Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-01
ouN's COMMERCIAL REPORT


Adverse Conditions HIiIitatiHg Against Re.
sumption OF Business Have Failed ts
Check an Increase Which, Though Grad.
ual and Conservative, is, on the Whole.
Constant and Eneouraging-WeeklyR Re-
view of the Various Observation-Disclosures.
NEW YORK. March 27.-R. G. DUN &
Co., say to-day in their review of trade:
Markets have sustained such surprise
as they have received of late with little
loss. Foreign conditions and London
alarms, the collapse of the iron ore
combination, the destructive floods in
the Mississippi valley and the decision
Of the supreme court against railway
associations have been used to the ut
most. but not even in railroad stocks
has the result been important With
confidence that better times and larger
business are coming men are less dis
posed every day to throw away good
investments, and the very fact that
prices of products are now low is re-
garded as a guarantee against much
further decline. In all industries, also,
the number of mills and shops and
hands at work gradually increases.
The railroads have been subjected to
SO much loss of late by cutting of rates,
in spite of all associations, that the pos
sibility of open and unrestricted COM
petition, instead of agreements which
restrict only the more honest, may
well have also been influenced. The
earnings for March thus far, only four
per cent. below last years, compare
not unfavorab1y with the full returns
for February, seven per cent below
last years
The grain markets have lost, with
out reason, the gain they made with
out reason the previous week. Wheat
supplies are running out, but nobody
believes that there is coming famine
before June, when the harvesting OF
southern wheat will begin. Western
receipts were over a third smaller than
last year, and for four weeks have beer
1911, 40 bushels, against Il, SS4, POS last
year, but the better prospect for the
crop of winter wheat has more weight.
Atlantic exports, -four included, were
nearly as large for the week as last
year, and for four weeks have been
5000, 72S bushels, against $500, 220 last
year. But corn exports have been H..
1884, 79 bushels, against 4,577,6 09 last
year. When Europe buys in corn the
equivalent of 6, 400, 900 bushels of wheat
at less than so cents, the price of wheat
is not easily advanced above so cents.
Cotton was helped upward an eighth
by the floor, but has lost half the gain,
although manufacturing is more hope
full. Without change in prices goods
were in better demand, and sales OF
500. 900 pieces print cloths result il
stronger tone.
The final dissolution of the Lake iro1
ore pool has been expected ever since
the Carnegie-Rockefelle deal, and in
sures low prices for ore the coming
year, though perhaps not lower than
in 1895. Mesaba facilities for produc.
ton have vastly increased, and all the
great steelmaking concerns have Sc
cured mines of their own, while means
of transportation have greatly en-
larged. With assurances of cheap ore
hesitation about various products
should diminish, and the de-
mand is steadily increasing. Bars
are still demoralized and at the
lowest point, but for plates
sheets, wire rods and wire, aud all
nails, the demand is growing larger.
The demand for rails continues enough
to strengthen prices, although some
speculative purchases are offered be-
low the present price of mills.
Tin is shade lower, with larger ar
rivals, though the distribution has been
considerable, and lead is decidedly
stronger at 3.47, but copper is weak at
11.75. Increase in coke production ap-
pears, and more is assured by the pur-
chase of works BY the Cambria COM
pany, and while quotations are I'M
changed, outsiders are offering furnace
at 1.7O per ton.
Speculation in wool has recorded
arger sales for four weeks than ever
before, 1906, 800 pounds, against FL
9S4, $40 in the same weeks of 1892.
Much more than half is for specula-
ton. as nothing like the full capacity
of mills is employed. Americans have
also bought largely at London, 10000
bales already, it is said, where the
market is excited and had advanced 10
to Is per cent. With heavy supplies
here, these large imports and new wool
coming in May, there may be found
overloaded dealers. Prices here are
still advancing and many kinds have
risen two to three cents during the
past month. The wool manufacture Is
steadily increasing, but cautiously, as
it is too early to anticipate results
from changes which may be made in
duties.
Failures for the week have been 291
in the United States, against 259 last
year. and 30 in Canada, against SO last |
wear.