Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-13
Natural Reduction in Volume of
Trade is Reported.
VARIOUS CAUSES ARE PLAINLY SEEN
Chicago Strikes Are Having Effect,
While the Reaction In Cotton Has
Big lnfiuence-AmpleS Sup.
plies of Wheat.

hesitation. in business, with shrinkage
in its volume, is not unusual or I'M
natural at this season. 1t is not nee
.essarily disheartening, therefore, if
business is no longer as large in volume
as ever, but falls behind that of Eco
ruary or January or of the correl
spending week last year.
Strikes in building trades or of ma
chinists and others at Chicago affect
many industries and the wages of 50,-
900 hands. The remarkable rise in
cotton has apparently met the expect
ed reaction, which tends for the time
to repress business. A few great cor
porations are striving to hold prices
without regard to present demand,
hoping that the needs of consumers
may prevent reaction and renew the
rise of last year. Wide differences of
opinion also exist regarding the eff
fects of monetary action by congress.
Special causes are not needed to ac-
count for some pause after a year OF
unprecedented buying. That such trade
was evident, and there is not the eX-
COSSlNS SpSCuldtlOH WHICH, IalCdlCICo
monetary troubles year ago.
After thus reviewing present BUSH
ness conditions in the United States.
r. G. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Review of
Trade continues: 3
The output Of iron furnaces March
/ was 29g,643 tons weekly, against
29S,014 February /, and unsold stocks
increased 1856 tons in February,
making consumption 40,920 tons daily.
against 1852 tons in January. Tenn
porary stoppage Of four furnaces near
Pittsburg by strike, and the reduc-
ton OF output by many furnaces in
blast, perhaps in part desired and in
|part the effect of the scarcity OF coke.
have supported prices Of pig. In fin
ished products the only change is a
lslight decline in plates. Much business
lis evidently deferred just now because
| Of doubt regarding future prices. Con-
nellsyille coke ovens are producing
[219,221 tons weekly, with 200 more
ovens soon to be added, but coke is
hard to get even at $3.50 for furnace.
Cotton sold Monday at 9.S1 cents,
the highest point since January 10,
1898, when the crop suddenly fell
from 100000 to 100000 bales. A
sharp reaction came Wednesday and
the price dropped three-sixteenths
that day and closed one-quarter be-
low the highest point. While the de-
mands for immediate use has held
goods strong, there has been for some
time small desire to make contracts
ahead.
Estimates of wheat in farmers
hands March 1-164,OOO,O0O bushels, ac-
cording to the American Agricultural
list-do not indicate lack Of supply this
year, for with 81, 600, 900 bushels in visible
stocks there is in sight nearly as much
as a year ago.. when foreign demands
were extraordinary, and yet the crop
year ended with over 33,ooo,0OO bushels
in visible supply. This year net exr
ports in seven months, flour included,
have been 111,221,S35 bushels, against
| 149,916,407 last year, and in February
tenough to make about 1875 100000 BUSH
els, against 16S, 100000 last year, with
i no indications of a future foreign de-
mand approaching thai Of last year
from March to July /. Returns as 10
condition OF winter wheat are also
satisfactory. OF late, fho, prices have
been very low and they have advanced
this week nearly three cents for spot
land cent for May options. y e
london wool sales, so long awaited
by spectators here to lift up prices
again, opened with a severe decline oil
| ~ to 10 per; cent, causing such disap-
pointment that much selling is likely,
Especially as manufacturers who have
held out of the market for some
'|months have still too large Stocks Of
1iwool and too uncertain market fo1
1goods to be in haste. Prices mad pre-.
'Eviously declined little here, but with
tsmall transactions. The business in
goods, tho less active than has been
respected, is at fairly steady prices as
Iyet.
t:} In boots and shoes no change ap.
pears in quotations, tho not an eighth
of the usual orders for boots has been
given and not a quarter for mems OF
women's heavy shoes, while the de.
mand for light shoes has been the
smallest in five years. Shipments or
former orders have been less than in
1898, but larger than in the CORE
spending week OF any other year.
Actions Of the Just