The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-06
TOP HAS BEEN REACHED.
q Number of Metal Products Show
Decline in Price.

New York. Jan. 6-R. c. Dun &
Companys Weekly Review of Trade
says:
Failures in 1899 were 1898 in num-
Der, with liabilities of 1928, 1859 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 $780, SS9'
o. which $50. 1872, 1854 were in manufactur-
ing, S48.924,771 in trading and $1l, 1872
954 in brokerage, promoting and other
commercial liabilities.
Most people in business have been 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 less change than
was anticipated in money markets.
There is nothing unsound in the bust
ness of the great industries, but an ex-
tensive revision of prices may disap-
point extreme expectations. Two ways
of stimulating business are adopted.
The Iron Age notices transactions of
magnitude in foundry work which in
dictate that some sellers are willing to
make concessions to secure the trade of
good customers
But the Steel and Wire company has
advanced prices of wire nails barged
and smooth wire, 25 cents. Bessemer
pig is not higher than it was six weeks
ago and steel plates have declined from
5IU 10 20 at RD1laQelplla. DaTS at Plus
burg from 225 to 215 and sheets from 3l5
to $50. while the structural and rail pro-
ducers have held but refused to advance
prices. Some new business is reported,
but not enough as yet to indicate the
tendency. In tin, after a fall from 80
to % cents. the prices rise to 1925 at
London, and in copper 1872 cents is
quoted instead of 1872 cents a month
ago.
The disposition to ask higher prices
oh al
vance being asked on some for which
171s cents was asked and paid in No
Vember. The yielding in hiGeS at Chi
eagO, in spite Of short receipts because
warm weather has checked killing by
farmers, has reached g per cent in the
past month. Cotton goods are at the
highest q Citations 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 a year ago Wooden
goods are also much lower with respect
to wool than a year ago, and some fur
Their advance has been expected.
Wool is strongly held, though full
prices asked a month ago can not be
obtained
Cotton does not rise further because
receipts from plantations have some
what increased and accounts of large
stocks at many small towns have at
tracted attention. The southern mills,
which can easily supply themselves
with large stocks from the surround
ing country without passing the cotton
through any market or drawing it until
It is wanted many have done so for
their protection against the publicly
announced combination last fall to raise
prices. These mills consumed last year
900 bales, but are reckoned as hav-
ing taken from this years crop only
491 600.
Wheat still moves very sluggishly
with small change in prices. In six
months of the crop year about $4,000, 900
bushels, flour included, have been ex-
ported, against 1913, OOO, 600 last year. At
lantic exports have now fallen to only
$780, 1926 bushels for the week against
5,214,420 last year, and Pacific exports
were 531,225 against 614S33 last year.
The price is practically unchanged, as
also for corn, of which 3.923,19 bushels
have been exported for the week
against 1872, 412 last year.
Failures for the week have been 27S
in the United States against 243 last
year and 25 in Canada, against "A last
wear.