The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-25
SOME FALLING OFF NOTED
COTTON AND COFFEE ARE BOTH
SLIGHTLY LOWER.
3 USlNESS IN IRON HAS GROWN SMALLER
Boot ard Shoe Situation Encouraging. Cotton
Goods Strong. Lumber Picking Up.
Advances in WagesE Only in
Cotton and Iron Mills.

New York, March 2l.-Rradstreets of
tomorrow, viii say:
stormy weather, retarding spring dis
tribution in some sections. has impaired
an irregular appearance TO general trade.
while some few reductions in prices Of
leading staples. notably raw cotton and
Wool, copper and some few other metals,
serve to break the otherwise almost
unVarylng appearance Of strength Of
staple values The general commercial
situation, however. continues to present
much apparent strength and the few
lines that note n quieter tone of business
find ready substitutes among other
branches, which rs vet have been rather
backward. The see-saw Of wheat prices
has been upward this week, theoretically
on reports of crop damage at home and
abroad. but largely owing TO speculative
overseeing during last weeks depression.
which by the way again developed some
good foreign buying.
Better weather at the Sorth and
especially improved roads find reelection
in larger volume Of receipts of cotton
this week. and the result is a fractional
shading of prices.
Coffee is slightly lower on the week
on rather less active jobbing inquiry
while the high price Of copper seems Mt
last to be affecting demand, which has
slackened up. with a consequent drop
in value of that metal sympathized in
by declines in tin. and lead.
THE iron situation is still one of
great strength, though the volume of
business is concededly smaller than for
some weeks past. and one grade of pig,
Bessemer, is lower on the week. Nearly
every other grade of pig iron is higher
on the week. however Steel billets and
rails are firmly held. and nearly all
classes Of finished material are higher;
rejecting the earlier advance in the
cruder forms,
The boot and shoe situation with job
bers is quite encouraging. hides. though
dull, are firm, and the same is true of
leather. while the current demand for
the finished products keeps manufacture
ers busy
Cotton goods retain all their old
strength. though somewhat quieter in de-
nand at first hands, while the talk of
combination in the manufacturing
branch of trade has seriously unsettled
the price of raw wool, which is weak
and lower.
Sugar reflects steady buying in prac-
tically unchanged quotations.
Lumber is feeling the stimulus of
the approach Of active building opera
tions, and white pine and spruce are
higher at nearly all markets. with hard
woods sympathizing and even outstrip-
ping these classes Of material in their
upward movement.
s1,.l, ;.lIt cft i- fsfa
tory While actual advances in wages
are as yet confined 10 the cotton manu-
featuring. and the iron and steel indus
tries. the current of work III other lines
is running full. and the number OF opera
tives who have gained some advantage
from the activity i'll all Industrial lines
totals easy 100000.
Wheat. including flour, shipments for
the week aggregate 3.146,76l bushels,
against 4114.O46 bushels last week
:,S9G.31S bushels in the corresponding
week Of 1898; 1,149.319 bushels in 1897;
1,144,s 37 bushels in 1896, and 2.562.965
bushels in 1895. Since July LIST this
season the exports of wheat aggregate
1S0.972. 562 bushels, against 1T6,516.SSS
bushels last year.
..Corm exports for the week aggregate
.5DJD,GZJ DHSHelS. dgdlllSl f.-l1.D-D
bushels last week; 4.496,257 bushels in
this week year ago, 5.S62,6S7 bushels
IN 1897; / .727, 962 bushels in 1896, and
612,4j4 bushels in 1895. Since July 1st
this season corn exports aggregate 126,-
133.5S2 bushels, against 131 033,926
bushels during the same period a year
ago.
Business failures for the week num-
her only 1872 as against 203 last week. a
drop of %. and compared with 2l3 in this
week n year ago; 221 i'll 1897: 216 in
1896. and 232 in 1895; and Canadian fail
ures number 33 for the week as against
q last week; % in this week a year
ago: 40 in 1897; 43 in 1896, and 40 in
1895"