The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-11

expect the production of pig iron to be
affected by the weather, yet in the
P1ttsburg district alone the furnaces
running are said to have produced 49,
600 tons per week less than their Janu-
airy output so that the decrease in
weekly production of all furnaces 22S,-
l91 tons March / against 237639 Feb
ruary l does not mean anything more
than bad weather.
But bad weather means mischief at
times and the shrinking of supplies of
iron In February just when increase
supplies were expected and needed has
contributed much to the extraordinary
advance in prices, s2.75 in anthracite,
NO. l, Feb. 1, $3.50 in Bessemer pig at
P1ttsburg and S275 in grey forge.
Plates are in especial demand and
higher, but in rails bars and structural
forms the demands and prices are not
yet much changed. Tin is firm at 23.5
cents and copper is scarce for spot at
lis cents, with lead weaker at $780,
Inc trust refuses quotations for tin
plates.
The demand for coke exceeds the
transporting capacity for the Con-
nellsville region, but the output has
been 16S,697 tons for the week. furnace
being quoted at $1.6O and foundry at
" per ton. The shipments of boots
and shoes are smaller for the first week
VI AhdlNh ltldL III Tie 0dIile Ntth vi
seven previous years, but the present
feeling is more hopeful although new
orders are much below the average,
and third Of the visiting buyers at
Boston, it is said, get away without
doing anything Of consequence. Just
at such time the prices of leather
have advanced nearly two per cent in
the average, although the average for
hides at Chicago is distinctly lower be-
cause of demand Gidar9 hlU lpES
than the supply.
The wooden market is hampered by
doubts about the price of wool, but now
big combination of worsted producers
has been formed, with several other
combinations proposed in goods of other
kinds, but these do not encourage buy
ing and the season continues disap-
pointing. In wool markets, sales are
barely equal to the ordinary consump-
ton of the mills dependent on them,
but prices are rather weak. 1t is not
surprising, because the combinations of
manufacturers win naturally tend to
drive the wool spectators and traders
out of the business.
Cotton goods have been advanced
about 4 per cent during the past month
and are still rising, although the adj
vance in raw cotton has stopped. From
unreasoning belief in the highest crop
ever known the markets have passed
to Cnreasoning belief in a smaller yield
than usual, and men are reckoning that
the supply is about exhausted. But
there is probably enough cotton yet
available TO prevent any famine.
Exports of wheat do not yet fall be-
low last years, as many have for some
months expected, and the Atlantic ex-
ports, flour included, have been for the
week 5309,0 92 bushels against 2,S9O,S
last year, and Pacific exports 500, 1877
bushels against 1880, SIS last year, with
other exports of 4o7,569 bushels. West
ern receipts were 4,071,017 bushels
against 2,752,91S for the same week
last year, and the output from the
country goes far to check apprehen-
sion as to deficiency of the crop. The
price is about 2 cents lower for spot,
and corn is about l cent lower, with
western receipts 1863 404 bushels
against 5.4e7 ,2O3 last year. while exports
have been for the same week 1851, SS7
bushels against 1857 SOL last year.
Failures for the week have been 1872
in the United States against 24S last
year, and 81 in Canada against Sc last
year.