Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-27
Improvement in Speculation Pre-
dicted for the New Year.
SUGAR SITUATION AGAIN CRITICAL
Effect Of Threatened Complications
With Spain.
GENERAL MARKET REPORTS

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
NEW YORK, December 27.-The course
of prices this morning was void Of interest
to any but the professional element, and
the volume of business was without i'm
prcvement over the two preceding days of
the week Added to the chronic dullness
incident to the holiday season was the de-
struction of Geographic communication
with out-of-town correspondents, which
confined operations to the local contingent
and intensified the narrowness. Predic-
tions of general speculative Improvement
to follow the advent Of the new year are
almost universally Endorsed by the we'll
informed, but pessimism is rampant among
the room element, and no developments Of
Importance are expected while the public
submits to the domination of the transi.
tory holders of stock certificates.
Investors are expected to come into the
market shortly purchasers of the bettdr
class OF stocks and inspire the bulls with
sur1clent aggressiveness to make profits IN
the long account occur with the freouenoy
now accorded the opposite side.
Inc most reason able deduction from the
mass or conti adictory and complex spec
ulative material now available seems to be
mat dizziness and a moderately steady
Gndertone with tendency toward i'm
provement will be the principal character
lsucs OF the immediate future.
Inc condition of the coal trade Is such
as to have revived the extremely bearish
feeling or few weeks ago, and resulted
In moderate selling for both accounts
Jersey Central was active within narrow
limits as result of a possible reduction
In the dividend rate. The opinion obtains
IN some quarters that the official an
nouncement OF such reduction should
cause no further decline in the market
value Of the stock, as the recent liberal
concessions were the result of a general
discounting Of the action now regarded
q q a ra6
considered.
New York Central moved UP 1-2 per cent
and elsewhere the lack of interest pre-
vented any significant fluctuation.
The sugar situation has again become
critical, and the holders Of long stock show
a pronounced willingness to Hquidate on
every advance pending some settlement Of
the threatened diplomatic complications
with spain The management Is openly
quoted as believing in lower prices as q
result OF the above condition. which is per-
maps an argument against short selling for
the present.
Distillers was barely steady on a decreas-
ed volume of business, as compared with
yesterday, and the balance of the list made
little change from initial prices.
The last hours trading was as uninter-
esting as Its predecessors. spasmodic and
featureless transactions serving to pro-
long proiitless session. New York Gen.
trail was marked up to par during this
period and in sympathy with this advance
for which the dividend was responsible
the general list rallied from the low level
of midday
While no accurate estimate can be given,
IT is generally believed among bankers
that considerable gold will go abroad by
Saturdays steamers. Obligations maturing
at the first of the year will be mainly re-
sponsible for the outflow. The bears will
likely use this knowledge as a depressing
influence on stock values, although the
movement at this time is quite natural,
and should Cause no uneasiness, unless IL
assumes abnormal proportions, which 10
not likely.