The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-08
BUSINESS ON A SOLID BASIS.
IT Is PROGRESSING WITHOUT
SPECULATIVE ACTIVITY.

small Volume OF New Business at
Iron and steel Ccntcrs Furnishes
no Causc for AInrm-Ccreals IN
htbtt strength for the First Time
in Meeks-Cotton Remains firm.
and Rice l. nrInginE Very Good
Prices.
New York Dee 7--R. C. Dun a Co.'S
weekly Review OF Trade tomorrow will
say;
Business is progressing along conserva-
tive lines. il is without excitement and
without great speculative activity, but
with 4 conadcut uudertoue which ls 70 be-
explained largely by tho fact that lead
tnF concerns 81 most Of the great indus
trlce have orders booked 10 employ their
machinery az nearly full capacity during
months when curtallment is usual
40 net reduction IN working force has
appeared in the iasi fortnight. and r.
adjustment OF wage schedules tn some
branches Of the steel trade Is effected
without trouble.
Prices OF commodities are generally
steady. ana holiday trade Is brisk a. ala
polnts. The South is particularly cheer
fol with cotton firm and the rice crop
coming IN az very fun prices.
iron and steel Trade.
There is no cause for alarm in the small
volume OF new business at irou aud steel
oentcns VITA TIE ara slsn ~ higher
prices there camo forward nool Of CON
tracts sumclent 20 keep mills and fur
naces at FUN capacity for months There
s. less bidding for products. Fortunately
quotations Mere not forced up unreasou-
ably during The weeks OF greatest actiV-
ity and nov there Is 40 sign OF depression.
on the other hand, bars are more firmly
held. while many idle mills have resumed
IN this department ana sheet makers also
insist on better terms. other forms OF
finished material are steady, and a. most
points pig e. unchanged. although con
oessions are made for Bessemer al Pitts
burg. Numerous bridges are being erect
ed BY che railroads and a heavy tonnage
Of structural steel Is taken. other rail-
way supplies are In active demand. NTH
rolling stock urgently eought Business
IN iron s. particularly brisk a. Chicago.
With slight moderation Ia domestic buy
ing. more attention is given 90 exports.
Aside from further advance OF % 50
mems kip boots and hrmuess Ia grain
shoes the market for footwear has quiet
oede from the generally higher range es-
tablished last week. Makers have fewer
new orders, however ana heavy winter
footwear has been purchased FOR the sea-
sons requirements The customary holt
day demand has not appeared. though
retailers have full lines Of fancy shoes
and slippers.
Wool remains steady and sales are less
than half last years Manufactured pur-
chase carefully and the goods fnarkes BE-
unusually dun for the season.
Cereals Are strong.
For the arst time in many weeks the
cereals exhibited strength. and some ad-
vance was 20 be expected after the extern
slve decline Wheat was started upward
by foreign markets and prompt Response
here compelled covering Of contracts
Nothing OF importance was learned r.
garding domestic conditions aside from
the heavy marketing al interior cities.
as indicated hy Western receipts OF !. S15-
40 bushels. against as0i7ss IN the pre-
yious week. ard 5.2s3.0l0 year ago.
on the other hand exports at the Allan
tic coast cities were only 22ltfa bushels,
against 3E96U In 1888 More strength
was shown hy corn. which brought out
receipts ~ Asl9.i6s bushels. against 3f'9.-
~ last year. but foreign bus ng was brisk
even so quotations cents higher than
last year Atlantic exports for the week
aRgreEating 6s36.7l5 bushels. against S709.-
273 IN 1889
Coston was stuhbornly held above 70
cents. Many reports from plantations
suggest a crop larger than prevailing es-
Inmates. and heavy port receipts also dis
courage hopes Of higher prices. Traders
impaticntly await TIE government report
Failures for the week were NJ in the
United States. against 81 last year