The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-01

contemplating very :
in the recent l0St and
of cheerful confidence
look for the last hais OF sSs~
ume of business done Tia.
Of 1899. will certainly rank HIM
the best hitherto experience and '-
notable rise in prices which was such
a feature of the past spring has done
much to reconcile traders to the admit
tedly small margins of profits which
modern business operations tend toward
making permanent Touching this mat
fer. it might be added that staple prices
are today in Il 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. notably iii
iron and steel, recent advances have
brought the level of prices well above
anything reported since 1892. though
it is to be remarked that much of the
business done in that industry this
spring was old levels, the most san
guine observers III this line having fail-
ed to accurately gauge the real propol-
tons of the late advances. That the
transportation interests have shared 10
Il large degree in the business resulting
from several years of large crops and av
tive demand is proved by the current
good returns, the best probably reported
so far this year, and indicating Il pro-
gressive gain over all previous records,
for the past six months, Notwithstanding
the steadily lowering rates OF transpor
tation.
There is little in the immediate ont
look that can be cOnstrude as unfavOra
ble The iron trade. having finished
the most eventual half year in its history
and most of it's contracts secured at
the old low prices. faces very good
outlook for the balance of the year ut
prices which guarantee large profits. pro-
viding adequate supplies of raw and part
ly manufactured materials can be Sc
cured. 1t is not unreasonable to look
for some check. in fact to business in
the metal consuming industries. owing
to the scarcity of these materials. One
of the latest instances of this cited. is
the serious delay reported to shipbuild-
ing industry, owing to the scarcity Of
steel plates. The labor situation has
been one of the most satisfactory fea
lures of the half years business, volun
tary advances having raised the compen-
sation of thousands Of operatives, and
labor troubles being conspicuous by their
absence till toward the close of of the
period under review, when failures to
agree upon wages and hours in the Colo
RADIO Smelling industry and in the tin
plate manufacturing rendered a large
number of w0rkmen idle. In the ease Of
the latter industry, however, the suspen-
sion. it is hoped, will not exceed the
usual summer shut down.
In agricultural lines the outlook,
though somewhat irregular. is i'll the
main favorable. The smaller yield of
winter wheat seems at the present mo-
ment likely to be partly made up for
by an increased yield of corn, and spring
wheat prospects though impaired some
what by too much rain, are regarded
as encouraging. Good weather through
out the country has allowed rather
better Out-turn in winter wheat than
throughout the South have helped the
cotton crop situation, while rice and SUI
gar finds special strength and activity in
iron, lumber and wool and wooden goods,
the latter industry having at last appa-
FcHtiy DeSuil W SHdIc III the plCNdiiihS
A feature of interest in this
connection is the advancing prices of
fine woods abroad, which seems to in
sure. temporarily at least, a foreign
market for considerable high grade do
nestle wool. Manufactured fabrics
share in this strength, but manufactu-
rers are not credited with having large
stocks of raw material. Confidence in
a good fall trade is evidenced by reports
coming from many markets Of good or
ders already booked. the volume of such !
business already done varying from 10
per cent. to 30 per cent. in excess of last
year, which it may be recalled was
quite a satisfactory one in this respect.
Wheat. including flour. shipments for
the week aggregate 3,263,99S bushels
against 3,746,71S bushels last week. f.
7164O1 bushels in the corresponding |
week Of 1893. 2.777S,S4S bushels in 1897; |
:, 6O1 ,O96 bushels in 1896, and 2,0O7 ,OO1 |
bushels in 1895. Since January LIST this |
season the exports of wheat aggregate |
90 ,O3S.61O bushels against 233, 1885, |
7O4 bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate |
4 .4S2, 116 bushels against 1872. 49, bush
els last week, 2,261 $50 bushels in this |
week year ago, 1.923.93S bushels in |
1897; 1.593, 631 bushels in 1896, and 1885,
$50 bushels in 1895 Since January LIST |
this season corn exports aggregate 17O,-
1SO,274 bushels. against 1917 ,301,9O7
bushels during the same period a year
ago.