The San Francisco call., 1899-09-18
AUCTION SALES.
STILL BUYING RIGHT aND LEFT.

y TTENTION has been frequently called OF late,
! to the surprise OF commercial authorities that the
1 Ageneral and sometimes sharp advance in prices
throughout the United States has in wise checked
the demand. Buying in all sections IS reported as
lively as ever and the advance in quotations has thus
far produced no effect whatever Evidently the pur-
chasing limit OF the people has not yet been reached
and the fears OF the aforesaid commercial authorities
have not been realized.
A good illustration OF this is the enormous volume
OF trade in August according the monthly statistics
lust received Exports were $2oO82,8I5 larger than
ever before in August and exceeded imports by $3,
o2o6Qo partly because exports OF staples $780,
o8 larger than year. but also because exports OF
other products mainly manufactures were SIo,34oooo
larger than those OF last year. and larger than in
other month OF any year In fact the business of the
country this year has never been equaed
OF course there must be pause time, for this
enormous purchasing of merchandise cannot go on
forever without cessation, and when that pause will
come and in what shape is question now bothering
the heads OF inanciers. The great staples continue
up to highly profitable point both to the producer
and manufacturer, if we except wheat which remains
comparatively low in consequence of good crop pros
poets Purchases OF wool are large, but somewhat
speculative The iron trade is still exerting itself to
fill all orders but finds it impossible and many are
ufacurers are complaining that the advance in the raw
material has outstripped that in the manufactured
product. thereby cutting down profits Coal oil has
made several advances Of late largely account Of
the rise in tin, and hides and leather are enjoying
keen and continuous demand at very firm quotations
Lumber has again gone up at several ceners and the
inquiry is seemingly sharp ever. Cotton has
shaded off fraction, owing to good crop prospects,
rather the refusal of spinners believe otherwise.
The only article to show the effects of overproduction
IS brick though it would seem that lumber and brick
ought to 20 hand in hand to a considerable extent.
The usual statistics, on which fnanciers base their
views the state OF trade continue encouraging The
countrys bank ceafngs last week 287 per cent
larger than for the corresponding week in 18o8 and
not single city OF importance in the whole country
showed decrease The failures were 49, against ia
last year, both records being small.
The local situation stands about the same being
characterized by fine home demand for all sorts Of
goods and demand for export which cannot wholly
be filled, is in OF the tonnage available to
take the merchandise away. The call is general and
embraces lumber, groceries, canned and dried fruit
beef and pork and their products clothing etc The
vineyardsts smiling sharp advance in wine
grapes to $2o123 per ton here which means $17 soM
20 in the country, though the admitted shorness of
the crop will cut down the gross proceeds materially
BUYERS are securing the country for grapes at the
high prices The output of canned fruits has unfor-
tuuaelv been down about IS per cent by the recent
scarcity of tin but with this drawback the fruit
grower has nothing to complain of this year Unless
present conditions be overturned by some now unore-
seen commercial check the fall trade will be
The largest for many years, if not indeed the largest
ever known.