The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-20
DUN'S REVIEW OF
TRADE CONDITIONS
BeSsemer Pig and Grey Forge
Advance in Price.
MOVEMENT LEATHER GOODS
Spectators Are Doing Large Bust
ness in wool-Cotton Has Declin-
ed a Small Fraction LAT
Failures for the Week.

New York, May 19.-R. G. Dun & Co.'S
weekly review of trade will say tomorrow:
While 200 tons Bessemer pig at Pittsburg
gave reasons for the advance in price to
$3.50, with grey forge quoted at SIS per
ton, 1t is not quite as clear as it might be
that the output, which was 255,0O0 tons
weekly, according to the Pittsburg record,
and has since been largely increased by
the addition of many furnaces, will con-
tinue to fall below the demand.
For the requirements in various depart
ments for manufactured products it must
be recognized is scarcely measurable, and
does not seem as much diminished as might
be expected by higher prices and long de-
lays in delivery. In plates for instance, the
demand covers many thousand tons for
bridges at Chicago and at Pittsburg, and
q Philadelphia concern accepted several
thousand tons and afterwards was obliged
to refuse more, one other concern In the
same city refusing over 1900 tons.
The shipments of boots and shoes from
the east have been for the two weeks of
May % per cent larger than last year. and
500 per cent. larger than in 1892 Higher
prices, which have been asked for several
months are generally now paid for mems
wear though most works are covered by
earlier orders for orders for four months
ahead or more. Leather shows hesitation,
dealers apparently questioning whether
the rise has not been too much. At Chi
cago the same questions runs through the
hide market, though advances are slight.
Spectators are doing large business
in wool, some foreign and some American.
They bought about 100000 pounds Austral-
ian wool in bond here, that is now re-
ported. and about 100000 pounds domestic
wool is also reported to have been sold 1or
export at about AZ cents clean. But TINS
does not cast much light on the question
whether speculative sales abroad have yet
been covered or will be within short
time, nor is there indication that the
market here will respond to the temporary
foreign demand. The orders for wooden
GOODS are decidedly better and although the
wooden association is not yet in operation,
1t seems to have given a certain kind or
confidence to prices in the wooden goods
department
Cotton declined a small fraction on Mon
day, owing to freer port movement, which
made it probable that at the end of this
week the amount in sight would about
equal last years record-breaking figures.
But there was recovery of all the decline
in middling uplands and a net gain in op-
tor prices.
Wheat has been rising during the past
week, about cents, and nobody can tell
why, although the exports in the past two
weeks have been 10569,OO6, flour included
against 8,1351A last year. Better ship
ments were expected after the opening of
navigation and there is really no use in
considering the dreams of western specu-
lators and crop reports at this time. No
one can form IA fair judgment at the mid
die OF March regarding the output which
will be visible to everybody in the middle
of July. The best that can be done is to
accept the crop reports, official and other
wise, with almost indefinite allowances.
Better shipments are expected after the
opening of navigation and are, in fact
coming. the outward movement from
Dulntt alone in two weeks reaching ne ar v
four million bushels. Lack of rain III Cali
fornia has caused a large reduction In all
for that state and Pacific exports
are decreasing, as holders are less ready
to accept current prices with the prospect
of a shortage.
Failures for the week have been LAT in the
United States against $50 last year and
seventeen in Canada against twenty-n
last year.