The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-11
THE CONDITION OF TRADE
Prices Are Rising All Along the
Line.
BIG CONSUMERS DEMAND
It Is the Greatest Ever Known-The
Iron Industry Is Leading the
Others in Readjustment
of Values.

New York, Nov, 1o.--R. G. Dun & Co.'s
weekly Review of Trade will say to-mor-
row:
The most noteworthy feature of the
times is the rise In prices. Cotton rose
On Wednesday to IL cents with much ex-
element, putting the price 21s cents high
er than it was a year ago, and vet it
was still higher in September, 1897
Wool has risen relatively more-about
10 per cent. in two weeks-and the av-
erage of 100 quotations by Coates Bros.
Is higher than 1t has been at any other
time since May, 1894
Pig iron has risen further, s25 being
quoted for anthracite No. l, the highest
price since January, 1883. But hides are
at the highest point since January. 1873
having risen all the year with very lit
tie reaction. Prices of products have not
correspondinsly advanced.
Leather and boots and shoes were high
er in November. 1895, than they are now;
cotton goods were higher in January,
1885, wooden goods in July, 1894, and even
the products of iron, although greatly
advanced, are not as high as they were in
January, 1880.
Such wide discrepancies in advances
natural characteristics of a rise which is
mainly due, not to concerted action in any
trade, but to the pressure OF consuming
demand the greatest ever known, which
for the time exceeds supplies, though
very unequally. Its results begin to JUS
tify the conservative feeling which finds
expression in many branches of business.
The iron industry, which has led all
others in the advance, now leads the way
toward a REIMBURSEMENT of values. While
contracts for pig cover the entire prod
uct of the most important districts for
six to nine months in advance, many of
the consuming works in some lines APP
proach the end of their orders and have
new competition to meet, so that sheets
have fallen 81 per ton at Pittsburg and
plates are Sc lower there and So at Phila-
delphia. At the same time bars are 81 per
ton higher both at Philadelphia and
Pittsburg the demand being enormous,
and at Chicago very heavy contracts
have been made for car and implement
works.
A bridge combination is thought likely
to effect further business in structural
shapes, which continues large for the
season.
A break in the London market de-
pressed tin and sales were made at 28
cents. Boot and shoe makers are gem
orally getting about the 10 per cent. per
n pair advance they have held necessary,
and have as large contracts in most lines
as they now wish to close, in view of
the uncertainty about materials. Leather
continued very strong. and in that also
dealers are not anxious for greater COM
mtments, but consuming demand causes
large sales in advance of production.
Wool has been very strong again.
though sales at Boston were but 1884,
900 pounds against 21,557, 800 pounds the
week before, but large transactions else
%I,a -JrF-
20, 600 pounds and buyers hold firmly
for outside prices. Nothing like the SEN
sational rise of last week has continued
and the buying by manufactures is slow,
though large This and accounts of good
trade indicate that an extraordinary
business is expected for the next sea-
son.
The rise in cotton as vet helps man.
ufacturers, whose contracts cover pro-
duction well ahead, but the buying has
been mainly by traders and based largely
on expectation of a very low estimate of
yield by the department. While last
years official estimate was not highly
accurate. the whole trade here and
abroad then counted on large crop and
We're right
Wheat has not been very active nor
strong, although Western receipts have
much declined, being .907 bushels for
the week against 9aAO45 bushels last
year. I1Apoi tS dAc niiiaileTs the Atlantic
being 2,563,637 bushels (flour included,
against $685. 500 bushels for the same
week last year and Pacific exports 11SS,-
500 bushels against 1016,961 bushels last
year. The decrease in foreign demand
may be ascribed in part to heavy pre-
vous exports. but perhaps still more TO
the great movement of corn.
Failures for the week have been 157
In the United States against 211 last year,
and 70 In Canada against rs last year.