Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-10
DUN,s REVIEW OF TRADE.

morrow will say:
"A certain hesitation in business
which shrinkage in its volume is not
unusual nor unnatural at this sea-
son. It is not necessarily disheart-
ening, therefore, If business is no
longer as large in volume as ever,
but falls behind that on February
or January or of the corresponding
week last year. Stocks in building
trades or of machinists and others
at Chicago affect many industries and
the wages of $4,000 hands. The re-
markable rise in cotton has apparent
ly met the expected reaction which
tends for the time to repress bust
ness. A few of the great corpora
lions are striving to hold prices with
out regard to present demand, hoping
that the needs of the consumers may
prevent reaction and renew the rise
of last year. Wide differences OF
opinion also exist regarding the e.
fects of monetary action by Con-
gress.
Special causes are not needed to
account for some pause after year
of unprecedented buying. That such
trade could not continue without a
pause is evident and there is not now
the excessive speculation which
threatened monetary trouble year
ago.
The output of iron furnaces March
was 292,643 tons weekly, against
29S,O14 February 1, and unsold stocks
increased 35,516 tons in February,
making consumption 40,921 tons daily,
against 41,642 tons in January. Tenn
poray stoppage of four furnaces near
Pittsburg by strike, and the reduc-
ton of output by many furnaces in
blast, perhaps in part desired and in
part the effect of scarcity of coke,
have supported prices of pig, and OF
finished products, the only change is
a slight decline in plates. Much bus
mess is evidently deferred just now
because Of doubt regarding future
prices. Connellsville coke ovens are
producing 219,221 tons weekly, with
200 more ovens soon to be added,
but coke is hard to get even at $3.50
for furnace.
Cotton sold on Monday at 9.S1
cents the highest point since Janu-
airy 10, 1893, when the crop suddenly
fell from 100000 to 100000 bales.
A sharp reaction came on Wednesday
and the price dropped 3-16 that day
and closed one-quarter below the
highest point While the demand for
immediate use has held goods strong,
there has been for some time small
desire to make contracts ahead.
Estimates of wheat in farmers
hands March 1, 164,000,O00 bushels,
according to the American Agricul-
turits, does not indicate lack of sup
ply this year. For with 100000
bushels in visible stocks, there is in
sight nearly as much as a year ago,
when foreign demands were extraor-
binary, and yet the crop year ended
with over 33,OO0,000 bushels in WISH
Bile supply. This year net exports in
seven months, flour included, have
been III, POI 1895 bushels against 49,
916,407 lest year, and in February
enough to make about 125,000,000
bushels, against 16S,OO0,OO0 last year,
with no indications of future for
sign demand approaching that of last
rear from March LIST to July LIST. Re-
turns as to condition of winter wheat
are also satisfactory. But of late
prices have been very low and have
advanced this week nearly cents for
spot and / cent for May options.
London wool sales, SO long awaited
by spectators here to lift up prices
again, opened with a severe decline
of tx to 10 per cent, causing such
disappointment that much selling is
likely, especially as manufacturers
who have held out of the market for
some months have still too large
stocks of wool and too uncertain
market for goods to be in haste.
Prices had previously declined a lit
tie here, but with some transactions.
ahe business in goods, though less
active than has been expected, has
been at fairly steady prices as yet.
In boots and shoes no change APP
pears in quotations, though not an
eighth of the usual orders for boots
has been given and not a quarter for
mems or women's heavy shoes, while
the demand for light shoes has been
Sne smallest in five years. Shipments
on former orders have been less than
in 1898. but larger than in the cor
responding week of any other year.
Failures last week were in amount
$3,482,8N, manufacturing s1,118,651,
and trading s2,161,211. Failures for
the week have been 2O5 in the United
States against 1872 last year, and 80
in Canada against 81 last year.
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