The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-15
WEEKLY REVIEW OF TRADE.
Dun's and Bradstreet's Reports Oh
the Condition Of Trade.
MARGINS OF PROFITS ARE NARROW.
business I'm Cotton and Wool Manu-
features Very Dull and Plants
Are shutting Down.
MARGINS OF PROFITS ARE MARROW

New York October 1i.-R. G.. Dun & Co. s
weekly review OF trade will say tomorrow:
with actual payments through clearing
houses 10 s. per cent larger than in the same
week OF 1892, It can not be said that business
IL in any sense falling off and yet many are
complaining because the amount realized as
profit is smaller than was formerly realized
In good times. In almost every branch of
business. trade Is now transacted on mar
rover margin Of profit than in any other time
of fair prosperity. There is great change,
and perhaps permanent one, in the percent
age OF profits derigable from trade and manu-
facturc, as well as in the profits of trans
porters.
Progressive civilization calls for lower
range Of profits and of prices as the volume of
business increases in order to make possible
improvement in the condition OF the working
millions.
Wheat business Is mere active. with prices
about 2 cents higher for SPOT and nearly 3
cents for the December option. Very heavy
purchases have been maze within the past
lew days, not as yet reflected in the official
record OF shipments, but the exports from
both coasts. flour Included. have been 4,l0l 40
bushels, against i.Ss60l5 for the same week
last year. 1t Is especially interesting that In
spite Of the general disposition of farmers to
have been for the week much larger than last
year, aud for two weeks 2,790, i95 bushels
against i6,6s6.554 last year.
While little attention Is now paid to the
official reports, they seem TO foreshadow n
larger return for the crop than has been made
III any previous year. The price of corn has
advanced about cents, though the receipts
are just now larger than a year ago
The price of spot cotton is 1-l6c lower than
a week ago. and tho January option has also
lost few points, while there is weaker
market FOR goods.
This is partly due to the official admission
that the prices of print cloths. now a six
teenth below cents, can not be sustained
without selling agency. which is now pro-
posed Although the production at Fall River
Is In excess OF the demand. the difference in
price Is probably more largely due to the
belief that big yield OF cotton must reduce
the price of tine material.
While some wooden mills have started ope,-
atoms during the week. quite as many have
stopped. Although wool is about 10 per cent
facturers are not buying and the market is
remarkably dull. with sales during the pa St
two weeks OF only 6l79,700 pounds at the
three chief markets against "a 33l 400 last
1872. The general feeling Is that the price
Of tire material must decline before the man
ufacturers can much Increase their sales. Or
dCrs for goods have been a little better and
few mills have resumed operations. but
there is not such demand as is necessary to
sustain current prices OF wool.
The iron manufacture again reports a small
Increase In weekly output, 2i5635 tons
against 2l3,04S a month ago, and with the
decrease In quantity OF unsold stocks on hand
outside the great steel Industries. the appar-
emit consumption for the month of Sent ambcr
was 9S5904 tons. against 9SO,00o in August.
Failures for the week 205 in the United
States, against 223 last year