Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-10
DuN.s COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

Wild and Exaggerated Rumors of Tmpend.
War, While Seriously Affecting Stocks
Have Not Disturbed the Industries and
the Trade of the Country at AHA Gen
orally Satisfactory Review.
NEW YORK. March 5.-R. G. DUN 8
Co. S weekly review of trade says in it's
issue to-day:
Stories of the most reckless sort,
disproved promptly, and many of them
before they are told, affected specula-
ton in stocks much last week and at
times this week, but they have not dis
turbed the industries and the trade of
the country at all. There is confidence
that the authorities are doing what is
proper to provide for public defense,
and business is moving on with the as
surance that it will not be seriously
disturbed.
In grain, cotton, meat, products and
petroleum the markets have been
strong, with general increases in the
demand for manufactured products.
Failures in February have been
smaller than in any other month, ex-
cept three of the previous five months,
with remarkable decrease in the fail
ures for $780, 900 and over, though in
number and amount the smaller fail
ures show less change than might have
been expected, indicating that in good
times or bad large proportion is due
to causes apart from the conditions OF
business.
The ratio of defaulted liabilities to
payments through the clearinghouse,
is but Sill per 81 900, a lower rate than
has appeared in the first quarter of any
year except 1890 and 1884, of the past
% years. The best evidence of general
improvement is the fact that payments
through clearinghouse for the past
week have been $50 per cent. larger
than in 1892 and outside New York,
with it's speculative interests, 17.6 per
cent. Compared with last year the
gain has been 500 per cent for the
week, and 1913 per cent. for February.
Production of pig iron is the greatest
ever known, some furnaces having
started in the past month, but Besse-
mer billets are SO scarce at Chicago
that some works are embarrassed, and
heavy purchases at Pittsburgh, includ-
ing one of $4,000 tons, have stiffened
SO that Bessemer iron and coke at Chi
cagO are stronger than since November
l, with gray forge unchanged at Pitts
burgh. Foundry at the east is slightly
lower, basic pig having been offered in
a sharp competition at about $40,
though southern makers in Alabama
and Tennessee, except two, have agreed
upon plan of sales through commits
sion.
The demand for finished products
covers work far ahead in plates,
structural forms, sheets, in pipe (since
the advance in oiD, and in rails, with
a Chicago sale for a Canadian road to
Alaska; but bar is weak with increas-
ing use of steel, and tin plates are
quoted at $2.s5 against 81 for the same
guilty of foreign.
The strike in the cotton mills does
not spread, but helps to slightly better
demand for goods, while in woolens
the business is slow IN some of the
finer qualities, which have been much
advanced in price. Other grades as well
as cancellations have also exceeded re-
orders, indicating less distributing
than was expected at the advanced
prices.
Wool has yielded little. the average
of 100 quotations by Coates Bros, for
domestic being 1923 against 2O.s3 cents
February 1, and while yielding is thus
far mainly in inferior qualities, stocks
at least three years old are pressed for
sale.
Wheat has grown stronger, experts
continuing at rate which threatens
exhaustion of the supply, if trade re-
ports of farmers stocks are correct.
From Atlantic ports 2,426, 24o bushels
went out, flour included, against 1885,
416 last year; and from Pacific ports
s64 1893, against 479,959 bushels last
year. The price has risen one cent,
but it is possible that the estimates OF
last years stocks, though 50,0OO,00o
bushels in excess of the government
estimates, may prove too small.
Corn declined only of cent, with
exports of 4,74s,s43 bushels, against
4, 221, 1856 last year.
Failures for the week have been 251
in the United States against 246 last |
year and 80 in Canada against SO las
year.