat to correspond with
the drop in livestock since last fall. And if
r114g, \
their own place." our bread would not be so
high, as there is enough and to spare in the
land, whatever bulls may say.
II will be seen in our domestic market report
that hog products have gone into another de-
cline. Hogs have been on the descending
scale all the week, and packers think they
must descend still further before there is a fair
margin of profit for their products. Said
leading packer to-day: with the exception
of two or three days when markets we're over
stocked and prices dro7ned below market
rates there has been no time since the packing
season opened, November /. when there
was any profit to our trade except
on special cuts The ham, bacon and
lard which we have put away would have been
sold at loss if we had put them on the market
as soon as cured. The drop in hogs this week
should have come some weeks ago, and they
must go down still moro or hog products will
have to go up. When the abundance and
cheapness of corn is considered farmers have
been getting mighty good prices for their hogs
all this winter"
No Speculation.
notable feature of the situation in pork
products is the entire absence of speculation.
Prices, it is claimed, have been so low and
markets SO sluggish that there is no room for
speculation.
With all the quietness of jobbing interests
in most lines it is pleasant to record one branch
which has shown unusual activity for the first
half of February. This is the upbolster's
trade. A prominent jobber in this lire thus
puts the situation of his industry: The spring
of 1855 was one of the hest seasons for our trade
we have known For various reasons
business did little good in the second half of
the year, and for 1855 the record was not equal
70 1881. The dulness held on with terrible
gflp TIL the latter part of January, when trade
began TO pick up. For the past two weeks we
have booked tenfold more orders than we did
Tor the corresponding period of last year. The