The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-19
VOLUME GREATEST KNOWN.
The Year in Business a Difficult One
TO Compare.


TO Compare.
NEW YORK, March r.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review of trade will say
tomorrow:
In business, this year cannot be com
pared with any other. 1t can be said that
the payments through the principal clear
ings houses for the past week nave becn
574 per cent. greater than in 1872, ana
459 per cent greater than in 1898, but
that exaggerates the gain In some
branches Of business while in others II
falls far short Of the gain. Ihus the
February exports of manufactured pro-
ducts have about doubled since 1892. omit
ting New York clearings, where specuia-
ton in stocks Is most active, payments
through the other principal clearing
houses for the same week show Increase
Of 37G per cent over 1892. and 2l.1 per cent.
over last year, but without regard 10
such details all realize that the vo.ume
of business in all branches is the great
est ever known. The national prosperity
rests on more solid foundation.
The exports of breadstuds, provisions
and cotton in February showed a decrease
of s6O0O.OO0 but other exports, NANNY
manufactured. were S36 .943 In value
AGAINST ssl. OK. se6 last year and were sufii-
GENTLY large to cover sixty per cent. OF
the entire Imports. The merchandise ex-
norris exceeded imports for the $55'bZill4,
the gold supply increasing and there
appears no occasion for monetary as
turbance The treasury recorded US nrst
payment Of the S59Ooo0O0 for the Cehlral
Pacific railroad. having previously re-
ceived S59O00.OOO for the Union Paclnc
ond over &c O0a 600 for thei Kansas Pacific.
Swiftly rising quotations for iron and
its products would mislead If II were not
kent in mind that more than nine tenths
OF the iron manufacturing capacity Is
engaged and will be until July or later
in the execution OF orders taken months
ago at low prices.
II a million tons OF products go out this
month 100000 will be at such prices as slS
TO 500 for steel rails. at which the entlre
ousnft Of the Illinois Steel Company Tor
this year was sold some time ago.
II hardly indicates the true character
Of the iron business that less than 1oO,-
Goo tons are going DOT at such prices as
s26 TO sos per ton for steel rails MADE
here for small lots this week. Belated
buyers now have to pay fancy prices 10
GET orders accepted at all. Withdrawal or
postponement OF business because of high
prices begins to be a significant feature,
and much foreign business IS evidently
lost though there are still sales for ex-
ports 500 tons of pipe for South Ameri-
ca and 1900 tons bridge material for Bur
nah.
The ConnelIsville Coke Works. with an
output OF 167. 24O tons weekly and many
operating Sundays to catch up with or
ders, have advanced prices fifteen cents
only
Wool sales at the three chief markets
have been only 4305, 600 pounds, OF which
2. 761, 900 were domestic. against 5,eis2 zoe
in the same week of 1892. of which S.5J1.2O
were domestic but prices are soft, and
some dealers are said TO have yielded as
much as 2 to cents a pound clean be-
cause nobody can guess what effect the
new combinations may have. Prices are
largely nominal, and yet there Is a
somewhat better demand for goods. Nor
has the strong demand for cotton goods
been helped by the weaker market Tor
cotton. which has fallen TO 6.S9 cents IN
spite Of a volume OF reports about the
bad condition OF the late picked pro-
duct The price OF goods has strongly
advanced and Is held, but yet depends
on the price OF cotton
The market which has lost most Is that
which has least statistical reason
to lose, because no estimate OF
wheat in farmers hands March
LIST would provide more than about
last years exports and domestic demand
10 July 1st The actual exports diour In
ciudcd) from both coasts during the past
two weeks have been 7.956.95S bushels
against 1861, S92 last year. But such ex-
ports imply a foreign demand which IS
not unlikely 70 exceed last years ana
the corn exports are also little larger
than last year. The western receipts tor
the week. $4,000 bushels against zo''''
666 last year. ,so
Failures for tho week have been iss
IN the United States against 2is last year,
and 20 In Canada against q last years