The evening times., 1899-07-29
New York. July 2s.-Bradstreet's says:

N,
Weather conditions exercise their nat
ural effect upon the volume of current
business, which is, however, larger than
wear ago, and restrict speculation, there
fore limiting the volume of bank clearlngs
without, however, exercising any partlcu-
lar influence upon prices, which display
nearly all their old firmness, and, in fact,
show still further advances in several
lines. Iron and steel are firmer at the
East and higher South and West, new
business being most notable In the latter
sections. Official statistics OF pig iron
production for the first half OF 1899 point
to the largest production on record, and
stocks at the close of the half year are far
below what they were at the opening or at
this time one year ago. The question or
transportation of raw material, too, is an
important one, complicated as II is by
labor troubles in the lake ore trade, some
of which, however, have been settled. Spe-
cial activity in iron and steel is reported
at Chicago, where heavy advances have
been made in finished products. Every
blast furnace in the Birmingham district
is expected to be in operation by the ad-
vent of autumn, but the production for the
latter part of the year 1899, which prom
ises to be enormous, has all been booked.
Something approaching nervousness is dis
cernible among manufacturers over the la
Dor situation, but few strikes of skilled Ia
bor are to be reported. The industrial Sit
uation generally remains favorable, al
though the restlessness frequently noted
at this time of year has developed at many
points in strikes of unskilled labor. The
glass trade is reported particularly active,
and conditions in that industry are said
to be the best for years past. The cereaT
markets note little change in price, but
trade opinions seem TO favor steady de-
mand and fluctuations in view of admit
tedly large necessary takings by foreign
ers. Hot, dry weather in the West, COM
planned of early as unfavorable to best
growth, was later reported relieved by
cooler weather and needed rains, particu-
larly in the corn belt In this latter ce-
real crop prospects in the surplus produc-
ing States are still bright. Liberal rains
at the South, particularly the Atlantic
Coast States, have improved cotton pros
poets, and slight shading in price is to be
noted for the week Business failures for
the week number 40, against ia last
week, 259 in 1897, and 221 in 1885,"
New York, July S9-Dun's review says:
There is certainly room for some de-
crease when the volume of payments
through the clearinghouse in July is 47.s
per cent larger than last year and 59.t
per cent larger than In 1892, the best of ali
| previous years. Western wheat receipts In
July have been 1S,s63.s26 bushels, against
1908, 1873 last year to date, and of corr
| 20, ,485, ,25l, against 9,173,S55 last year, ever
the latest week showing large gains ovel
last year. Exports of wheat from bott
costs were 9,939.2 bushels, -four included
against s.S3S.1s2 last year. Corn export.
also continue surprising 11,6S4,521 bushels
| for the month thus far, against 6,767, SO:
| last year. In spite of large foreign buyin9
cotton also declined to 6.12 cents Of1cia
returns make the iron output for the frs
half of 1899 only 6,2S9. .167 tons, with decIin,
in known stocks outside the great stee
companies, of 288, 140 tons. and net exports
were probably over 400, 600 tons.
Railroad business for July shows tn,
largest increase in any month this year
1871 per cent larger than last year, ant
10.4 per cent larger than In 1892. The stool
market was nearly all the week drifting
downward, with absence and indifference
of large operators, though II recovered to
ward the close with much vigor, and close
20 cents higher for the week for railroa'