The age-herald., 1899-01-21
BRADOTREET'S
 REVIEW OF TRADE Further Advances in Cotton and the Met
 aIS Flake Outlook Brighter. THE IRON TRADE SITUATION
Remains as Tor Some Tina Past an h.
 ter0Stlns Feature.
IMPROVEMENT IN, DRY GOODS LINE
Little Change Reported in the Market for Cereals Lumber Trade is in Satisfactory Condition Hides
 and Leather Steady.

New York, January 20-Bradstreet's to- morrow will say:
 The continued strength Of staple values, accentuated this week by further advances in iron and steel and other metals and in cotton at the south has undoubtedly added to the confidence with which the outlook for the ensuing year is regarded. That this confidence has fair basis in fact win be gathered from the reports received from the iron and cotton goods trade.
 The firmness in cotton goods being of con siderable interest in view of the depression ruling throughout the larger part of last year. Good trade adyices from abroad a reduced movement at the south and ten- dency to pare down estimates are reflected in the slight gain in raw cotton values this week. The advance shown, however, hard ly reflects the urgency noted in the demand for the better grades of cotton, which this year are searcer than usual owing to bad weather during the picking season.
 Iron Trade Situation
 The iron trade situation remains as for some time past feature of absorbing inter-. est Large as the production of pig iron is, eager buyers are found apparently for every ton offered. strong side-light upon the strength of iron and steel the world over is offered by the statement that iron in Glasgow this week reached the highest prices noted for ten years past. Features of the domestic market have been gains in prices of Bessemer and southern pig, steel billets, wire rods and steel rails and in addition, copper, lead and tin are all higher.
 fG to11 1a in, thA orlzo for cereals and the market for cash wheat still reflects the commanding position held by the United States as the supplier of the worlds wheat, notwithstanding the predic- tions of near approaching competition from Argentina and from Russia, shipments from which. particularly the latter. do not all accord with the liberal estimates of pro- duction published some little time ago.
 Perceptibie Improvement
 There is perceptible improvement in the demand for dry goods, particularly cotton fabrics at New York and Boston, where late advances are firmly held There is also more doing in dress woolens at those mar kets.
 The lumber trade at most markets Is in satisfactory condition. The strength of prices is unimpaired and advances In white pine are reported from the west, while in
 
 unchanged. Advices as to general iistri- butive trade are quite favorably. Raw wool IS dull, but steady. At the London sale prices have opened higher and the predic- tion Is made that present American stocks Of wool will have to be replaced at con- siderable higher range of values.
 The outlook in the boot and shoe trade is regarded as good and fair business is doing at steady prices in hides an leather
 
 DUN'S REVIEW
 New York, January 20-R G. Dunn & Co.'s weekly review of trade will say to- morrow:
 "A new year rarely opens brilliantly. Too many traders have to wait for the demand which in winter comes slowly. The indus tries resist fairly well the tendency to un- limited expansion which some have to meet Speculation in products is gaining but lit tie, while stocks are enormous in volume of business and results in continually higher prices. The volume of payments through clearing houses ordinarily 42. is extraordin- ary 42.7 per cent. larger than last year. 3S.9 per cent. larger than in 1897, and 515 DOT cent larger than in 1892, even the transactions outside of New York show gains over 1892 of 44.6 per cent Speculation at New York heretofore cannot be the main cause of gain. Difficulties between holders of material and manufacturers con- tinue to hinder in some industries, and in some may prove seriously embarrassing but the activity is on the whole unsurpass- ed hitherto, and the volume of traffic is be- yond all expectations.
 Tn some branches consumption is ruling beyond the producing capacity, but in