The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-01
COTTON DULL AND FIRM.
Prices Advanced Few Points, bot Was
Rather Irregular
STATISTICS AND FEATURES ARE BULLlSH
weather Reports show Gloomy
state OF Affairs In Many sections
of the Cotton Belt.
once Of Tho Post.
Houston. Monday. Ami %.

Office Of The Post.
Houston Monday. April 3d.
The cotton market is very unsatisfactory
IN both bulls and bears. The bears don't
ike II because n seems impossible to cause
a break in prices. while the bulls are thor
onehlv dieg,sted because the recent strong
statistics and had weather reports have failed
TO bring about sensational advance.
Prices were few points higher today. but
thea wa. very little snap 10 the market |
Liverpool advanced point or SO on the
distant positions New York was no TO b
nonts on the opening. ruled feverish aud ir-
regular during the day and closed to
nm for the summer months and to up on
the distant nositions. New Orleans closed
10 points higher than Saturdays final hg-
ures,
II is ouIto evident that there IS very little
speculative interest in the cotton market
Just at this time. The spot business Is so
small as 20 cause no comment one way or
the other. About the most bulllsh feature
in file situation today was an advance OF
i-i6c on spot prices at New Orleans middling
there now being quoted at Pisc Cotton iot
neat August delivery in that market couldn
get any higher than ols today though, and
closed with s,ls bid. few months ago,
however the Nav optlon was selling 10 or
40 points below spot prices while today
Nav touched AS Perhaps by The time
August rolls around the same state Of af-
fairs viii exist The bulls say that the
shorts will be glad to nav premium Of 80
points to ret out of their sales Of the
August delivery.
Reports Of damage To the cotton CROP Of
seed washed IN and Of nlantug retarded
continue 10 come In from all parts Of Texas
and thc situation IN some sections rs indeed
serious There is stul time for big crop.
however. although conditions must be nearly
perfect from this time forward in order to
secure such Weld. weather reports will
he watched closely hereafter Nothing less
than 1900, o00-hale cron from Texas will
safety the trade this year for unless this
state produces that much = total crop Of
100000 bales is 90 mpogsbity. Anything
less than that from America should keen tho
price Of cotton above PC for many months to
come
Richard Cooke & Co OF Houston say Of
cotton Tho markets were active and fever
ish TODAY with feeling in favor Of the hull
eide. Tie SPOT situation seems to BE- strong
or and there is some evidence Of spinnerS
entering the market. which II seen viii
no doubt cause 4 sharn advance. Europe Is
hesitatinF aud waiting as the foreigners
have done this entire season, expecting to
huv chtaper, but Judging from the iucreas
Ing strength of statistical situation and the
uufavorable crop conditions now prevailing.
they viii fail as they have heretofore
with continued strong spot holdings in
thia country" SAID one observer. there Is
hut one solution Of the present situation IN
cotton from our noint Of view namely, that
before long there Ia to be a SPOT demand
of large rHteut. and when huying docs begin
tho spot owner will lift his prices continually
our expectations Of quotations mucb higher
than the hest this season so far
Tho New orleans Times Democrat says.
y figures mean anything al all the cotton
trade stands face to face with famine. hui
such conclusion is impossible Of accept
anca simply because some Of The most as
tute men in the world stand ready "a guar
antee tho spinner that prices VIII bs Lower
iu midsummer than they arc Bt the nresen
moment So far ma the South is concerned
the core Of the question lies In the effcc
on the value ~ tho crop which has not ye
been planted, hut which has already beer
sold 10 n very largo extent at dscoun
OF loo pontS Evcn from this standpoint
tho outlook rs enough to shake the nerve
of MI but the castiron bears; for there 4
no oenyirg that the preliminary ooeration
have been greatly retarded over a Nor'
large portion ~ the hrlt Tho date Of fros
will thus he sure 70 possess an extreme I'm
portanre II the nest crop should through
% combination ~ circumstances. prove 10 b
a small enc, tharc would be posed tundh
mentol questions 90 supply aud demand I
which the present generation Of professional
are strangers. Srch matters reed not con
Germ tho public. In speculative way; ou
the South has the highest interest in know
ing that overy bale Of the yield Of laQo-lgo
viii Le needed and that u moderate dis
MAY Of wisdom aud courage will mi this sec
tlon with prosnerty II has not known 70
four decades.
SIX months ago some wise snecuator
said that selling the next crop OF cotton 70
&c was ike picking M money in the streets
Two months ago another crop OF wise me
declared that selling the October deliver
every time il popped IN 10 Sc was bette
investment than government bonds roda
October touched s. 50 and one OF these selei
closed out contract at loss OF $1,000
The range of prices on tho active montt
in the future markets follows.
Opening. High. Low. Close
May $50 s.ss-sa S.s2 s.s5 S.sSS-'
December . sl3-li SIS S1t SIS
May -. 1880 9t5 a,4i AL
August So. 9.li-l5 SIS ga 9.lS-
October ~ SOFA $40 S.OI S.O7-