The age-herald., 1898-12-17
The Iron Market. la5 Birmingham, Dec. 16.-The following are 4l.a ntat iron.
Visible Supply


 New Orleans, December 16.-Secretary Hesters statement of the worlds visible supply of cotton made up from special ca ble and telegraphic advices compares the figures of this week with last week, last year and in 1894, the latter the sSol,OO crop year. It shows an increase for the week just closed of 197.27O bales, against an in- crease of 215, 1858 last year and an increase of 165,534 in 1894.
 The total visible is 4,s02,7 7O5 against 470o, 4Ss last week; 4,072O62 last year and 4,564o6o III 1894 Of this the total of American cotton is 4.67Z 70S against 4,486 438 last week, 3,S4l,- e62 last year and 4,240,366 in 1894 and of all other kinds including Egypt, Brazil, india etc 225 900 against 219, 900 last week, z3l ,Ooo last year and S2l,2OO in 1894.
 The total worlds visible supply of cotton shows an increase compared with last week of 197, ,270 bales an increased compared "i'n last year of S30, ,646 and an increase compared with 1894 of 338, ,142
 The movement since September l shows receipts at all United States ports to pe 51O0, ,696 bales against ASIA l25 bales last year 433O, ,454 bales year before last and 4,596OlS hales for the same time in 1894; overland across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac rivers to northern mills and Canada, 55l,- 561 bales against 575 ,117 bales last year, 4sS'- OO8 bales year before last and 716,@5 bales
  excess of those held at the close of the com mercial year, 596,9S9 bales against 565,2l4 bales last year, 426, ,s33 bales year before last and 494 .S1s bales for the same in 1891; southern mill takings. 4S5.64S bales against 428, ,S62 bales last year, 382 ,330 bales year be- fore last and S1S,762 bales for the same time in 1894 Foreign exports for the week have been 275 .Ol4 bales against 255, ,759 bales last year. making the total thus far for the season. 3536.668 bales against ,210 204 bales last year. an increase of 325, ,465.
 Northern mill takings during the past seven days show a decrease of 31 ,617 bales as compared with the corresponding period last year, and their total takings since Sep tember 1 have decreased 19S5S6 bales. The total takipgs of American mills, north and south and Canada thus far for the season have been 1,3S9,166 bales against 1.53i,sS6 bales lats year. These include 1866 by northern spinners against 1,O94,4 ,4o2 bales.
 Stocks at the seaboard and the 29 leading southern interior centers have increased crease during the corresponding period last season of 36, PA bales, and are now 319,944 bales larger than at this date in 1897.
 Including stocks left over at ports and n,erior towns from the last crop and num- Der of bales brought into sight thus far for the new crop the supply to date Is 6,952 AGO bales against 6,499,S72 bales for the same period last year.
 Hester's Weekly Statement
 New Orleans, December 16.-Secretary Hester's weekly New Orleans cotton ex- change statement issued before the close of business today shows a decrease in the movement into sight compared with the seven days ending this date last year in round figures 5OO00, an increase over the same days year before last of 45,OOO and a decrease under the same time in 1894 of 42,000.
 For the sixteen days of December the totals show an increase over last year of Il 900 an increase over the same period year before last of 25100O and decrease under 1894 of fl 900.
 For the 107 days of the season that have elapsed the aggregate is ahead of the 107 days of last year, 302, ,000 ahead of the same days year before last of 1,05O0OO and ahead of 1894 by 55S,000