The San Francisco call., 1899-10-02
AUCTION SALES.
BUSINESS LIST WEEK.

. ID JSINESS was disturbed in New York last week
X by, the demonstration over Admiral Dewey, and
l. as the two closing days were holidays and the
iour previous ones were largely given to prepara
ons for the great event commercial considerations
we're relegated to the background for the time being.
A bunder or worse over the Liverpool cotton quota
tQns created chaos in the Southern cotton markets on
Friday So taken all in all, trade rather topsy-
ttrvy all around.
In this city the feature of the week the rise IN
wheat which though slight was sufficient to brighten
uphe cereal market and lift it from the stagnaton in
which it has lain for several months. The advance
was largely due European apprehensions OF South
African war for there have been no developments in
the condition Of the worlds crops warrant any bet
ter prices The minor cereals sympathized with wheat,
and oats and barley rose slightly under improved
demand Otherwise there was little change in the
LEGAL situation Fluctuations in merchandise were
more frequent than OF late, showing liveler state OF
trade IS with the exception OF rice and lnseed oil
which declined the changes all in the direction
OF higher prices. There were heavy shipments OF
wine canned fruits and salmon to the Atlantic Coast
and Europe while Government orders for dried fruits
and provisions maintained fair movement in these
goods, independent OF the regular demand The price
OF wine grapes in this market held firmly up to SIS
per ton the top quotation, and there signs at
leather continued active and firm. Wool and hops
we're also firm but the high ideas OF growers kept the
market rather dull The rasin association announced
its prices for the new crop and they are high enough
to suit the most exactng grower SO it was a good
week all around.
On the Atlantic Coast the movement continues far
ahead OF all other epochs September was the twelfth
consecutive month in which the volume OF business
both New York and outside OF New York has been
greater than in the month OF any previous year
In these twelve months payments through the clearing
house have been oooooo against sol 200 ooo-
GOO in the twelve months ending with September 1902
an increase OF $28 100000 over 40 per cent. It
must be remembered in this connection that 1902 was
the year previous to the panic and taken the best
year ior purposes OF comparison. 1t was thought
when the present trade activity began that it was
merely a reaction after a long period of commercial
depression and that when the repenishment Of stocks
had been completed business would naturally subside
ordinary volume But there has been no halt what
ever The demand for all sorts Of merchandise con
nues and instead OF diminishing is actually increas-
ing, being 90 per cent greater than in 1892 while
the increase in population according treasury est-
mates is only 10 per cent
Shipments OF boots and shoes from Boston in nine
months have been 35oo676 cases. against 2833682 in
1892 and in four weeks 3oo622 cases. against 100000
last year. Here the increase is nearly proper
toned to population and wages, but works are all
month or more behind their orders for the season.
This heavy buying characterizes the whole range Of
farm and manufactured products and has been so
often mentioned that repetition is useless What will
happen when this enormous buying ceases is ques-
ton which has been botherng fnancers for some
weeks, but II is folly to the bridge before we
get to it Moderate conservatism and proper atten-
tOn the future will nrObabv he sufficient eafeo-,ard
against any serious results from the current boom in
trade