The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-11
DUN'S WEEKLY
REVIEW OF TRADE
General Rise In Wages Gives ASSuF-
anCO Of Prosperity.
COTTON MILL OPERATIVES
And Workers in Iron, Tin and Coal
Mines Have Been Benefited.
GENERAL VOLUME OF BUSINESS
Has By No Means Diminished, Though
Bad Weather Has Affected the
Output of Some of the
Iron Industries.
GENERAL VOLUME OF BUSINESS

New York, March 10-R. G. Dun & Co.'S
weekly review of trade will say tomorrow:
By far the best assurance of good busi-
ness In the future is found in the general
rise of wages. The general advance In earn
ing of cotton mill operatives, in most cases
10 per cent, of iron and steel workers gen.
orally 10 per cent, and in tin plate and
sheet workers from to 10 per cent, and of
coal miners, in some large districts, about
as much, has set pace which most estab-
lishments will follow which have reduced
wages in the past years of depression.
Those who fail to comprehend what such
a change may mean have only to consider
that tenth increase in the wages of all
labor would put into the markets a new
buying demand in amount about three
quarters OF the entire value of exports to
all countries. The volume of business shows
no signs of decrease and for the first full
week of March has been about SIT per
cent. greater than in the same week of last
year and 6O.9 per cent. greater than In
1892.
Most people would not expect the produc-
tion OF pig iron to be affected by the
weather. Yet in the Pittsburg district
alone, the furnaces running are said to
have produced 1900 tons per week less
than their January output, SO that the de-
crease in weekly production of all furnaces,
22S1e1 tons March, against 237, 6S9 February
l, does not mean anything more than
bad weather.
Shrinkage of Iron Supplies
The shrinkage of supplies of iron in Feb
ruary, just when increased supplies were
expected and needed and contributed much
to the extraordinary advance in prices
$.75 in anthracite No. /. February /, $3.50
in Bessemer pig at Pittsburg and $275 in
Greyforge. The unsold stocks were also
reduced in February ,431 tons, so that the
apparent consumption was 977, 979 tons in
the short month. Nearly all of the work
done, OF course, is at the comparatively
low prices made in the great contracts
three to four months ago, but the few
works which are still able. to contract for
early delivery are charging about what
they please and these quotations appear
In the published statements; in many cases
81 to IS per ton premium is paid for delivery
within sixty days. Plates are in especial
demand and higher but in rails, bars and
structural forms the demand and prices are
not yet much changed. Tin is firm at
$23.S5 with consumption of $500 tons
monthly and copperais scarce for spot at
$17.75 with lead weaker at 4.30. The trust
refuses quotations for tin plates. The
demand for coke exceeds the transporting
capacity for the Connelsville region but the
output has been 16S679 tons for the week,
furnace being quoted at SLIGO and foundry
at 81 per ton.
The Wooien Manufacture
The wooden manufacture has been ham,
pered by doubts about the prices of wool,
but now big combination of worsted pro-
ducers has been formed, with several other
combinations proposed in goods of other
kinds, but these do not encourage buying
and the season continues disappointing.
In wool markets sales are barely equal to
the ordinary consumption of mills depend
ent upon them, but prices are rather weak.
Cotton goods have been advanced about 4
per cent during the past month, and are
still rising.
Exports of wheat do not yet fall below
last years, as many have for some months
expected, and the Atlantic exports, flour
included, have been for the week 3,309, 902
bushels against 1850, S79 bushels last year;
and Pacific exports have been 603 1877 BUSH
els against ,2S0, $50 bushels last year, with
other exports of 407 $50 bushels. Western
receipts were 71,O17 bushels against e.
752,91S bushels for the same week last
year, and the output from the country
gives further apprehensions as to the de-
ficiency of the crop. The price is about
cents lower for spot and corn Is about
cent lower. with western receipts of 1862
404 bushels against 5,4S7 ,203 bushels last
year, while exports have been for the same
week 1857 1857 bushels against 1851 S5l BUSH
els last year.
Failures for the week have been 1872 IN
the United States against 24S last year,
and 81 In Canada against SO last year.