Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-01
A GREATER VOLUME OF BUSINESS.
An Advance of 2o.4 Pcr Cent-Foreign
Comparisons Misleadtng.

New York. Aug. 2S.--R. G. DUN & Co.'S.
weekly review of trade tomorrow will
say:
The volume of business reflected in ex.
changes at the principal clearing houses
Is N.+ per cent larger than last year Part
of this increase was due to speculation at
New York. but there remains II healthy
increase over the best of previous years,
and though in some branches business Is
not satisfactory in character in nearly all
it is in volume larger than ever before.
No unfavorabc change appears in the
prospect of crops upon which the welfare
Of the country so largely depends, nor is
there present or threatening financial dis
turhanCe.
Comparisons as to foreign trade are
apt TO misleld because imports last year
were extraordinarily small after the big
rush To anticipate now duties. while ex-
ports were beginning to show the phenom-
email demand which made the year quite
the most remarkable in our history.
Hence the decrease of 10 per cent from
New York in August thus far is not
alarming. but sales of products yet to be
forwarded are large, and have stopped
any advance in the current rates of for
eign exchange.
Wheat goes down three cents for tho
week, az IL there We're no foreign demand
coming the obvious concert of farmers 10
h''P btt'h NHNtl, me crop DclnE cpltdlnIy
very large tending to encourage q con-
spiracy OF traders against them which
thus far has entire control of the market.
Atlantic exports for the week have been
2,ISl .1ai bushels against 1855. 1863 last year
and for four weeks of August IS, lcl. 019
bushels against Is 1887 G3S last year while
Pacific exports 2A,2S9 bushels for tho
week against TO,Sl9 last year, have been
for the month l,S6S7s4 against 1.405, 1888 las,
year
rho output OF iron and steel no longer
measures the demand. and the stipulated
stoppage OF furnaces in the Shenango and
Mahoning valleys has raised the price OF
Bessemer pig a, Plttsburg to 5000, and
OF Grey forge to 1925, without any Ger.
tainty whatever that such prices can b,
maintained when tho valley furnaces re.
sumo operations, as come of them are now
doing. The natural result is that tn,
flttshurg region is by SO much the less
able 10 compete with the great Illinois
combination just formed, which is GETTING
all the business they can do and promises
10 turn out iron at less cost than am
other works in the country. At all points
hurs promise Il larger output than evel
before, and structural forms aud plate.
are in heavy demand. while the tin plat,
producers have found themselves obligec
10 advance prices about ten cents per box
and the sales are said TO be very heavy.
While leather is quite stiff, nutwith.
standing extremely light purchases b,
manufacturers, hides yield little at Chi
!cdgo' The probable reduction in manu-
facturc by the print cloth works, expect
ed tn reach one million spindles shortly
docs not disturb the market for stapl,
brown and oleached goods which Is un
changed, the auction sale of 5000 piece
of dress goods by the Arlington mills
closes the week with some dlsheartenmen
In that industry, but perhaps gives IL
chance to start on a flrmer foundation