The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-26
DUN'S REVIEW.
Trade Apparently Unaffected by War
Preparations aud RumOTs.
All Records Surpassed.

New York, March 25-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade will say
tomorrow:
waiting state of things always him
ders business to some extent with
more than $34,OO0,OOO in gold received
or on it's way since this movement be-
gan, with ample bank reserves and
treasury reserves rising, and a redemp-
tion of notes in all ways nearly third
smaller than in February to date with
no stringency in the money market and
sterling exchange weak, with the vol
ume of business at clearing houses out
side New York larger than in 1892 by
SO per cent. this month and with fail
ures nearly 80 per cent. smaller than
last year, and - per cent smaller than
in the same month of 1892, there is not
much visible ground for panic, even if
earnest efforts should fail to keep peace
with honor. Warlike reports come
every day and stock operators make
the most of them and yet the average
of prices of railroad stocks is $3.50
against $500 two weeks ago today.
Nor have industrial operations been
perceptibly affected except where eX-
traordinary buying for some weeks
past has made necessary a pause for
| breath, so to speak, or where unnatural
prices had caused halt before the de-
struction of the Maine Some decrease
| in new engagements would be expected
with war apparently near, but as yet
scarcely any indication of decrease for
that reason is seen.
1t is difficult to take dismal views
when the nation is SURPRISING all rec
ords in marketing products. Atlantic
exports of wheat for the week have
| been 2,160,S26 bushels against 1,272, ,2S6
last year, and in four weeks 1902 5l4
bushels, flour included, against 5,1O3,-
427 last year The price has declined
27s cents, but the heavy shipments and
contracts for export are having a COM
petent influence.
Corn has declined only a small frac-
| ton, with exports not a sixth lower
| than a year ago to date. Cotton has
| fallen a sixteenth in spite of large eX-
/ ports, because sales Of fertilizers and
other evidences indicate that curtail-
ment of acreage this year will be less
than was expected. Domestic exports
! from New York in two weeks have
| been $9,10S, 600 or SIS per cent. larger
| than last year while imports have
! been scarcely larger, foreshadowing
| exports again exceeding $780, 600, 900 for
| the month ale $24, ,OOO, 600 over imports.
| In such conditions no stringency in
money is needed to bring money hther.
Sales of wool have been only II AL =
! 600 pounds in three weeks at the three
! chief markets, against 1905 800 last
| year, and prices are yielding. with sales
! of old wool half to one cent below cur
| rent quotations for clothing, aid no
! indication that manufacturers are near
! ing the end of their stocks.
The iron and steel industry is more
| fully employed than ever before in it's
| history, and although production Of
| Bessemer pig is beyond all precedent
| the price advances and billets are still
| bought in open market by some of the
/ largest producers. Other pig is steady
in price, and no decline appears in fin
| ished products excepting steel plates at
| the east, but for these the demand at
| Chicago is enormous, as for cars and
| agricultural implement materials. pend
| ing orders for cars covering 500 to 2 900
| each. The structural demand during
| the first quarter has been so per cent
! larger than in the same quarter of any
! previous year. it is said, and the de-
mand for pipe is swelled by pending
contracts for 1876 miles. Minor metals
| are comparatively quiet, tin at l4.3
cents, lake copper at II cents, lead
firmer at 3.76 and nickel in heavy de-
mand at "a cents.
| Failures for the week have been PSI
in the United States against 29l last
| year and p in Canada against so last
| year.