The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-15
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEW
Business Not in Any Sense Fall
ing Of.
WHEAT IS MORE ACTIVE
Iron Manufacturers Report a Small In
crease in the Weekly output-Orders
for Iron Pipe-Failures of the
Week-Bank C~learings.

New York. Oct. H-R. g. Dun & Co.'S
Weekly Review of Trade will say to-mor-
row: With actual payments through the
clearing houses LIZ per cent. larger than
In the same week OF 1899, IL cannot be said
that business is In any sense falling on,
and yet many are complaining because the
amount realized as profit Is smaller than
was formerly realized in good times. In
almost every branch OF business trade Is
now transacted or a narrower margin Of
pront than In any other time of fair pros
perity. There In "A great change, and per-
haps a permanent one. in the percentage
OF profits derivable from trade and manu-
facture. as well as In the profits obtaina-
bic by transporters.
Progressive civilization calls for a low
err range of profits and of prices as the
volume of business transacted increases,
In order to make possible Improvement In
the condition of the working millions.
Wheat business Is more active with
prices about PC higher for spot and near
ly DC for December options. Very heavy
purchases have been made within the
past few days not as yet reflected in the
official record of shipments. but the ex-
ports from botn coasts. Hour included,
have been 4.l0l. 40 bushels against 4.Ss6.-
0l5 bushels for the same week last year.
IL is especially interesting that. in spite
VI IA kfutIdl disposition OF IdTmtfS 10
hold back their wheat, the Western re-
ceipts for the week nave been much
larger than last year. and for two weeks
-. 59o, 4s5 bushels against 16. 6e6, "a bushels
last year.
While little attention is now paid TO
the official reports. they seem to fore
shadow a larger return for the crop than
than has been made In any previous
year. The price of corn has advanced
about Pc. though the receipts are just
now larger than "A year ago. The price OF
spot cotton Is Lice lower than "A week
ago. There is a weaker market for goods.
This Is partly due to the official admis-
sion that the prices of print cloths. now
lie below PC. cannot be sustained without
a selling agency. which is now proposed.
Although the production at Fall River
Is in excess OF the demand. the difficulty
In prices Is probably largely due to the
belief that a big Yield of cotton must re-
duce the price of the material. While
some wooden mills have started opera
lions during the week. quite as many
have stopped. Although wool Is about 10
per cent. lower than IL was on Feb. 1.
the manufacturers are not buying and
the market is remarkably dull. with sales
during the past two weeks of only CHS. 200
pounds at the three chief markets against
2i.33l 600 pounds last year. i.536. 800 In 1896
and Is. 103, 800 in 1892. The general feeling
Is that the price of the material must
decline before the manufacture can much
Increase its sales. Orders for goods have
been a little better and n few mills nave
resumed operation, but there is as yet
no such demand as Is necessary to sus-
tain current prices of wool.
The iron manufacturers again report a
small increase in the weekly output. 2l5.-
635 tons, against 2l3. O4O tons a month ago,
and with the decrease i'm quantity of un-
sold stocks on hand outside the great
steel companies, the apparent consump-
ton for the month of September was
9s3. SO4 tons against $50. SOB in August.
There are quite heavy Eastern orders for
foundry iron. fully supporting prices. and
at Chicago prices OF local iron are strong.
with less disposition to sell Southern pig
at reduced quotations. The orders for fin
ished products include a very heavy de-
mand for plates. especially for shipyards.
several of considerable magnitude for
structural works. covering about 1900
tons. and an unusually heavy demand for
bars. In pipes Pittsburg has been able to
place orders for 90 miles of 1O-inch pipe
and other orders for 100 miles are practi-
cally closed.
Failures for the week were POS in the
United States against 223 last year, and
IS in Canada against 80 last, year.