The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-27
DUN AND BRADSTREETSI
The New Business for Manufacturers las
Been light.
THE BOOT AND SHOE ORDERS ARE SMALL
Iron and steel Prices Arc yielding
Moderate Demand for Cotton
Goods--wcck's Failures.

New York. January 2s.--R. O. Dun q Cos
weekly review OF trade tomorrow viii say;
No news is not always good news. New
business for manufacturers this year has
been Light In some branches and much below
the production last month. II Is perhaps
too often FORGOTTEN that industries start this
year with larger contracts ahead than ever
before and when half the work OF the whole
year has been ordered in advance there can
not continue quite the same activity 10 new
business.
The wooien manufactures have lust opened
new season with the largest transactions
ever known in single week. IL Is said, but
in most other lines contracts previously
booked would make similar activity imposst-
Die. Yet there Is seen enough OF cause by
advanced prices to mske Inactivity trying TO
tho consumers especially Ia quarters where
II had been feared retailers were oyetbuying.
TIE boot aud shoe men are receiving small
oraets, as 1obbcrs pay the prices asked only
Ter such UNITED supplies as are needed tor
sorting. but the urgency to order is marked
and shipments from Boston have been 5S0,s6S
cases In four weeks. about 4 per cent more
than In 1898 and 10 per cent more than in
1890, with greater increases over every other
year Leather ie inactive aud slightly weaker
IN spite OF heavy exports. and hides yielding
at Chicago.
Iron and steel prices have been yielding for
several weeks and are a shade lower for
products than AZ any other tlmo since tho
middle OF September. though the Bessemtr
pig and biilets are stiN so scarce and firmly
held that only two sales. amounting TO 500
tens are anywhere reported. Agreements to
bold the price of bars do not prevent sales
for 2.0ih OF iron considered by buyers 70 no
the best rcnned. according 10 the Iron Age.
although sellers call 1t common. and plates
and sheets are both lrregular with narrow
plates sold at Pittsburg below. 2.25. Struc
tural shapes are not quoted lower, but Tie
New York Central contract for 13.000 tons
OF bridge material went TO the Pennsylvania,
Pencoyd and Detroit works and two orders
for $4,000 tons OF rails are taken at Chicago
The cotton manufacture meets but moderate
demand for goods. and extensive famine In
India is expected TO reduce British sales in
that country white the addition u S.86S. 1854
spindlos al tho south in 1899, reported by tho
Textile World would imply a heavier increase
than has been Supposed in consumption by
Northern mills, Scarcity Of water has cur
tailed the output for the week and prices
are hardly held with the distant contracts
shade lower.
Cotton has risen TO Sc. Although exports
for the month have been $4,000 bales smaller
than last year. receipts from plantations have
diminished as much. MiddlinE uplands are
now sold at higher price than has been
quoted since September 1897. and are more
than 1ikc higher than at this time last year
Wheat has advanced TO 75b. with no clear
reason for such q sharp advance Western
asi,s2s bushels, against i7,2sO,2o7 last year.
but tho Atlantic exports have been only
7737iT4 bushels. -four included, against H.
037.ss3 last year. Pacific exports show a little
gain. amounting TO 3,311,396 bushels for the
same four weeks against 2.lTS.2is last year,
but this Is Of no aid TO Atlantic markets.
Exports Of corn still show that American
foodstuf is wanted abroad having been In
four weeks 10 4s2. 1872 bushels, against 285O.abi
last year Nevertheless the price Of cash
corn hRs declined about NC. though options
prices are about the same as at tho close
Inst week
Failures for the week have been 2Sl In
the United States against 224 last year. and
80 in Canada against 30 last year.