The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-01-11
TRADE REVIEW
Advance in the Price Of Iron and Steel Products.
Business Increasing.

Advance in the Price of Iron and Steel Products.
Business Increasing.
II. G.. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of
trade reports as follows for last week:
The year begins with the kind of busi
ness demand that counts. For months
there has been rising demand for
materials, but now the crowding de-
mand for finished products begins to
advance prices in the iron and steel
industry about ! per cent, without
iuotabe changes IN pig except at the
East. Beams have advanced 81 per
ton, angles 81, bars 81 and plates are
strong, with an Australian order IuS
$4,000 tons refused at Chicago because
the works are already overcrowded.
Many thousand cars are covered by
orders at Pittsburg; 10000 tons bars
are taken for agricultural works at
Chicago; 100000 tons rails are taken
by the Pennsylvania Company; the
Midland Railway Company of Eng
land has ordered 20 locomotives from
the Baldwin works, and many other
home and foreign orders are reported.
The demand has never been greater
at the beginning OF the year than 1t Is
now.
The wooden manufacture has a sim
liar embarrassment. While 100 quota
tons Of wool by Coates Bros. OF Phiia-
dclphig aNCrJE- IS gi cents against
~. 81 cents II year ago. lilt lllIhet -
gradually yielding, because people APP
preciate the magnitude Of stocks on
hand, which the Boston Commercial
Bulletin reports at 29l 900 600 pounds.
an increase in its account Of 1000
600 pounds for the year. Obviously
this means a great movement from
the farms to millers' stocks and east
ern markets, but prices are not yet
low enough to encourage large buying
or consumption by the manufacturers.
The only heavyweight goods yet
opened are at reduced prices, as had
been expected, and It Is still uncertain
how far the trade for the coming sea-
son may prove satisfactory.
The movement Of cotton thus far
indicates a crop of over 100000 bales
larger than that of last year in spite
of all natural disposition and concert
ed efforts to hold II back AS produc
ers are not this year in unusual need
a movement so heavy hinders any ad-
vance in price, although takings OF
spinners have been as large in 1898 as
in any other year, and exports larger
than before.
II wheat movement has to sustain
til drgest foreign demand movement
known for wheat and corn to-
gether and Atlantic exports of 5,2l4,-
i20 bushels. -four included. against o.
Si0,3 last year, with Pacific exports
of Sl4,S33 against S72,fi6 last year,
would give some reason to anticipate
higher prices were not the western
receipts 4,l0l.532 bushels against 1885,
072 for the same week last year. The
wonder is that the foreign demand for
corn continues so heavy, 3572, Alp
bushels having been exported in this
week against 2,954,S90 in the same
week last year.
The country is on the upgrade and
| the men who expect it to take the
downward road have yet some time to
wait. There are no indications of the
| reaction which always follows a large
and rapid business recovery and ex-
| listing conditions in the industries and
| in foreign trade by no means forbid
| the hope that the increase may con-
| tinue, as II did after the revival of
| 1879, for several years. Exports COM
pared with imports continue to indi-
| cate an enormous balance In cash due
this country and gold imports begin
| again.
Failures for the week have been 24S
| IN the United States. against 322 last
| year, and "a in Canada, against 32 last
year.