The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-06
LITTLE NOW TO BE DONE
THE PROTECTED GIGANTIC IRON
AND STEEL TRUST.
GREAT cOPPER COMBINATION NOW ON
Oulgrtw his Of Immense Industrial Changes,
These Trusts Because Of Vast Aggre'
cations # Capital Possess
Int res for All.

New York. May 5.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
That this is. indeed. an era of trade
and industrial combinations seems evl-
dent from the long list of announcements
of new consultations rumored or actu-
ally floated coming to public view thus
week. whether This tendency has as yet
reached its elimination cannot, of
course, he easily predicted, but in some
lines of industry the announcements Oh
projected consultations would seem to
have left little room for further opera
tons of this kind. EASILY first in this
direction is the gigantic iron and steel
combinations announced with seeming
confidence as in process of formation.
Second only to this, however is the ac-
tual floating of the great copper combi-
nation. Outgrowths as these great COM
bipations are of immense industrial
changes in many lines. they possess a
special interest in the world of trade
and finance because of the immense ag-
gregations of capital or industry'in-
volved in their projection of their carry
ing out to successful finish.
While wholesale trade continues of
between seasons volume, very general
evidence is forthcoming that the aggre-
gate is in excess of last years undeniably
good proportions. and retail demand is
of an encouraging character. That the
volume of fall business booked is in eX
cess of the average is very generally con-
ceded Advances in prices and reported
~, tIn
spread demand for iron and steel and
render less doubtful the hold of Ameri-
can products on foreign markets. The
tone of general values is notably strong
for the season of the year. prominent
exception being pork and hog products
generally which have been the subjects Of
bearish manipulation. Cereals are gen
orally firm. cash wheat being fractionally
higher at the seaboard on interruption
to movement by the water route. caused
by the grain handlers strike at Buffalo.
while options business is i'm waiting
stage pending the government report on
wheat condition and acreage next week.
Crop advices are still contradictory, but
good weather has made for successful
planting and growth of spring wheat
while foreign crop advices continue good
ttIlu export ueHldflu IL ol Oily
proportions. This. coupled with smaller
than expected decreases in worlds sup
plies reported to Bradstreet's this week
acts as check to values which might
otherwise record the admitted damage
to the winter wheat crop.
Copper, among the metals, retains all
its strength. speculative interest in cop
per consolidation being sustaining fea-
ture, offsetting depressing effects on con-
sumptiye demand of the recent advance.
A special feature this week Is the ac
tivity in building and in real estate re-
ported from number of widely separa
ted sections and lumber and building
materials generally are consequently firm
or tending upward In textiles. raw cot
ton is rather weaker on improving
weather and crop conditions. but manu-
featured goods are very firm, and some
brown and bleached export grades have
been advanced. Wool markets note a
change in the buying of some large lots
of domestic woods for speculation, and
prices are firm in sympathy with the
advanced quotations paid for some large
lots of Australian bonded wool bought
for re-export.
The strength of sugar shows no dimin-
ution despite recent advances. and furth-
or gains are to be noted, chiefly owing
to good domestic demand and advancing
European markets. Leather and hides
are firm. and boot and shoe manufacture
ers are realizing advanced quotations.
Business failures are down to their
lowest level, numbering only 164 this
week. against 1S4 in this week IL year
ago.
Wheat, including flour. shipments for
the week aggregate 3,4S4.OS1 bushels,
against 3,02S, 403 bushels last week, p
923.175 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1893; 1,799,322 bushels in 1897:
1.SS2,11S bushels in 1896 and 2,S05,32O
bushels III 1885. Since July LIST of this
season the exports Of wheat aggregate
9,I74 .662 bushels, against 19S,S16,47O
bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
2,S41.2 300 bushels. against 2,615.079 bush
els last week, 6,1S5,904 bushels in this
week a year ago. 3.127,7S1 bushels in
1897; 1891 1876 bushels in 1896 and 933.-
S91 bushels in 1895. Since July 1st Of
this season corn exports aggregate 143.-
o10,113 bushels, against 1911 ,525,294