The Indianapolis journal., 1895-12-21
CONDITION OF TRADE
THE WAR SCARE NOT FELT A. MUCH
AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED.
Dun & Co. and Bradstreet, I'm Their
Weekly Reports, Call Attention
to Certain Changes.

NEW YORK, Dec Or. @. Dun & Co.
weekly review Of trade, which issues to-
morrow. Will say: The strong Americanism
OF the Presidents message has given its
character to the week Popular feeling was
profoundly moved, but excepting in stock
and cotton markets business was remark
ably dull and scarcely affected. Selling of
securities held abroad was a natural first
impulse. though the sellers are not unlikely
in time to discover that no other securities
are safer from International complications
than the American. Coming at time when
nearly all produce markets are inactive
and industriais unusually dull. the disturb
ance has affected values much less than
might have been expected.
Not because OF any foreign question, but
solely because Of influences which have been
in continuous operation for months, prices
OF manufactured goods continued to de-
cline. There is no great change in boots
and shoes. and in some branches the de-
mand appears a little better, though gradu-
ally lower prices are offered, and lead job
bers to look for prices still lower. Ship
ments from the East are an eighth smaller
than last week, but per cent. larger for
averaging per cent. lower for the week,
though hides at Chicago are scarce and
about per cent. higher. Prices OF iron
and steel have fallen about 8 per cent for
the week. and are now 8 per cent. below
their maximum, Bessemer pig and grey
forge and most kinds Of finished products
having yielded more or less. Purchases
by the great steel companies, it is now evil
dent, were much in excess Of their actual
consumption, and 1t is believed that some
furnaces will have to suspend production,
as the demand for manufactured products
is too small to support the output, esti-
mated for the year at sa75, ,sss tons by the
Pittsburg American Manufacturer. Minor
metals are weaker, copper being offered at
1oc net. The American production in No
vember was $3.50 tons, and the foreign .72S
tons. Lead Is weak at S.2oc, and tin. after
rise In options. is selling at 13.75c.
There is no change of Importance In the
market for cotton goods, which is not ac-
tive enough to prevent some accumulation.
Print cloths are shade weaker. The mar
ket for woolen goods has not improved.
scarcely any except clay mixtures and a
few fancy cassimeres selling at better than
haste to contract largely, owing to uncer-
tainty as to foreign prices. New orders for
the heavyweight goods are more delayed
than usual and remarkably small. Sales
OF wool are mainly confined to immediate
needs of manufacturers, who are Duyine
little ahead, and for three weeks OF Decem-
s905,10o pounds were foreign, against
16,504100 pounds In the same week of 1892
of which .1o4.5o0 pounds were foreign. The
imports OF wooden goods continue very
large, though smaller than a month ago.
1t sounds strange to hear the many COM
plants of slow collections and scarcity
Of money at the West on account OF the
tardy movement OF products from the
farms, when Western wheat receipts In
three weeks have been 1S.615. .4B bu. against
9,f56,324 bu last year, while Atlantic ex-
ports, -four included, are only 5,S12337 ou
against 6.45S. 100 bu last year. The movement
Of cotton continues comparatively small
There was q shade OF advance in the price
until foreign questions disturbed the mar
ket, but IL closed with &c decline.
Failures for the week have been 377 In
the United States, against 3f9 last year, and
thirty-two In Canada. against thirty-six last
year.