Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-09
BUSINESS POINTERS.

BUSINESS POINTERS.
 The Republican party has been basing its hope of winning a victory this fall upon depressed condition of business-a depres- sion which WAS to be charged to the defeat of McKinleyism. The Republican party is doomed to disappointment. Business is brightening every day, and by the ides of November the general hum of American industry will so bewilder Republicans as to cause them to hide their faces in holy horror.
 Sweeping cuts have been made in prices on what may be called the necessaries, and even luxuries are coming down every day. The country is rejoicing at its emancipa- ton from the Republican tariff robbery, and here are some of the echoes of this great rejoicing:
 The Dry Goods Economist says that eff there has been any question touching the genuineness of the improvement in whole sale business, there can certainly be no doubt about the mattsrfn New York this week." and further says.
 Clafhin' whie6 is one of the best barometers in the de1has looked as It did in anti-panic times, and all the jobbers have done an ex' cellent business. In many of the domestic dress goods houses the rush has been of an exhilarating description. An Economist man this week asked the manager of one of the prominent accounts how things were going, and for reply was told that they expected next week to begin selling the tables and gas fixtures. as there would be nothing else left to sell.''
 The lumber trade Is surviving even the shock of free lumber. The Southern Lum- herman says there is decided improve ment in business;
 There is certainly tone of confidence in the market and more hopeful feeling as to fall and winter trade. At Eastern points, like Boston, the feeling is especially manifest. The Boston market for lumber is decidedly better in some directions, with increased in- quiry. The tariff aot has not materially changed the situation for the present as re- gards free lumber, except that larger sup plies are expected to be sent in from Canada in finished state and less in the rough. There is A fair demand at Boston for All kinds of southern lumber-rift flooring taking ,he lead and the demand for cypress steady. In the lake markets trade is good and movement quite active.
 The iron trade also refuses to collapse on account of the tariff tinkering but is as buoyant as a good Democrat. The Iron Age grudgingly comedies improvements:
 The wire nail factories and barb wire works starting up again
 On the whole prices for Bessemer pig iron and soft steel have held up very well. but there is q feeling among the buyers, the roll ing mills that prices must come down, since the markets for finished iron and steel are down to the lowest prices reached this year. and in some cases are below that lever. Raw material is certainly cheap. Reports have 1t that Mesaba ore has been offered below S2. 25. A significant fact is that American cotton tie box fuPa a ok in competition against free foreign cotton ties. Ability to make quick delivery helped them. but 1t does begin to look as though they will be able to hold very big share of the business if they are fairly supported by the billet mills and get decent rates of freight.
 Reports are of great activity at all the pi, iron furnaces, aud the Chicago letter of the Engineering and Mining Journal says thai "with the pig iron on hand and with the mutation of orders of the past few weeks and those bound to come in, it can be safely said that the furnaces will have all they can do for mo ths to come to turn out enough to supply demand"
 And here is some foreign testimony as to the dreaded European competition. A London paper says:
 As things stand we are under the impr ion that the new tariff will be of TO immediate use to us Tn almost all tue various lines Ol ron and steel proper. h some lines of hardware and cutlery may he assisted by the new rates, and the same may be said of tin plates, but even in the last named line of goods our hold upon the American market will never again be what it was formerly.
 The Kansas City Star predicts an ad- vance in the price of raw wool of 25 per cent under the new tariff law. The extra ordinary fact confronts the farmer that this same bagaboo, free wool, instead of killing off his hocks has actually had the temerity of enhsncing the value of his herd. That is to say, under the operations of a tariff that allows the free entry of for eign wool tue American product becomes an article in demand as a component part of the manufactures, and this sudden and unusual demand raises the value and in1- portance of the supply. The whole thing in a nutshell is simply that American wool