The age-herald., 1900-01-06
R. (. DUN'S WEEKLY
 REVIEW OF TRADE The Business World Has Been
 Marking Time. LITTLE TRADING WAS DONE Cotton Does Not Rise Further Because Receipts from Plantations Have
 Increased-Accounts of Large
 Stocks from Small Towns
LITTLE TRADING WAS DONE

New York, January 5.-R. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of trade will say to- morrow:
 Failures in 1899 were 9,S93 in number, with liabilities of $12s, ,132,679 The last days of the year added a few to the number and some millions to the known liabilities of firms and banks which failed close to the end, so that commercial defaults reached $9O, O,S79, ,SS9 of which $30, 792 164 were in man. ufacturlng. $4S,924771 in trading and s11,- 162,954 in brokerage, promoting and other commercial liabilities.
 Most people in business have been so oc- cupied with the accounts and the settle ments of the past year that little new ous- mess has as yet been done. No new ten deney in manufacturers or in trading ap- pears, and there is 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 disappoinit extreme expecta- tions Two ways of stimulating business are adopted The Iron Age notes transac- tfons of magnitude in foundry iron, which indicate that some sellers are willing to make concessions to secure the trade of good customers.
 But the Steel and Wire company has ad- vanced prices of wire nails, barbed ana smooth wire 25 cents. Bessemer pig is not higher than it was six weeks ago, and steel plates have declined from s3.10 to s22o at Philadelphia. bars at Pittsburg from $2.25 to s215 and sheets from s315 to s2.SO, while the structural and rail producers. have held but refused to advance prices.
 f,tnt a,oIf enough as yet to indicate the tendency. Ih tin, after fall from 8 to 20 cents, the price rises to 25.25 with London, and in cop per 161a cents Is quoted instead of 1872 cents a month ago.
 >Ihe disposition to ask higher prices is seen in boots and shoes, 20 cents advance being asked on some for which 17h cents was asked and paid in November. The yielding in hides at Chicago in spite of short receipts, because warm weather has checked killing by farmers, has reached per cent. in khe last month. Cotton goods are at the highest quotations of last year, with good demand, though cotton has de- clined a little. But the goods were at. no time advanced quite in proportion to the material, and are in that sense cheaper now than year ago. Woolen goods are also much lower with respect to wool than a year ago, and some further advance has teen expected Wool is strongly held, though full prices asked a month ago can not be obtained.
 Cotton does not rise further because re- ceipts from pantati tions have somewhat in- creased and accounts of large stocks at many small towns have attracted atten- ton.
 The southern mills which can easily sup ply themselves with large stocks from the surrounding country without passing the cotton through any market, or drawing on it until wanted, many have done so for the protection against the public by an- nounced combinations last fall to raise prices. These mills consumed last year 100000 bales. but are reckoning as having taken for this years crop only 491 900.
 Wheat still moves very sluggishly, with small change in prices. In six months of the crop year about 99,O00,OO0 bushels, flour included. have been exported against 123,- 100000 last year. Atlantic exports have now fallen to only 2,0S0,926 bushels for the week against 5,3l4 ,42O last year. and Pacific ex- ports were 53l, ,225 bushels against 614,S33 last year. The price is practically un- changed, as also for corn, of which B. 92S,195 bushels have been exported for the week against 3,572,4l2 last year.
 Failures for the week have been 273 in the United States against 243 last year. and 25 in Canada against 24 last year.