The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-02
BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
No General Change as Yet for
the Better.
SOME GAINS NOTED IN THE WEST.

Want of Demand for Products OF Grent
Industries stiii Retaris Actual Improve
ment-wheat Takes AN Upward Flight
! with Rumors of Fore gn Supplies as the
Only Basis-tfeavy Orders for Iron--Mar-
ket for Textile Goods disappointing.
New YORK. Mar 2--R. g. Dun s. Co q
Weekly Review of Trade says: In some
quarters business gains are noted in the
west rather than at the east but there is
no general change for the better, al.
though hopcfulness still predominatcs.
The want Of sufficient demand for tho
products of great industries still retards
actual improvement. Strikes of some
Importance in garment making and kim
dred lines affect trade in Chicago and
Baltimore, but there are fewer labor diff
eulties than usual as existing conditions
warn wage-earners that controversies at
this time are unwlsc.
Advance in Price of Wheat.
Wheat has taken an upward flight, adj
vancing 34 cents for cash and 29s cents
for May, with rumors Of foreign supplies
as the only basis. Estimates of wheat in
farmers hands are lower than last year
but still indicate with visible stocks n
supply much beyond probable needs.
Western receipts have been 2,35l,373
bushels, as against 1,699, 75D last year, and
for four weeks of February 1000, IA.
against 4, 9l0, 4i6 last year. In the pres
ence of such receipts Atlantic exports OF
70i3.5 bushels. -four included, against
6OJ6,2lS for the same weeks last year,
have no real weight but n larger move
ment hereafter is expected. Cotton has
been weaker. with only fair receipts, tho
important decline in goods having much
influence The price OF middling uplands
has declined sixteenth. and preparation
for n large increase of acreage is still re-
ported
Disappointing Market.
The market for textile goods Is disap-
pointing Material reductions in cottons
have not brought out the needed demand,
and the further decline in brown Sheet
ings this week to 4A cents corresponds
with reports that mills of some impor-
tance may prefer to arrest production for
a time unless the demand improves. 1t is
not TO be forgotten that the mills are get
ting an average of about 6 per cent. more
for goods than n year ago. while paying %
per cent. more for cotton. Woolen mills
are receiving considerable orders for spring
goods, but business for tho future does
not mend. Clay worsteds are again a
shade lower. The range for all woolens
is scarcely per cent higher than year
ago, although wool is more than per
cent. higher, and "a good many mills are
closing or reducing time. Prices arc still
unchanged, ms the demands of foreign
manufacturers for the American market
| kept prices up abroad.
Heavy Orders for Iron.
The feature in iron mas been the large
| demand for wrought and cast pipe, 2OJ
miles of wrought having been taken for
| the Standard Oil company and some for
other companies, with $50 miles wanted
| for Russia, while New York contracts for
| 1000 tons cast pipe have been placed at
| the lowest prices ever known, Sl1oo 70
| Sl7b5 per ton. Large orders for structur'
| al work are received lt Chicago and ex'
pccted ut tho east, rs building plans are
| unusually large. but sheets sell slowly
and rails very little, though bar is fairly
active with many orders for cars. Iron
| quotations average Der cent. lower FOL
| the week because of tfs dropin Bcssemei
| at Pittsburg to Sl2, 90 and In gray forge tc
| sl0.75. Failures for the week have been
| 27S in the United States, against 2o) last
| year, and fifty.eight IA Canada against
| thrty.eight last year.