The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-10
THE CONDITION OF TRADE
This Years Holiday Trade Is q
Record Maker.
IRON AMI STEEL PRICES
Continued Activity IN Pig and Bilets.
Heavy Orders for Ship Plates.
Export Trade Continues
Encouraging.

New York. Dec. s.-Brsdstreet's to-
morrow will say: Business conditions
continue of a most encouraging charac-
ter. A very satisfactory future. and n
full OF announcement TO all wholesale
lines of trade, is the activity shown in
retail trade in nearly all markets. Re-
ports received as to the holiday trade
proper. too. point to the present year
constituting a record-maker in this re-
spect. The importance of the early ar
rival of real winter weather to the re-
tail distribution Of heavy clothing and
similar ~seasonable goods can hardly be
ov~erestimated. In the wider domain of
general trade and industry. perhaps.
the most notable feature has been the
continued activity at advancing prices
shown for most classes of iron and
steel. but particularly pig iron and steel
become since the placing of the first
large rail orders that what is ordinarily
regarded as a duh period in this ndus-
try has given place to exceptional ac-
tivity and the stimulating effect al
ready impaired to values seems likely
to be added TO, rather a diminished,
so far as the outlook for the coming
year can at present be foreshadowed.
Features OF the week have been i'm
mense sales of Bessemer pig iron, large
sales OF steel billets and heavy orders
for shipplates. the latter at western
points. Car builders, too. have placed
large orders. impelled thereto by the
enlarged demand from railroads which
find their present facilities for handling
goods overtaxed. Export trade contin-
ues encouraging and OF a favorable ma
ture in this respect.
Increased supplies consequent upon
the heaviest movement from farmers
hands ever known have constituted a
bearish feature in wheat prices this
week. Notwithstanding continued
heavy shipments abroad and the
coarser grains have sympathized with
this important cereal. Activity in the
lumber trade has been a feature calling
for in many markets. the
placing OF large government orders for
yellow pine lumber. most of which Is
for export to Cuba. having insured
plenty of work for a number of south
ern mills until far into the new year.
From other branches OF the trade re-
ports of sustained demand of proper
tions sufficient to TAKE care of season
able small receipts and prices retain
firmness. Rather more is doing I'm raw
wool at slightly loWer quotations. hut
reports from the s9ods trade show little
Improvement. SANN
Wheat. includins- flour. shipments fol
the week aggregate 6.152. 1852 bushels
against 1.4s3, 959 bushe last week. g..
266, 1853 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1897. 4.222. ia bushels i'm 1896
2,45s.323 bushels In 1895 and 1856. 2sC
bushels in 1894. Since July I. this year
the exports Of wheat aggregate 102..
961. 093 bushels, against ia. 604. 69s bush
els last year. Steadiness of prices ha.
been a notable feature Of business thi.
fall, though the natural drift OF values
has been toward a higher level. o.
101 staples. 40. or little less than one
half. are unchanged as the result of tn,
months work. while % staples ad
vanced and only 26 declined. while a.
compared with Dec. I. a year ago. .
staples are higher, AZ are lower and 4
are unchanged.
Business failures in the United State.
this week lumber 237. as against n,
last week. 292 in this week a year ago
Ss1 in 1896. 3l3 in 1895 and 3S3 in 1894
Business failures in Canada for tn,
week number %. as compared with 2
last week, % I'm his week a year ago
AZ in 1896, 80 in 1895 and "a in 1894.