Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-29
INCREASING TRADE,

SiCnouG ANY addition to the Accru1ng
Profit, Causes a Perolexing Situation
An Unsatisfactory Showing, on the
Whole: of the business Outlook, Though
Not Without Some Encouraging Fea-
lures.
New YORK, March 24.-R. G.. DUN &
Co.'s weekly review of trade, issued to-
day, says:
1t is perplexing to bs obliged to report that
business grows larger In volume. at the same
time not more profitable. Uncertainty does
not diminish. but has rather increased, in the
Judgment of many commercial bodies which
have urged the president to veto the seigflor-
age bill. Prices Of commodities do not rise,
but are on the whole about LIS per cent. lower
than last week, though then the lowest ever
known in this country, and 1873 per cent
lower than n year ago. No more gold has
gone abroad, and stocks average only
cents per 800 higher for railroads than
last week. and exactly the same for trust
stocks; but some foreign purchases and the
Intervention Of n holiday explain the steaai-
ness. More mills at work, though the pro-
portion o. productive force unemployed is still
from n fifth to a third in different branches OF
industry. and many mills are stopping because
their orders hhve run out, even while larger
number are starting with orders enough for a
time. The prospect of getting constant or
remunerative employment for works and
hands does not change. The fact that orders
keep only part OF the force at work. while both
is near at hand, renders present business
less profitable and the future less promising.
Tho starting Of four furnaces by the Illinois
Steel Co., and one other at Pittsburgh in
creases the output of iron, and some sales
have been made at the lowest prices yet re-
ported with indications of continued demand
for structural work. especially at the west. On
the other hand the demand for wire in various
forms, which led the way to improvement,
seems to slacken, and nails are said to be sell
I,,r, 1,rr,A boz, nIJn-
ton of 60 cents In freghts from Pittsburgh to
Underwater only adds to eastern while 1t takes
from western business. In minor metals bust
ness is a little larger, but at the expense of a
furthur decline to 9.50c for lake copper while
tin is steady and lead shade higher.
In shoes some concerns which have been
running on large orders for cheap goods find
their orders exhausted but for other medium
and low priced goods the demand is improving,
and shipments from Boston for the month
thus far have been 1851 per cent. less than last
year. Textile industries answering the
growing demand for replenishment OF stocks
with hand-to-mouth production, some mills
getting orders enough to start, and others,
which have filed orders in sight, stopping
without trusting to future trade.
The demand for cotton goods is fairly large,
but with reduction in prices of some grades;
and the accumulation of print cloths con-
tinues. A large auction sale of silks brought
fairly satisfactory prices. Sales of wool for
three weeks have exceeded last years % Q per
cent, though the transactions this month
last year were about 40 per cent. below the
average. There is more demand for such
wool as is nee led in the manufacture of I'M
derwear, dress goods and worsted, but fine
f1ecceS almost unSaleable, Ohio Xxx being
quoted at 80 cents. and carpet manufacturers
buy sparingly, though about half their ma
chinery is active.
Wheat cotton and pork have declined q lit
tie. wheat making another record shade be-
1,,,r 81 cont
stronger, vita western receipts 2,S74, 63S BUSH
els. against 322 last year
The termination of the rebellion in Brazil
opens new scope of coff &c which is reported
very large, but prices yet steady. Cat
tie are low abroad almost beyond precedent
50 that exports retarded. Some hope of
cheaper coal is encouraged by a reduction OF
rates on the Lehigh road to ~ per cent of the
price in New York barber. The volume of do
nestle trade measured by clearngS for the
week has been 81 1-10 per cent smaller than
last year and outside New York l79 per cent.
smaller, the decrease being there less but at
New York greater than for the previous week.
There Is encouraging increase. the first for
many months, in south bound tonnage from
Chicago. and at indianapolis tn movement is
almost as large as last year. while weSt-bound
tonnage Of high-claSS merchandise is also
large The accumulation Of idle money contin-
ues. as it could not if business were materially
enlarging. and the demand for commercial
loans is no better than it was March !. While
interior rates of exchange harden. the banks
here are again discussing the need of reducing
interest paid on deposits.
The treasury has been losing little of it's
balances lately. customs receipts for the
month SO far being only s9076, 759, against S15.-
645 S7S last year. while internal revenue Is also
a shade smaller. With long delay in fixing the
basis of taxation, treasury embarrassments
increase and since the Bland bill passed, the
government bonds recently purchased are
quoted at prices below the cost with interest.
The failures for the week ending March Is
involved liabilities Of only s255s,9lS and for
the two weeks of March only q, 835 no uof
which s.. $50 257 were Of manufacturing and S.
$4,000 of trading concerns. Some deferred
reports will further swell the aggregate, but
at San Francisco the assumptions now ex-
coed the failures A number of railroad re-
ceiverships noticed, though none of impor-
lance. The failures this week number 224 in
the United States, against 217 last year: and
80 in Canada. against 20 last year 1t is note
worthy that Canadian failures are considera-
bly, increasing.