Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-12-03
DuN.s COMMERCIAL REVIEW.


The Phenomenal increase In Business
Since the Elections Is Reasonably Well
Sustained, Notwaehstandtng Combina-
s.ons lnd High Prices In Iron aud Boots
sud shoes Retard OrdeEs-aEoney Coming
Forward.
NEW YORK, Nov. 2s-R. G. Dun 8
Co say to-day in their weekly review
OF trade:
When the rush of orders after the
election slackened. many began to
think business dwindling. But subsi-
denee of deferred orders Is not de-
crease in business Disappointment is
observed in the iron and steel indus.
tries, because various combinations
have been and are still retarding or
ders by prices which buyers believe
cannot be main tanned, and the same is
true in boots and shoes and in a few
branches OF textile goods. But bush
ness is on, the whole, charging, and
the employment of many more hands
will extend purchasing power. The
settlement of the window glass con-
troversy. starting many thousand
hands, and the collapse of some inn
portant iron combinations, with the
same effect, give promise OF more bust
ness. Broadly speaking, the gain has
been greater than any body expected,
and it is not surprising if a small part
of it is in excess of the present con.
Stunning demand.
Reports from all parts of the coun-
try show clearly the enlargement OF
trade, not at all points in the same
branches, but everybody helped by a
more confident feeling. Monetary
difficulties have vanished as if by
magic and banks with an uncomforta-
bly, large supply of idle money are
hunting borrowers, as the borrowers
We're recently hunting lenders. Enor-
nous gains in bank deposits-S37, 900,
900 in two weeks-indicate something
of the amount of funds recently hoard
ed
Wheat has risen over six cents'for the
week without material change in for
eign advices, which have been, on the
whole, less stimulating. Corn has
sympathized with wheat only little
and is coming forward freely. The
important factor in the wheat market
is that the visible supplies do not gain
as much as has been expected.
Cotton has gained only sixteenth
after its considerable decline, and the
remarkably heavy movement puts tn
spectators for an advance in constant
difficulties, and yet there is all the
time to be remembered the fact that
the crop was nearly one month earlier
than usual, and the present excess
over last years movement may be ma
terially reduced hereafter. Never
theless the fact appears that northern
mills are taking much less cotton than
in previous years, and the demand for
goods is evidently disappointing. It
cannot be said that prices in this de-
partment are the hindrance, for even
with some recent reduction in quo
tations the sales OF staple cottons are
comparatively small.
Wool was and is still bought largel y
for speculation and earlier purchasers
are unloading, but the mills are not
yet doing much more than in October.
A few more have been started. but
there is scarcely more demand appar-
ent for staple goods. The boot and
shoe industry is still hindered by the
general refusal of dealers to pay the
advanced prices demanded by manu-.
facturers, except for the limited guam
titles which are Immediately required,
and while most manufacturers are
working on orders taken weeks ago
at lower prices, which will keep them
busy for some weeks to come, very
little new business is coming.
No further advance of Importance
has been made in leather, and the
market for hides has sharply reacted.
so that the average of prices is
slightly lower than November IL.
The collapse of the nail combinat ion
and probably of the beam combina-
ton and considerable reduction in
quotations for nails and beams, give
reason to look for larger demand for
products of iron and steel. but at pres.
ent the sales against speculative pur.
chases made some time ago are depress-
ing prices, and Bessemer pig has sold
at 1925, and according to some reports
little lower, at Pittsburgh. The de-
mand for such products as are not
controlled by the combinations is some
what increasing, but by no means as
| rapidly as expected. In minor metals
tin is scarcely as strong as it was a
week ago, but copper and lead are
stronger.
Failures for the week have been 3Ot
in the United States, against 279 last
| year and IS in Canada against AZ last
year.