The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-28
PRICES DECLINE.
DUNN'S WEEKLY TRADE
REVIEW.

Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade ,omor-
row will say Prices of materials are
yielding. If not the best Dews possible
tor some speculators. it is the best that
could coue for the country, since
Industries could not long prosper with
ous reaction from the extreme prices
caused by actual OF supposed scarcity
of materials last year. Some help
comes from new iron furnaces that
have opened or approach completion.
Some from the famine iD lodia, which
sends hi,her sbipioads of hides, come
from the much increased aocks Of
sheep which have weatbered the winter,
and some from the opening of pew
iron, zinc or copper miues The causes
are mapy, but the revision of quota
,ion gives promise Of greater activity
in all the chief industries
Tie great iron industry hss been
em mbarrassed by prices for pig and
billets, which we're DO logger sustained
by the gradually yielding prices of
products. Considerable transactions
are now reported at Philadelphia 81 to
ST. so per ton below recent quotations..
At Pittsburg 100000 tons Bassemer
have been sold aod IS 900 tons biliess.
both iron and steel beiog reported 81
per ton lower. The new furnaces sup
plying foundry iron have been CON-
pe,ing sharply at tie east, aud small
sales of Bessemer have been made for
Pittsburg delivery at 50 to 65 ceots
below previous quotations. Sheets are
s.reugtbed there by the new combiaa
tious, though it doee DOT embrace some
large works. but with this addition Of
500. 600 tons yearly aod its sales to the
hoop and tin plate companies. the
National Steel has secured large aud
r'ch mines 10 Minnesota.
Plates are still. weak. as most con-
sumers are provided far ahead. but a
Pacific order covers 2 600 tons and the
Chicago apd Northwestern has placed
orders at the east for 5 900 tons bridge
work. and better business enables tin
plate works which have been idle to
resume.
Cheaper hides and leather enable
boot and shoe makeaa to take contracts
for split goods at %, less>thao prices
recently asked. ana some large sales
have resulted. giving part of the chops
work fer some time. Others are get
ting very few orders and some are
stopping or expected to stop 10 two
weeks. The yielding iu split leather
began early this month, and io hemiock
sole week earlier aod has reached |
oeus per pound. while this week uuiop
backs and kid and glove grain upper
lee.ber are cheaper. Hides at Chicago
have again yielded, making 3 per cent
fall in a month aud 73 per ceut since
Dec l3 Supplies accumulate and on
wbarves at jersey City 250,000 hides
we're landed from India Shipments Of
boots aud shoes from the east have
been 10 three weeks 28.19 cases
against 24S 379 iu 1898, the largest
previous year
At last it is sduitted that wool quo
tat,ons so long held are fully 3 cents
per secured pound higher than prices
10 large actual sales last week and
siuce, the decline covering grades be-
tween ouc quarter blood aod lower,
which is ip demand aud scarce, snd
6ue fleece graded Xxx or above. The
explanations are ,pauy the fact is that
wheo roills made enormous sale of
heavyc light goods aud then bought DO
wool, the fable that their stocks were
exhausted ceased to nave force 10
6pe medium territory, selling at o8
cents secured aud other wool down to
;5e low grades. tie fall is general, ard
English markets are also weaker
Goocs Of 6oe grades have been opened
With much less advance 10 price thao
vas made 10 cheaper grades, but cao
ceilations cootinus ouDercus
Prices of co,tons are still adFaoclog,
the Fall RIVER committee having raised
all ito goods ao eighth, and in spite o.
heavy pert receipts, spot cotton ad
yauced 10 9 06 cects.
Failuroe in three weeks have been
81. .241.230 against S7.129,1S0 last
year AID 1928 439 10 1898, but in
the previous years they exceeded
$40. 800 0o0 Manufacturing were
81 $50 536 assisss So 643 1854 last
year. and trading were S3,S22 $50
against 50. 237 .472 last year.
Failures for the week have been iD
the United States 201 against 191 last
year. aud SO 10 Canada against 40 last
year.