Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-03-20
ALL WAITING THE RULE
Large Hope, but Little Actual
N Business Done.
TRADE SITUATION UNCHANGED
The Prices OF Materials Vary Consider.
ably it'll the Prices OF Fin
ishcd Products.

New York, March 13.--R. G. Dun g.
! Company's Weekly Review of Trade,
which issues tomorrow, VIII say:
waiting Is still the rule. Large hope
but little actual business, explains the
strength of some markets and the weak
ness of others The feeling that the
spring of 1896 ought to bring larger
business will not suffice to meet the ex-
! penses all the season IL the larger bust
| ness does not come. 1t Is especially note
| worthy that prices Of materials have va
rled quite differently from prices of man.
ufactured products, although in most
cases the advance last fall was COM
menced by an extraordinary uplifting of
prices for materials. Thus cotton Is 300
per cent higher than a year ago, but
cotton goods average onyl 1917 per cent.
Wool Is but 5.3 per cent higher than
year ago, but wooden goods are on the
whole about 4 per cent lower. Pig iron
is only IL per cent higher than a year
ago. while finished products of iron and
steel average IS per cent higher. These
comparisons are important because they
disclose something of the grave disloca-
ton of prices which inadequate con-
sumption and combinations have pro-
duced. The output of pig iron March l
was 1858 tons weekly, against 1876, 500
February 1. but the unsold stocks have
risen 69,764 tons during the past month,
or 17,441 weekly, and the unsold stocks
| Of the great steel companies are not
| included.
There is reason to believe that actu-
al consumption is still at least 10 per
cent smaller than the production of
| MI Nd he 80 a. tss-
burg has again declined slightly, to
s12.25, with exceptionally large sales
| even below that figure. Prices of finish
| ed products are not quotably lower, al
though all markets are weak In tone.
| The industry is waiting for larger de-
mand, which yet 1t Is hoped may come
soon to clear away the accommodations
of surplus stock.
"Of the minor metals. copper is in
moderate demand at $11.5O and there is
a movement in tin at $3.50, while lead
is slightly weaker at s315. Tin plates
are weak in part because of little de-
mand, but American Bessemer I. c. lax
20, full weight. are quoted at $3.50,
| against $3.50 for similar foreign brands.
| Aluminium rolling ingots are offered at
six cents per pound in ton lots. the har-
| Messing of Niagara having already re-
| duced the cost of this metal for the
world.
1.-The sales of wool at the three chief
| markets are the smallest in five years,
and for two weeks have been only g.
| 6SS,900 pounds. of which 3,396,300 We're
domestic, against 941, 500 last year, of
| which 100000 were domestic and H.
017,676 in 1892. of which S,369,429 were
| domestic. The prices are still main
| tanned, with increase in Australia sup
| plies.
| THE market for wheat Is weaker. with
no better reason than that the govern
| ment report of wheat In farmers hands,
which Is altogether out of keeping with
| the government estimate a year ago,
and yesterday is probably more nearly
correct.
1.-THE failures for the week have been
2,911 ,775 against 81 ,69S, 052 last year. and
| 50 PIG, 292 in 1894"
| Weekly Bank Clearances.
| New York, March 1S.-The following
| table. compiled by Bradstreet's, shows
| the total clearances at the principal
| cities and the percentage of increase or
| decrease as compared with the cores
| ponding week of last year: