The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-06-14
REVIEW OF TRADE.

The Increased Prices Asked for Are Said to be
Fietitious-Export Of Flour Declines.
II. q. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of
trade reports as follows for last week:
"The past week has brought a rise
In prices not equaled in any other week
OF many years. Iron products have
advanced $50 per cent in week and
pig from 4.S per cent, following ad-
Vances or per cent In pig and 4 per
cent In products during May. Cotton
has advanced 1 per cent and cotton
goods Is per cent during the week.
with wooen goods 8 per cent and
boots and shoes per cent. A little re-
action of per cent appears in leather
and ] per cent in hides. but the char
acteristic OF the time Is that expecta-
tion of higher prices induces buying
far In advance of requirements for
consumption.
1T is needless to say that this is a
symptom of danger, and the most con-
servative manufacturers, especially in
iron and steel. have striven to avoid
IT, but actual inability to deliver pro-
ducts demanded. leaves them little
power, while speculation In wool and
other lines Is running away from con-
sumption.
1t is a saving feature that quotations
are quite largely fictitious Almost all
the goods now being delivered or pro-
fixed by orders accepted several
months ago. and nearly all the iron
works being thus tied up far ahead.
the prices quoted indicate not at all
what they are getting, but what they
see fit to ask as way of refusing or
ders which they cannot accept, or else
the bids of impatient buyers who can
find nobody ready to deliver large
Quantities.
During the past week quotations
have risen for anthracite No. 1 to
sl7 so for Bessemer to $1S so at Pitts
burg, for gray forge to SIG 25. for bill
let's, with practically no sales, to $3l:
for bars, 81 per ton; for plates and
sheets, as much for rails, to $26 for
structural beams and angles, IS per
ton, and for wire nails, 25c per keg. But
there are no accounts of large trans
though small sales of pig last week for
Italy and this week for Bremen at
market prices, with German offers for
10000 tons southern pig, indicate that
needs abroad are quite as great as
they are here.
While there is a better demand for
woolen goods, so that prices of some
have advanced, II is not yet possible
to distinguish heavy speculative opera
tions in wool at Boston from efforts of
mills to buy. The prices current in all
wool-growing sections are so high as
to consumers, and traders who believe
that bills will presently be forced to
pay higher prices are taking the same
risk they did In the winter of 1897, not
realizing the size of stocks held
After some advance wheat suddenly
declined two cents, closing lower for
the week. Against all accounts of in
jury is the solid fact that western re-
ceipts We're 5,049,l94 bushels for the
week, against 1,iI1,0i5 from the great
crop of last year, and at current low
prices such receipts would be inexplic-
able II growers really expected a short
yield. Exports have declined, beng
only l,Sis,373 bushels, -four included
from Atlantic ports, against 206, 293
last year, and 623 400 from Pacific
ports. against 253.2ls last year. but
even as to future foreign demands this
Is not strong evidence. The estimates
of reduction In yield are weakened In
market judgment by certainty that
spring wheat acreage is unknown and
may exceed expectations, and that the
prospect In spring wheat states Is ex-
cellert. Corn has shown unusual inda-
pendencc. scarcely changing In price
with exports, . soi 900 bushels. againat
t.lsa.6il last year.