The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-19
TRADE VOLUME TREMENDOUS.
SITUATION FULL OF FAVORABLE
FEATURES.

Few Commercial Conditions TO BE
Found which Can he Regarded as
in Any Degree Disturbing-Re-
neved Tendency Noticeable To-
ward Higher Prices All Along the
Lfne-lfaine Incident Cuts No Fig
ure Outside of the stock Market.
New York, Feb -Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say Favorable features
dominate the general business situation as
a whole and few commercial conditions
present themselves which can be regarded
as In any degree disturbing. Chief among
those factors which work for continued
or growing strength in commercial lines
may be mentioned the renewed tendency
toward advances in quotations of all sta
pie articles, and the steadiness of prices in
other lines, where increases are not at
the moment reportable.
Perhaps second in the list of suspicious
features is the continuance of marked ac-
tivity in nearly all branches of the iron
and steel trade. The failure of the south
ern furnace men to reach a price agree
ment is of course, a depressing feature in
that particular section, which, however,
finds a counterbalancing factor in the in
tention to advance prices, reported from
the Bessemer ore products.
THE volume of distributive trade shows
such an increase, notably in dry goods
and groceries, at many widely separated
points, as to warrant the conclusion that
spring trade is receiving a perceptible i'm
petus. In the east, the cotton goods situa-
ton Is one of hopeful strength, owing to
the strength of raw material and the re-
strictlon of production due to the New
England mill strikes.
THE strength Of cotton, sugar and rice
and the demand for iron all favor the
Southern trade situation, which is also be-
ing helped by the growing foreign trade in
cotton goods.
"Business failures continue to decrease
aggregating only 269 for the week, against
273 last week, and S25 in the corresponding
week of last year.
LAS above intimated the price situation
is one of great strength compared with a
week ago Not one article of staple use Is
reported lower. Prices of nearly all kinds
-four. and of most metals, have advanced.
Cereal exports tend to increase. Exports
of wheat flour included for the week ag-
gregate $685. IA bushels as against 3,4l9,>
0O0 bushels last week, and 2,l2OOO0 DusheIs
last year. Indian corn exports for the
week are also larger, in total amounting
to 5056, 600 bushels as compared with A.
sos 900 bushels last week, and SAL, 900 BUSH
els in the week year ago"
r. G. Dun & Co.'S Weekly Review of
Trade. will say tomorrow: THE dreadful
disaster to the Maine, much as it has af-
fected all hearts, has not much affected
business. Only in the stock market, bun
in no other speculative markets was an
effect felt, nor in general business.
wheat has risen 33sc, and exports con-
tInue so heavy that material advance IS
natural. Atlantic exports in three weeks
have been S.416,495 bushels, flour included,
against 1861, 81 last year. Such ship
ments. with heavy engagements for the
future in spite of Il ,430 S31 bushels of corn
exported against 12.507 2l6 bushels in the
same weeks last year, are conclusive proof
of the urgency of foreign needs. The bot
tom fact is that the world needs wheat
which this country only can supply for
about six months to come.
Cotton has held unchanged for spot,
though nttle lower Tor opUOlS, prospects
of decrease the next yield beng the main
| support.
'The IRON output FEB. II, with reports of
stock on hand not neid by the great steel
companies, indicates consumption of at
| least 5000 tons per week greater in jan
uary than the previous maximum attain
ed in November, 1885.
THE production Is at present greater
than consumption, stocks having increas-
ed 9,Ol6 tons weekly in January outside
the steel companies, whose stocks presum-
ably decreased.
Some weakness in pig would naturally
result, but while Srey forge has declined
| at Plttsburg to $500 with Southern iron
! offered a Chicago, at concessions, no
! changes appear IN products. Though new
! business has been someWha. disappointing,
the works are manly supplied for months
| ahead
In cotton manufacture production Is
! restricted by strikes and some grades are
a shade dearer The recent opening of
| higher grade woolcns at advanced prices
meets less demand than was expected,
! with less activity in lower grades and I'M
| expectediy numerous cancellations in light
weights indicating larger buying than
| consumption has yet warranted"