The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-20
DuN's REVIEW OF TRADE.
Volume of Business Closely Approx.
mating Last Years. Record.

volume OF buslneaS Closely APPROX.
mating Last Years Record.
NEW YORK. Oct. 19.-Dun's weekly re-
view of trade tomorrow will say:
"a settlement of the coal strike sat-
isfactory to all interests having been ef-
fected, business breathes more freely in
the East and distribution of merchandise
is increasing slowly again, though the
election excitement keeps new buying in
many lines down to wants for immediate
consumption. In the West there Is not
the same hesitation, and there, as we'll
as in the South. the marketing of the
crops is responsible for a feeling CT much
confidence in the movement of business
IL the nation acts conservatively at the
polls. --
Prices Of commodities are weaker, and
the caution SO noticeable in a Presiden-
tial year keeps speculation at a minimum.
Payments through tho clearing houses in
dictate that outside Of New YORK business
is rather closely approximating last year,
the leading cities showing a less of only
I'll per cent, while there is gain Ct 2S.3
per cent over 1898 for the week. At New
York :he decrease from last year is IFS
per cent; but this years returns are POI
per cent over 1898.
Railroad gross earnings for lines re-
porting for October show gain of So per
cent over 1899, and 14.9 per cent over
1898 for the same period though the
shortage Of the spring wheat crop is lead
ing tc considerable losses on granger
lines which are not made up by movement
of general merchandise. Such reads re-
porting for October show 10 per cent de-
crease from 1899 and 5 per cent from
1898.
Cotton further declined. making the
loss about SEA bale in two weeks Plan
tiers are rushing working and picking is
expected to progress rapidly enough to
save most of the crop from early frost.
High prices make it possible to pay good
wages to plckers. and the movement at
receiving points increases largely. Eo-
nestle spinners are not liberal buyers,
but exports are only slightly smaller
than year ago. Foreign buying in
creased with the recent sharp decline.
Wheat has shown more weakness, corn
also declining, but is 6 cents above last
year. Few important fluctuations occurred
in iron and steel, but there were small
advances in Bessemer pig at Pittsburg
and billets at Philadelphia. Moderate
gains are reported in the volume of trans
actions. although the tendency is to de-
lay large contracts for a few weeks.
While woolen mills are not working
at full capacity, more seasonable wealth
er has increased buying in this line, and
purchases of wool at the three chief East
ern markets increased to 1924, COO pounds.
the best total for a long time although
still far below the amount taken through
speculative activity a year ago. Prices
are steady and holders show no less of
confidence. In other textile markets cot
ton goods are less freely bid for and are
selling well below parity with the raw
material. Sellers do not weaken in their
ideas as to prices. Many mills which re-
Gently shut down or restricted production
are running again on full time. but these
are making chiefly heavy goods.
Stocks hold recent advances with some
Investment buying. Only a small part of
the gold bought for import last week
has arrived and gone into bank reserves,
but more has been engaged. including two
lots from India and South Africa. This
has erectually checked the ad-
vance in the money market.
The international account is strength
ened by trade returns for September.
showing excess OF exports of s56.O71 1904.
while for nine months merchandise and
specie show a balance in cur favor of
SAL .O45, 465. In the second week of Oc-
tober exports from New York exceeded
last years by nearly so per cent, and for
two weeks is per cent while in two weeks
imports increased only per cent.
Failures for the week were 200 in the
United States against las last year, and
twenty-six in Canada against twenty last
year"