The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-18
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEWS
-Bradstreefs and Dun Review the Condition
Of Trade In the Country.
BUSINESS IS FOUND TO BE EXPANDING
Large output of Pig Iron and Prices
ufsLcr-An Advance in wheat,
Corn and Cotton.

| New York. February E.--R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade tomorrow
| will say: Beyond question business is OK
panding, and in many branches 1t is
| lnrger. notwithstanding speculative com
| binatlons which tend TO reduce 1t. All
nonopolies or attempted monopolies stim-
uIate business while they are coming, but
tend to stiie it after they come and the
| throng of combinations and trusts which
have been formed or proposed have given
| q temporary, but very questionable, I'M
| petus Il, the trade. But beyond the iniiu-
| ence of these, there is a genuine and sub
| stsntial enlargement of business, due to
the unexampled prosperity Of growing
population.
The weeks output of pig iron was about
| 1000 tons greater in January than IN De-
cember. Pig iron has advanced, put the
| largest consumption ever recorded III any
month is III part due to the hasty pur-
chases of products about to be controlled
or advanced in price by combination.
There are so many or those III the IRON
and steel industry that the present market
does not clearly indicate the magnitude of
demand. and disappointment in some
branches is not improbable. But the rise
of 81 in steel rails, with the entire capac-
ity of all works engaged until july j, is
not unnatural. and the strength in plates,
for which there is Il legitimate demand,
is beyond all precedent. and the same is
true of bars, the quantity required for
cars. railway and agricultural implement
works being enormous.
No fictitious demand has caused the rise
in grain, for the exports continue so
heavy in wheat and corn that the advance
OF SIC in wheat Is abundantly justified,
and the rise of &c in corn seems scarcely
enough for the occasion. Tho Atlantic
exports have been retarded by the bliz-
card, but have been 2,265, 7lb bushels flour
included, against 3142,057 last year, and
for the crop year thus far the exports, In
Guiding -four, have been lao, 1877, $40 bush
els. against 143, 142 last year When it
is remembered that the exports of corn
are almost as large as the largest ever
known. there is reason for establishment
at the continued foreign demand
Nor does the foreign demand for cotton
abate. though the price has again been
raised 3-l6c during the past week The
exports have decreased some. but the con-
trolling factor is that remarkable
shrinkage in receipts from plantations
appears to indicate u smaller yield than
has hitherto been expected. II should be
remembered that the receipts have been
greatly hindered of late by bad weather,
and when it passes away they are likely 10
look as large as they now look small but
snow in New Orleans also means failure
to save and market some cotton which
might otherwise be saved. The heavy de-
mand for goods helps to advance prices
Just now, although no assurance can be
given that the declining prices will not
presently check that demand.
There Is much inquiry for wool and the
manufacturers have a large demand for
heavyweight goods, but claim that they
can not pay prices now demanded for
wool. Sales at the three chief markets
We're 100000 pounds, which is about the
weekly consumption, with Western mills
well employed.
The minor metals have been running
weaker, with a reaction i'll London, al
though the industries have shown no
abatement of demand In this country, and
the rise in prices here Is largely due to
Increased consumption.
Failures for the week have been IFS in
the United States, against $50 last year.