The morning call., 1890-06-12
CONDITION OF TRADE.
A Steady Distributiye Movement
Of Merchandise.
Most Metals Tending Upward-A Loss in the
Specie Movement-Ths Sugar Sensation.
Exports Of Freadstuffs.

II the sensation in sugar be excepted,
business exhibited no unusual features last
week. There was q fair movement of goods
all the week. The local bank clearlngs
were S15 425, 2S7, against SIS, 063, $50 for the
same week last year. Money was In good
demand, chiefly for real estate and CON-
mercial needs. and the supply was ample
for all requirements. Money has been hard
to get in the country, but the refiuX wave
following lowest generally restores the
equilibrium.
THE GRAIN MARKET.
The only i'll teresting feature in grain this
week was the fluctuation in oats. Last
Wednesday there was sale of $4,000 SACKS
on the sea-wall, and as these had been part
of the corner holdings the market softened
Immediately. AT the close, however, the
market shows rising symptoms. Most OF
the oats here is in the hands of two houses,
who are holding for higher prices; but
buyers hang off and trade is quiet.
Barley shows no particular change. Feed
finds fair demand and brewing is in I'M
proved request, as the brewers have re-
newed buying in small way. Corn is
slowly declining, receipts being rather too
liberal for the needs of buyers.
Rye is dull and weak
Bran has been marked down zoe per
ton. Middlings unchanged.
Flour is active and steady. The exports
during the first eleven months of the crop
year were 1,074,069 barrels, the heaviest LOT
sOme years. The exports OF wheat Qncluu-
ing the flour reduced to wheat basis Tor
the eleven months were 16, 800, 900 centals,
valued at S2l, 457, 900. against 1915, 200 CEN
tails, valued at so, $4,000 for the same
period last year. Wheat is dull and un-
changed. sellers being few and buy
ers fewer. Wheat freights have advanced
one shilling since last review and ships con-
tinue scarce.
GENERAL COUNTRY PRODUCE.
Fancy butter has gone up l cent per
pound, being scarcer. The market. how
ever, continues glutted with lower grades
Cheese is still weak and plentiful. Eggs
advanced several cents a dozen during the
week, choice being scarce, but at the close
there are increased arrivals OF Eastern eggs,
sent out here to get the benefit OF the rise,
and the market rules unsettled.
There is Il further advance in hay, there
being good demand for choice, either ola
or new. Beans are quiet and weak at the
old prices.
New potatoes are very firm at advanced
prices, owing TO a steady demand for ship
ping. Onions have also been in good de-
mand at strong prices, but are weaker at
the close.
is nothing extra.
Hides are reported very fiat and unpro1t-
| able.
Hops rule stiff at 10 to 16 cents, an adj
vance. Stocks are now whitfield down to
| practically nothing, however, so there is no
| business worthy of note.
There is nothing new in dried fruit this
| week, except that some New York buyers,
| who came out here to buy our prunes, came
to the conclusion that at the high pri' es
now asked by growers they could not come
| out even and went back home empty
handed. They say they will push the
| French prunes instead this year, they being
| cheaper. Sales of prunes, apricots, peaches
and raisins for future delivery continue on
the basis of ~ cents for fresh prnnes at
orchard, 2h cents for peaches. a TO rs
cents for aprlcOts and 5R cents for ralslns
| in the sweat boxes.
Nuts are very strong at advanced prices,
stocks being very light
Hogs are lower under liberal arrivals.
Beef, mutton and lamb are steady. Veal Is
in ample supply and weak.
GROCERIES AND PROVISIONS.
Sugar has again been doing some of its
ground and lofty tumbling. Up to Monday
there was great scarcity of sugar and
consequent hardening in prices, the Cali
forna Refinery marking up its list several
times. Some Jobbers could not fill their or
ders at all; every one of them was more or
less short and the whole sugar trade Nas
seriously embarrassed. But on Monday
thunderbolt descended from a clear sky in
the shape of the Supreme Court decision
restoring the American Refinery to Have
meyers & Elder. This unlocked 5000 bar
relS Of sugar that had been locked up nearly
four months and the edge of the famine
was thus filed off. The effect of this was an
immediate reduction in prices, the Amer-
can leading off with 6%c rate for dry
granuated. The market at the close is un-
settled and uncertain. Stocks of raws are
moderate, but additional supplies are anx-
iously expected from Java and the Hawai-
ian Islands.
Coffee has been in rather better demand
within the past few days, the reduction in
overland freight rates having stimulated
| the Eastern demand. Still the market can
| not be called active.
Rice is firm and island rice has been
scarce for some time. The high price of
island rice has induced free imports from
| the East the movement aggregatiDg about
twenty car loads Carolina rice a considera-
bic quantity of which has already arrived.
Provisions are selling very well at pres
ent. Bacon is easy owing to larger sup
plies at Eastern points. Hams are not very
plentiful and are firm.
Canned fruits are III pretty good shape,
there being very fair Eastern inquiry.
Canned salmon as rule is quiet, though
some business in carload lots is reported.
Staple candies are unsettled and going up
and down with sugar.
Black Chinese pepper is 1 cent per pound
lower.
Some brands of starch have been marked
up half cent per pound.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Metals show numerous changes. Fig iron
is depressed and dull. According to the
latest mail reports from New York the
brighter outlook for iron is inspiring more
confidence, but it will require several weeks
to demonstrate whether consumption has
really caught up with production, or wheth-
er the Improvement is only temporary.
The local market is certainly not very in
spring, whatever the Eastern markets may
be. The statistical report of the American
Iron and Steel Association for 1889 shows
that 1889 was prosperous year for iron
and steel manufacturers on both sides of
the Atlantic, and that the worlds produc-
ton OF pig iron and steel in that year was
much larger than in any preceding year.
The report contains tables showing the
production of iron ore, coal, pig iron and
steel by all countries, from which it ap-
pears that the United States now produces
26 per cent of all the iron ore that is mined,
% per cent of all the coal, 30 per cent of all
the zig iron. and 81 per cent of all the steel
that is manufactured. The worlds annual
production OF iron ore is placed at 80, 2S0, 600
tons, OF coal 4620oo,00O tons, of pig iron
25,S69,00o tons, and of steel 1O,513o0o tous.
Quicksilver rules firm under continued
scarcity. Lead and shot have gone up.
Spelter is higher. Eastern advices report
that copper has advanced nearly cent
within the past fortnight, and sellers are
now talking still higher prices. The situa-
ton is strong both here and in Europe.
Pig tin is strong and active at 81 to 21k
cents per pound. Tin plate would also be
in good shape were 1t not for the presence
of large stocks of damaged goods which
depress the standard article.
Coal Is somewhat steadier, owing to the
strike at the Wellington mine, and firmer
feeling in cargoes near at hand from Aus
tralia. In distant cargoes, however, there
Is disposition to make concessions in order
to place them, as the amount of tonnage
chartered to load coal in Australia for this
Coast has increased considerably OF late,
and 1t Is known there are many ships not
Oh the list that are fixed for the same bust
ness. The weeks receipts were 3325 tons