The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-06
DUN'S REVIEW FOR 1899.

Thirds SpeculAttVe-Frtce9 OF A0n
Havs Not Materially Changed.
NEW YORK. Jan. 5.-R. G. Dun q
Co. s weekly Review of Trade win say
tomorrow;
Failures in 1899 were 1883 in number,
with liabilities of sl.s, 1s2,sI9. The last
days OF the year added few to the
number and some millions to the
known liabilities of Arms and banks
which failed close to the end so that
commercial defaults reached f9e,s7s.sss-
of which saO,7s2,1s4 were In manufac-
turing; Sls.92l.771 in trading. and Sli,-
169,a54 in brokerage, promoting and
other commercial liabilities.
Most people in business have keen so
occupied with the accounts and the set
Elements OF the past year that little
new business has yet been done. No
new tendency In manufacture or in
trading appears. and there has been
less change than was anticipated in
money markets.
There is nothing unsound in the
business of the great Industries, but an
extensive revision of prices may disap-
point extreme expectations. Two ways
OF stimulating business are adopted.
The Iron Age notices transactions of
magnitude in foundry iron which indi-
cate that some sellers are willing to
r,ot,a CONCESSIONS To secure the trade
Of good customers"
But the Steel and Wire Company has
advanced prices of wire nails, barbed
and smooth wire twenty-five cents.
Bessemer pig IS not higher than It was
six weeks ago, and steel plates have
declined from 50 10 to 50 Is at Phila-
delphia, bars at Pittsburgh from 81 Is
to 50 Is, and sheets from 50 Is to s. 50,
while the structural and rail producers
have held. but refused to advance their
prices. Some new business Is reported,
but not enough Us yet to indicate the
tendency.
The year began with the important
works engaged by orders farther ahead
than at any previous date, but the ex-
cess or current demand over supply was
not clearly realized until after the ex-
traordinary severe weather Of Febrll-
airy had stopped many works for a
time, and diminished production 1900
tons weekly. Then began a rush to
get orders accepted early and on the
other side To increase the output and
manufacture. By about November /.
1t was found that the new demand for
products, though still heavy, was no
longer as large as the output, and us
the works gained upon their orders In
different lines with greater or less ra-
pldity some were soon seeking more
and accepting slightly lower prices.
Yet only a small proportion of tile
works was seeking business at the end
of the year,
In tin. after a fall from thirty-three
to twenty-five cents. the prices rise to
s25 Is, with London, and in copper 1sb
cents is quoted instead Of 1874 CENTS a
month ago.
The disposition to ask still higher
prices is seen in boots and shoes.
twenty cents advance being asked on
some, for which 17js cents was asked
and paid in November. The yielding In
hides at Chicago. in spite Of short re-
ceipts because warm weather has
checked killing by farmers. has reach
ed 6 per cent in the past month.
Cotton goods are at the highest quo
tations of last year. with good demand,
though cotton has declined a little, but
the goods were at no time advanced
quite In proportion to the material and
are in that cheaper now than a year
ago.
Wooden goods are also much lower
with respect to wool than year ago,
and some further advance has been ex-
pected. Wool is strongly held, though
full prices asked a month ago cannot
be obtained.
Cotton does not rise further because
receipts from plantations have some-
what increased and accounts of large
stocks Mt many small towns have at
tracted attention. The southern mills
can easily supply themselves with
large stocks from the surrounding
country without passing the cotton
through any market or drawing 1t until
wanted, and have done so for their
protection against the publicly an
nounced combinations last fall to raise