Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-12-17
PROSPECTS IN TRADE.
As Reported by r. G. Dun & Co.'S
Commercial Agency.
OUTLOOK BRIGHT IN ALL LINES.

| countable Contrast to the Prosperity of
| the Various Observation-Disclosures De-
| mand for Boots and Shoes-Movement of
Wheat Disappointing-NO Further Ad-
| vances in wooI-The Iron Production.
New York. Dec. 16-R. G. Dun *
| Co.'S weekly review of trade says:
Unusual depression in stocks this
| week has displayed the great diver
gence between the trading and the pro-
| ductive industries of the country and
| its speculation. Never has production
been greater. the number of hands EN-
ployed larger. the wages distributed
higher, or the purchasing power. based
upon earnings, greater than at this
time. and never have conditions of
trade or returns of earnings and traf
fic given certainty of greater business
for tranSporterS. Yet, as the earnings
OF the railway and manufacturing
companies mount upward their stocks
decline as if it We're disastrous for
a road to double its earnings and ruin
Gus for Il mill To realize unprecedented
profits. Inflated capitalization has, of
course. done much harm, and Specula
tive excitement has counted profits i'll
many cases long before they were
earned. Money markets here and
abroad have been strained by British
TeverSeS in South Africa. and what
ever they We're overloaded have been
pushed to quick and disastrous instead
of gradual liquidation.
Profits and Losses.
The result is that while industries
and transporting companies realize
great profits the speculative holders
of their stocks realize severe losses.
nrn1nnfinn
Iron Age reports the output of pig
2969o3 tons weekly Dec. /. against
2SS.J22 Nov. l. and the decrease in
stocks not held by the great steel COM
panieS, 5,O20 tons. \ PittSburg com
pany bought 10000 tons Bessemer for
S24 at Valley Mills, which is below re-
cent prices. and gray forge is quoted
a shade lower, ut sd. Bars are again
irregular, II for common ut Pittsburg
and % for refined ut the east, and
plates not exceeding sixty inches are
sold at 80 by mills out of orders.
while it is said that 80 cents is shad-
ed at times for number % black sheets,
hut nearly all works still have orders
far ahead. and in other specialties
prices are unchanged. The collapse of
the London speculation dropped the
quotation of tin to "a cents here. with
recovery to 2JA cents. and copper is
weak mt 164 cents. but lead is a shade
stronger.
Demand for Boots and shoes.
The boot and shoe works are has
tpning deliveries to meet the enormous
consuming demand. and have shipped
from Boston 1S6421 cases i'll two
weeks of December against 1J2, 66S
last year, and still less in any other
year. except 1897. when 191.S24 cases
were shipped. The same dealers who
nj Il oil st s1T
lower prices are slow to place more n
the higher prices now asked, while most
of the works. having orders for some
time ahead. are not anxious to take
more at present. The approach of the
holidays makes all welcome IL season
of quiet. Leather continues strong.
with Scanty supplies of sole, but great
demand for upper.
The movement of wheat is diSap-
pointing. but prices have declined only
3sc. with corn fraction higher. AZ
lantic exports of wheat. flour included.
have been in two weeks of December
only 1.32S.269 bushels. against 11.129,
4J9 last year. and Pacific exports. J.
5O1 .9S2 bushels, against 1,29S 514 last
year. Shrinkage i'll western receipts.
only $685.. 20 bushels having come for
ward in two weeks, against 11,74S,411
last year. is remarkable, though The
movement then was abnormal.
Decrease in Exports.
Exports of breadstuffs in November
decreased S3.5O0.0O0, which. with
losses of 5000 600 in provisions and SD.
100000 in cotton, lowered the value of
staple exports S1J.337.567, in spite of
an increase of S2.O00,OOO in oil. But
enormous shipments of manufactured
products made the excess of exports
over imports more than S49, 100000 for
the month. In spite of an advance of
IL cents in prices cotton exports in
November decreased S13.020.926 in
value. amounting to only 40, 351 bales,
against l, 4S3,126 last year. Prices do
not change this week. even believers
i'll Il short crop thinking it as well to
wait in view OF the small demand.
The goods market was strong, with
some further advances in prices.
Wool did not advance farther.
though sales scarcely diminish, and
have been 22,0T5.00O pounds in two
weeks at the three chief markets. so
far exceeding all consuming demands
that speculation must still account for
most of the business but there was less
excitement and more buying by small
works. No change in quotations of
goods appears though in some heavy
weights for fall advances of 10 to II
per cent. are reported.
Failures for the week were 21S in
CtafaS 0G1