The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-02-22
TRADE REVIEW.

Grain, Flour and Feed.

The Organization OF Trusts for the Time Being
Stimulates Business.
II. G.. Dun e. Co.'S weekly review of
trade reports as follows for last week:
Beyond question business Is expand
ing, I'm many branches 1t is larger. not
withstanding speculative combinations
which tend to reduce it. All monopo-
lies. or attempted monopolies, stimu-
late business while they are coming,
but tend to stiile 1t after they come,
and the throng of combinations and
trusts which have been formed or
proposed have given Il temporary, but
very questionable, impetus to trade.
But beyond the influence of these there
Is n genuine and substantial enlarge
ment of business due to the unexam-
pied prosperity of growing popula-
tion.
The weeks output of pig iron Feb
ruary l was 2S7, 639 tons. against 243.-
5l6 January 1, and 235,52S December l.
The average weekly production thus
indicated was about 1000 tons greater
in January than in December, and the
unsold stocks were reduced 43,671 tons
In January, against 37,449 in December,
so that the apparent consumption in
manufacture was in January /, 110.079
tons. against 1.09S,176 in December.
The stoppage OF several furnaces for
necessary repairs at time when the
demand is most pressing has caused
some fearsof famine, although quite a
number of other furnaces have started
slnce February i, or are about to start.
Pig iron has advanced, but the larg-
est consumption ever recorded in any
month Is in part due to the hasty pur-
chases OF products about to be con-
trolled or advanced in price by COM
bination. There are so many of these
in the iron and steel industry that the
present market does not clearly indi-
cate the magnitude of demand, and
disappointment in some branches is
not improbable. But the rise of 81 i'm
steel rails, with the entire capacity of
all works engaged until after July /,
Is not unnatural nor the strength In
plates. for which the legitimate de-
mand Is beyond all precedent, and the
same Is true of bars. the quantity re-
quired for cars. railway and agricul-
tural implement works being enor-
nous. In pipe the association lifted
prices per cent. with a heavy order
from Indiana gas works.
No fictitious demand has caused the
rise in grain, for the exports continue
so heavy in wheat and corn that the
advance of 3hc in wheat is abundant
ly justified, and the rise of &c in corn
sion. Atlantic exports have been re-
started by the blizzard, but have been
2,265, 7l5 bushels. flour included, against
3l42,OoI last year, and for the crop
year thus far the exports. including
flour, have been 156,7S7,1i0 bushels,
against 143,7l4,142 last year. When il
is remembered that the exports of
corn are almost as large as the largest
ever known, there Is reason for aston
ishment at the continued foreign de-
mand. That 1t persists in spite of the
strong advance in prices here since
September l Is most encouraging. 1t
Is obviously impossible to judge how
far 1t may go.
There is much more inquiry 'or wool
and the manufacturers have a larger
demand for heavyweight goods, but
they maintain that they cannot pay
prices now demanded for wool. and
most OF the purchases made appear
to have been at some concessions.
Failures for the week have been IFS
In the United States. against 295 last
year. and IS In Canada. against 35 last
year.