The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-01
GREAT VOLUME OF BUSINESS.
IiALF YEAR JUST GONE is ENTIRE
LIZ UNPRECEDENTED.

General Level of Prices Is the High
est since ELECTROMAGNETIC In
terests Have Greatly Pronted by
the SituatiOn-Everythi Favor
able in the Immediate Outlook.
Iron Holds Its own and Crop Pros
poets Are Good.
New York. June 3O.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say:
Though seasonably quieter in many lines
the strength of the general situation re-
mains apparently undated, and the half
year closes with the commercial and finan-
cial community contemplating very salts
factory returns in the recent past and
manifesting a tone of cheerful confidence
regarding the outlook for the last half OF
1899
In the colume of business done the first
half of 1899, will certainly rank higher
than the best hitherto experienced, and the
notable rise in prices which was such a
feature of the past spring has done much
to reconcile traders to the admittedly
small margins of profits which modern
business operations tend toward making
permanent.
Touching this matter, it might be added
that staple prices to-day are in majority
of instances well above quotations. ruling
for some years past, the general level. in
fact being the highest since early in 1893.
In some instances of course, notab~' in
iron and steel. recent advances have
brought the level Of prices well above any
thing reported since 1892, though il is 10
be remarked that much Of the business
done in that industry this spring was at
old Levels, the most sanguine observers in
this line having failed to accurately gauge
the real proportions of the late advances.
That the transportation interests have
shared to a large degree in the business
resulting from several years of large crops
and active demand, is proved by the cur
rent good returns, the best probably re-
ported so far this year. and indicating n
progressive gain over all previous records
for the six months Notwithstanding the
steadily lowering rates of transportation.
Everything Is Favorable.
There is little in the immediate outlook
that can be construed as unfavorable. The
iron trade. having finished the most
eventful half year in it's history, and most
of its contracts secured at the old low
prices, faces a very good outlook for the
balance of the year a prices which guar
antee large profits, providing adequate
supplies of raw and partly manufactured
material can be secured.
1t is not unreasonable to look for some
check in fact, to business in the metal
consuming industries, owing to the scare
ity Of these materials one Of the latest
instances of this is the serious delay re-
ported to shipbuilding industry, owing to
the scarcity of steel plates.
The labor situation has been one of the
most satisfactory features of the half
years business, voluntary advances hay-
ing raised the compensation of thousands
of operatives. and labor troubles being
conspicuous by their absence till toward
the close Of the period under review, when
failures to agree upon wages and hours
In the Colorado smelling industry and in
tin plate manufacturing rendered large
number of workmen Idle. In the case
Of tbe latter Industry, however the sus-
pension, 1t is hoped will not exceed the
usual summer shut down.
Good Crop Prospects.
In agricultural lines the outlook, though