The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-05-22
puN,s COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

L cpcCui8tOEs ENJOY an ADVANCE In oohO
Products, While Others Reach Lower
Figures-Present Conditions Only Tenn
porary. Yet They Tend to Prevent I'm
mediate Improvement in General Trade
and Hinder Investment.
New YORK, May 15.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade to-day
Says: =
Spectators have enjoyed an advance
in wheat, corn, cotton and some other
products, though obliged to sell wool
and sugar at lower figures in order to
realize. Stocks have advanced seven
cents per 500 and trust stocks lost So
cents, without enough demand to con-
stitute a market. Imports of mer-
chandise, SIS, $50, OILS for the week
for New York alone r "a
per cent. larger than a year
ago, making the increase AZ per cent.
for the past week, and have affected
the exchange markets and helped fur
Their shipments of gold, which mount
for the week to 81, $50, 900. but are prac-
tically balanced by receipts from the
interior and cause no serious apprehen-
sion of financial disturbance. Men
feel that present conditions are only
temporary, although they tend to pre-
vent immediate improvement in gen.
eral trade and hinder immediate in
vestments.
The government reports estimate the
cotton acreage at six per cent. less than
last year, and this is considered en-
couraging, because so slight a decrease
from the floods may easily be made
up. Prices have advanced an eighth
or Liverpool speculation, with moth
ing here to warrant the rise.
The winter wheat report, which is
supposed to indicate a yield of 297, 000,-
900 bushels, is contrasted with state
reports much better or much worse,
but is distrusted mainly because all de-
partment estimates of acreage for years
have been wildly roneou Western
receipts continue larger than last year,
2, 109, 1913 bushels, against 1,S70,S67 a
year ago, and Atlantic exports also in
crease, for two weeks of May, amount
ing to 8, LOG, 9O9 bushels, flour included,
against 2,OS5, Ala last year. Exports of
corn are still large, $500, O55 bushels
for two weeks, against 1904, 1S1 last
year, and in part account for the
smaller demand for wheat.
The output of pig iron for the week
ending May1 was ITO, 52S tons, against
173,279 April 1 and the stock unsold,
exclusive of those held by the great
steel-making companies, increased only
S,S0S, 600 tons. Several furnaces,
especially those producing foundry
iron, have stopped production for the
month, but no important changes ap-
pear in pig iron, which is quoted at
Ss.25 for gray forge and Pittsburgh, and
S9.25 for Bessemer and S12 for No. 1 at
New York, though only S10.25 is asked
for southern.
Reduced southern freights here have
not altered the market materially, and
at Chicago also the local prices have
been reduced. The demand for fin
ished products is below the capacity of
works in operation; the award of the
contract for the Montreal bridge,
which is said to be at 80 cents for beams
and consumers, has occasioned trouble
in the beam association and there are
reports hat it has dissolved.
Angles are quoted at 95 cents per 100
pounds, a shade lower, and steel plates
are quoted lower here than at Phila-
delphia-
Copper is active, with sales of lake
at 10. IS, and tin plates are quoted ten
below prices fixed by the association
and five cents below prices of some
grades of foreign plates.
Nothing new a be said of the cot
ton manufacture, which still lacks de-
mand enough to lift prices of cloths
from below the lowest point ever
known.
In general products prices are about
moderate. Wooden goods are doing
better than for weeks past, and yet
there is not enough demand to create
enthusiasm or to raise prices, while
there is great uncertainty regarding
the future of the market. Sales of
wool have sharply decreased.
Failures for the week were 264 in the
United States against 224last year, and
81 in Canada against SO last year.