Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-02-25
Dun.s COMMERCIAL REVIEW

4
| a More Hopeful View than Since Early In
acknowledgements Increase In Iron
steel, Covering Eight TO Twelve Mon357e
Production o. the Largest Works-Eets
ter Prices for Wheat Cotton, Wool and
Iron, Etc.
New York, Feb. 2O.-R. G. Dun & Co.
say to-day in their weekly review OF
trade:
A large increase in iron and steel
business on account of sales covering
to u months production of the larg-
es. works, a better demand for wooden
goods and slightly better prices for
wheat, cotton, wool and iron, and .
money market well adapted to en-.
courage liberal purchases against flu
ture improvement in business, have
rendered the past week more hopeful
than any other since early in Novem-
Der. The heavy excess of merchan-
disc exports over imports in January,
the continuance of exchange rates
showing that Europe is still largely
indebted TO this country on current
account, and the prospect that con-
gress viii adjourn without any dis
turbing action, all have their favor
able influence upon the money market
and upon future undertakings.
In nearly every branch the great
iron and steel industry feels the up-
ward impulse supplied by purchases
of steel rails, said to have been 500, 900
tons each from the Illinois Steel Co.
and from the Carnegie company, be-
sides some from other companies, in
part as low as SIS per ton, about io0,.
900 to foreign purchasers at $40 10 SIS,
but all recent sales at SEQ at eastern
and sci at western mills. Nearly all
the great railroads of the country
have seized the opportunity to supply
themselves with rails for one or two
years, requirements. These enor-
mer pig at Pittsburgh only Is
cents per ton; with gray forge q
shade lower there and no considerable
change appears In finished products,
although plates are unchanged in
price with good demand, and nails are
held at recent prices The bar asso-
citation no longer controls anything,
and iron bars are quoted at 81. O5 per
100 pounds, while steel bars are quoted
at IS cents per 100 pounds. Struc.
tural forms are steady, although 100,
900 to 10000 tons are said to be re.
CURED in New York this year, and
American tin plates are selling at
$500, which is 20 cents less than the
price for foreign.
The sales of woods have sharply de-
clined. amounting to 7,40o, 800 pounds
for the week, against 9,l57, 200 for the
previous week, but owing to the heavy
transactions early in the month,
sales for shree weeks have been 90.
100, 300 pounds, against la,16s, roo
pounds last year. The larger mills
have acquired full supplies for the
present, and at an advance of prices
they appear ready to drop out of the
market The demand for wooden
goods does not seem to have expanded
materially, and no quotable change in
prices has appeared during the week.
The heavy exports in January, fol.
lowing the unprecedented excess of
exports over imports of merchandise
in the previous four months, are
largely due to the fact that neither
the wheat nor the cotton markets had
been materially controlled by specula-
tion. Wheat dropped to s0.74 cents,
but rose to SO. IS cents, ON con-
viction that the recent prices have
been low enough. The Atlantic ex.
ports, -four included, were only 1885,
375 bushels for the week, against
/, $4,000 last year, but for three
weeks have been 5,09o,471 bushels,
against 5,44s,429 last year. The
western receipts are still small, for
the week, only l,5o7,s45 bushels,
against 2,415, 55s last year, and for the
past three weeks only 1859, 240 bush
els, against s,3ss,77 last year Mean.
while the western receipts of corn
have been we'll nigh double last years,
and for three weeks the Atlantic ex-
ports have been 6,317,214 bushels,
against 3, 234, 800 last year.
Figures at this season do not count
for much in cotton, though large sup
plies and diminishing domestic de-
mand on account of the partial clos
Ing of many mills have materially in
the market
The volume of business is not accu-
rately represented by clearinghouse
exchanges, owing to the extra holt
lay this year at some commercial GEN.
ters. The daily average appears to be
"a per cent. smaller than last year.
The railroad earnings begin to show
being OF per cent.
arger than last year for the second
week of February.
Failures for the past week have
been 3oa in the United States, against
80 last year; and So in Canada, against
So last year.