The age-herald., 1898-01-01

New Orleans, Dec. H.-Cotton futures steady; sales. 1S,OOo. January, 5.35@5.S6; February 5.ss@5 40; March, 544Q5. .45; April, 549@550; May, 555@556 June. 5.61@5.62; July, 5.66a5.67; August, 569Q5.71; Septem- Der, 5.72Q5.74; October. 5.76@5.7S.
 Hester's Cotton Statement
 New Orleans, Dec. 31.-Secretary Hester's New Orleans cotton exchange statement, issued today, covers the monthly movement to Dec. s1. Compared with last year, it shows an incraese for the month in round figures of 37S,OOO bales compared with year before last, an increase of 614,000 bales, and compared with 1894 loss of 1S,0OO bales. , The total for December was 1,974, ,446 bales against 1596,2s1 bales last year, 1,s6o519 bales year before last and 1892 ,345 bales for the same time in 1894 The amount of the crop brought into sight for the four months from September to December, inclusive, is 900 bales over last yeast year, 2,316C00 bales over year before last and 265 900 bales over 1894 The movement from the 1st of September to December 31, includes total receipts at all United States delivery ports, 5,559,27S bales against 495SS99 bales last year, 3,47S,740 bales year before last and 5,S27. .4O5 bales for the same time in 1894. lNel ONerlsiiu movement Dy dSIOoo the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac rivers, ,S65 bales against 5612i2 bales last year, 5495 51O bales year before last and 757 ,228 bales for the same time in 1894. Southern mill takings, exclusive of quantity consumed at southern outports, 457 S01 bales against 44o,- 301 bales last year, ,S91 bales year before last and 369, ,,767 bales for the same time in 1894; and interior stocks in excess of those held at the commencement of the season, 5G0,0S9 bales against 437 ,750 bales last year, 529, ,9S9 bales year before last and 5i0.2l3 bales for the same time in 1894. These make the total amount of the cotton crop brought into sight during the four months ending Dec. 31, 7,26O0 033 bales against ,192 bales last year, 4,9i4,22O bales year before last and 6,994673 bales for the same time in 1894
 Northern spinners took during December S92, ,SS3 bales, against 255, ,132 last year and S15, ,2S1 year before last increasing their total for the four months to 1276,SsS against 1,006 ,9SS last year and 1,035,S9 the year fore.
 This makes their average weekly takings for the season 7S,2S4. against 57,77S lastlyear and 59,439 the year before
 Foreign exports for the first four months of the season have been 3,767,9 ,9i6 bales, showing an increase over last season of S34, 1925 and over the same period year be- fore last of 1,596,411.
 Stocks at the seaboard and the twenty nine leading southern interior centers on Dec S1 were 1863 ,i3S, against 1,Si6,556 the same date last year and 1,6i5,1S3 the year before. Including ports and interior towns left over from the previous season and the number of bales of the current crop brought into sight during the four, months, the supply has been 7,3765S7, against 6,736,- TAI last year and 5,245,174 the year before
 Up to Dec. S1 last year 73 6-100 per cent of the cotton crop had been marketed, and for the same four months in 1896 the percent age of the crop brought into sight was 60 SO-1OO per cent, and for the same time in 1894 the percentage marketed was 70 65- 100 per cent The movement into sight for the past week has been 39S467 against 311,- 57S for the seven days ending Dec. 31 last year. 252 ,OO3 last year and S53799 for the same time in 1894.
 No points are included in this years movement that are not included in all other years compared with. No corrections are included in this years movement that were permitted to remain until the close of the season in previous years.
 New Orleans, Dec. 31.-Seeretary Hesters statement of the worlds visible supply of cotton shows an increase during the week just closed of 125,257 bales, against an in- crease in same time last year of 65,75s, and an increase year before last of 1,6OS. The total visible supply is 4,271 ,662 against 3,s27, 1855 last week, and s,921 5s3 last year and all other kinds, including Egypt, Brazil India, etc., 212,0O0, against 2i9,O0o last week, and 323,2O0 last year. The total worlds visible supply of cotton shows an increase compared with last week of 125,- POT bales and an increase' compared with last year of 26s29 a-s