The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-23
DUN AND BRADSTREET'S
A Review Of the Business During the Past
Week.
HOLIDAY TRADE LARGER THAN LAST YEAR
High Prices for Iron Are Maintained
Cotton suffered in Speculation.
Failures for the Week.

New York. December Err. G. Dun 4 Co. 5
weekly review OF trade will say tomorrow
The wors, day in Wall street for years was
in part the legitimate results OF the hest yeai
in business ever known. because the country
had prospered SO greatly and had so expanded
ito business. IL could no longer AFFORD 20 nave
many millions locked UP in carrying stocks
representing Imaginary values The question
was not one OF monetary supply When the
country found ample use for. its capital In
regular trade and productive industry, q cen
traction Of loans became necessary, which
would only have been more painful II the
volume of stocks carried had been larger
Reckoning from the highest general average
last spring industrial stocks had iallen at
the close on Monday 1871 per cent street
railway stocks IS. 30 per cent, aud other iail-
way and telegraph stocks only 40 per cert.
The business OF the county close y tne
holidays is necessarily smaller than II rus
been and yet larger than at the same date N
any other year. Exchanges through principal
clearing houses for the week have been IS, Z
per cent larger than last year and oVi per
cent larger than in 1882. Including S2.l per
cent gam IN payments OUTSIDE New YORK.
There is not even Suspicion OF unsoundness
in any considerable branch OF industry oil
trade, the extraordinary expansion in sumo
being as well warranted as the material gam
In others.
Cotton suffered in speculation for day with
stocks but the great decrease IN receipt from
farmers since September, over l,500,0s0 bales.
gives strong support to prices, as does tue
increase OF 100000 bales in taklnss by SPIN
ners. The demand for goods is quiet, the
price holding steady
Wool sales have dropped sharply with
monetary pressure, but prices do not change,
and the opening on heavyweght goods re-
tards at present purchases for mills 4ld1-
Inc ~ n
most kinds about one quarter Of cent with
evidence that recent advances could not he
sustained. Leather has been steady Tor hem
lcck sole and other sole. but in satin. gro n
and Kid the demand has fallen off suddenly.
High prices for iron are wonderfully sns
tanned, and though many works viii close
for stock taking and the holidays, while the
furnaces do not stop, pig shows no weaNneSs
Prices on finished products changed but httle,
though more concerns have reached tins POINT
of competing for new orders ana hero Is
some weakness in sheets because many YIN
/ plate mills are TO be closed soon at the East
and in plates not of the LARGEST sile compeu'
/ ton IL sharp, but in bars the demand IS some
what improved. The structural works have
continued their combination for another ycSl
with change in prices There has been les
| violent fluctuations in London markets tol
tin, but the closing price acre ID slSptA
lower at 2aS4. Copper declined little In spit
of weakness in stocks at Boston, whlle leau u
scarce and firmer at Si.65.
! Wheat has fallen both In foreign demand
and in prices, In spite OF stu greater loss II
Western receig~. Tor the week only $500 ~
bushels, against 7,34O.17o last year. Atlantis
exports, -four included, have been in thre
weeks only 1854, 1873 bushels, against 1b,ilo,
! S6s bushels last year. The price rose quleHl!
| on Monday when other things were falling
but subsequently reacted and closed }ac lower
| Corn exports are still well maintained 70
| the week. S,729,l79 bushels, against o.oLtss
/ last wear. though Western receipts hav
| fallen of, being only 9.4oi, s4s bushels Il
| three weeks. against I3, 470esi last year,
| Failures for the week have been 20 III tn
United States, against 25S last year, and twan
ty-six In Canada, against thirty one last veal