The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-21
TWIN CITIES TRADE
Continued from Fourth Pape.


fall trade, and in light shoes there are some
large sales. Yet shipments from the East in
February have been smaller than in four of
the past seven years-Dun's Review, Feb. IS.
Leath er-The demand is a little more than
ordinary. and the tendency is toward higher
prices. although not sustained at present by
active demand from consumers.-Dun Re-
view, Feb. IS.
Hides-The, market is generally stronger
at Chicago, though it's slight changes are
some in each direction, but the average re-
suit Is little advance.-Duns Review, Feb
Is.
Iron and SteeI-The output of pig Feb 1
was 237,6S9 tons weekly, against 249, SIC Jan
l and 235,528 Dec l, so that the average for
January was 240.577 tons weekly. against 299,-
522 in December. Also the unsold stocks Feb
1 were 462,904 tons, against 5O6,575 Jan l and
544024 Dec. l, showing a decrease of AZ, ST.
tons In January, against 37,449 in December.
These figures indicate q consumption outside
the stocks held By great steel making com
panies, Of 1,11G079 tons in January against
1,098,176 tons in December A famine is ex-
pected in pig iron, especially in mill iron at
Pittsburg and Grey Forge is now quoted at
$11. 25 there, though several furnaces are ex-
pected to change from Bessemer to Grey
Forge Immediately. Bessemer has advances
to s11 80 there, and quotations for No l an
thracite at the East have advanced to $12.7 IS.
Although several more furnaces are about to
go into blast, the consuming demand is SO
heavy that advance in price is not sur
pr1s1ng. The general advance in pig iron of
all classes since Jan. has been about per
cent. against about per cent on iron pro-
ducts
Rails are very strong, the entire output be-
Ing covered for the first half of the year, and
heavy sales having been recorded, amount
ing to 10000 tons at Chicago for delivery aft
er July 1. For earli-r delivery the works are
asking practically what they like, and gen
orally higher price. Ordinary quotations at
the East have not changed. The demand
for plates is extraordinary and deliveri in
side of two months are generally not obtain
able. Chicago has orders for COO tons pend
ing, with 10000 tons already booked for the
last half OF the year, and prices ara some
what higher at Pittsburg. For bars the Pitts
burg demand is very heavy, and at Chicago
covers many car and railroad orders. In
sheets a prospect of consolidation pushes
prices somewhat higher. The pipe associa-
ton has advanced prices 8 per cent and or
ders for $50 miles of pipe have been placed
W dA lliiidHG gas cOuceTN, WITH lurt0er Or
ders for about fifty miles pending.-Dun's Re-
view, Feb. IS.
TAXING GRAIN IN NORTH DAKOTA.
The suggestion to tax grain has been
brought forward in the legislature of North
Dakota, where it has been embedded in a
concurrent resolution for a constitutional
amendment. This provides that the legisla-
tive assembly may tax wheat, fax and oats
and barley grown in the state and stored
in the elevators or kept for seed at a rate of
not to exceed half cent a bushel on wheat
the same on fax, third of a cent on barley
and quarter of a cent on oats. At present
the grains grown in the state pay practically
no taxes. The millions of bushels of wheat
grown in the state are threshed and disposed
of between assessments. The rate of quar-
ter to half a cent a bushel if applied to the
millions of bushels of various grains grown
in the state, would, it is said, produce a reve-
nue. exceeding $3.50 900. How the measure is
likely to be received generally is not yet ap-
parent flcm the advices at hand.-Bradstreet' 8
Feb. Is.