The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-10
INCREASE IN PRODUCTION
1T Is STILL NOTED IN NEARLY ALL
LINES OF MANUFACTURE.
Strength of Staples, Notably I'm Agri-
cultural Lines, Is the Weeks
Feature-Exports of Grain.

NEW YORK, Feb. Or. G. Dun & Co. s
weekly Review of Trade will say to-mor-
row: The industries are still surprising in
actual output the work of any previous
year. Their new business is not corre-
spondingly large, nor could such orders be
accepted by most industries. if offered, but
enough are coming to prevent stoppage OF
works or much decline in prices. In wooden
goods new business of remarkable volume
sustains a marked advance in prices, and
In other lines Of Importance. as in ma
chinery, orders indicate a surprising for
eign demand. Meanwhile, though encour-
aged by the abundance and ease of money,
speculation does not in any direction, as
yet, go without a check far enough to do
mischief There is much of the speculative
spirit abroad, but also more caution than
is usually shown after a year of exception
al prosperity.
Cotton followed it's rise from Sc to SIC
last week by further rise to s.56c, with
growing belief that the crop will prove
short enough and the consumption large
enough to give holders quite their own
way. The decrease in receipts of January
was $4,000 bales. or 20 per cent. but in
December the decrease was more than 20
per cent. The exports i'm January were
smaller than last year by $4,000 bales, over
60 per cent, and Ellison's report of 566,)oo
bales in European mill stocks, Jan. !. with
visible stocks of American cotton 1855, i52
bales Feb. !, show that good part of the
years needs is already provided for. But
it is reasoned that If visible and invisible
stock should be reduced below 1,SOO,c0
bales at the end of the year, as they were
in 1897 prices would range between &c and
SIC, as in that year they did from Feb.
tn Sept. 1, with a great drop coming
The weekly output of pig iron Feb. was
29S,0l4 tons, but stock unsOld rose $50 tons
in January. indicating consumption
slightly smaller than the output when the
month began. AS the consuming works
were naturally stopped about the holidays
more than the furnaces. the figures prove
little, but Bessemer and grey forge at
Pittsburg have not changed in price during
the past week, and slightly lower offers Of
pig by Southern and otner new furnaces at
Chicago and Eastern markets have had
little effect. 1t is more significant that the
decline of prices for some weeks in bars,
plates and sheets has been checked. Large
orders have been taken Ior these and other
products, indicating that the works in need
of business may have obtained enough for
a time.
Though prices of hemlock sole have been
reduced half a cent, and of split and some
upper feathers, the boot and shoe manu-
facturers not yet inclined to buy large
ly. as they are getting but small part Of
the contracts they need at this season.
Jobbers still hold back as far as they can,
and the slow yielding in hides at Chicago
increases expectation that leather may fur
Their decline. But though buying is very
small, the works producing and deliv-
ering more than ever before. Last year
the deliveries from Boston were "a per cent.
larger than in 1890, but this year thus far
they have been IS per cent larger than last
years.
Failures for the week were 245 in the
United States, against 2l7 last year, and
80 in Canada, against So last year.