The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-15
REVIEW OF THE
WEEKS TRADE.
Volume Of Business Large, Though
Profits are Still Small.
WHEAT BUSINESS MORE ACTIVE.
Prices arc Better and Receipts Much
Larger Than Last Year-Corn Also
il Highcr-Cotton and Cotton
Goods Lower-Iron and Steel.

NEW YORK, oct. li-R. c. Dunn e
Co.'S weekly Review OF Trade Will to-
morrow say:
With actual payments through clearing
houses 1872 per cent. larger than in the
same week OF 1892 10 cannot be said that
business is 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 a narrower margin OF
profit than In any other time OF fair
prosperity. There IS a great change and
perhaps a permanent one in the percent
age Of profits derivable from trade and
manufacture as well as IN the profits Oh
tainabie by transpOrters. Progressive
civilization calls for a lower range OF
profits and Of prices as the volume OF
business transacted increases in order 10
make possible Improvement in the condi-
ton OF the working millions
WHEAT MORE ACTIVE.
Wheat business is more active, with
prices about cents higher for spot and
nearly cents for the December option.
Very heavy purchases have been made
within the past few days not as yet re-
nected in the official record OF shipments.
bur the exports from both coasts. -four
Included have been 4l0l.710 bushels
against 4,sSGOl5 for the same week last
year
10 is especially interesting that In spite
of the general disposition Of farmers 20
hold back their wheat. the western re-
coipts have been for the week much
larger than last year and for two weeks.
90 go. 495 bushels against 1885 554 last
year While l,tle attention is now paid
10 the official reports they seem 10 fore
shadow larger return for the crop than
has been made in any previous year
The price Of corn has advanced about
2 cents though the receipts are just now
larger than a year ago.
THE COTTON TRADE.
The price OF spot cotton Is a sixteenth
lower than a week ago, and the January
option has also lost a few points. while
there g. weaker market Tor goods.
This Is partly due 20 the official admis-
sion That the prices of print cloths-now
1-lG below . cents-cannot be sustained
without a selling agency which is now
proposed.
Although the production at Fall River
| Is in excess OF demand. the difficulty in
prices is probably moro largely due %
| the belief that a big yield of cotton must
reduce the price of tho material While
| some woollen mills have started opera
| tions during the week quite as many
! have stopped.
Although wool IS about Is per cent.
| lower than IL was February 1st. the
! manufacturers are not buying and the
! market is remarkably dull with sales
| during the past two weeks $500.
pounds az the three chief markets
! & 1rr BID fu
| 1896. and 12.103S00 I'm 1902
IRON AND STEEL.
The general feeling is that the price
Of the material must decline before tho
manufacturer can much increase it'
sales. orders for goods have been a little
! better and n few mills have resumed
| operations, but there is as yet no sucl
! demand as Is necessary to sustain current
prices Of wool. The iron manufacturers
| reports a small gain I'm weekly OUTPUT
2l5,63j tons against 213oi3 a month ago
/ and with the decrease I'm quantity of un
sold stocks on hand outside the grea
steel companies. the apparent cOnsump
| ton FOR the month of September wa.
! S>3. so tons against 9SO503 I'm August.
There are quite heavy Eastern orders
| for foundry iron. fully supporting prices
! and at Chicago prices OF local iron arr
| strong. with loss disposition 10 sell South
| crn pig al reduced quotations.
HEAVY DEMAND FOR PLATES
The orders for finished products Include
! q very heavy demand for plates. espc
1 cially for ship plates. several Of consid
/ cradle magnitude for structural works
| covering about 1900 tons. and an unusu
| ally heavy demand for bars, especially
on account Of orders for car works. al
| though there has been an expectation %
| "a biz break I'm prices Of cotton ties.
In pipes pittsburg has been able u
| place orders for thirty miles ten-incl
| pipe. and other orders for one hundro
miles are practically closed.
Failures for the week We're 20J In III
United States against 222 last year ant
- in Canada. against IS last year