The age-herald., 1901-12-28
HOLIDAY TRADE
 BROKE RECORDS Continued Complaint of Car and Motive Power Shortage GREAT ACTIVITY IN IRON Sales of Pig Iron for the Week Have Never Been EqualIed-Dun and
 Bradstreet's Both Send Out
 Optimistic Reports.
GREAT ACTIVITY IN IRON

New York, December 27.-Bradstreets will say tomorrow:
 Reports of a record-breaking holiday trade of seasonable quiet in leading wholesale lines, of exceptional activity at lower prices in iron and steel, of sustained activity in other industries, continued complaint of car and motive power shortages, and a general harden ing of speculative markets for food pro- ducts, are the features of trade advices to Bradstreet's this week. Specially good reports as to holiday distribution come from the East, Central West, Northwest and Southwest. Advces from some parts of the South are tempered with pessimism born of the unsatisfac- tory yields of cotton in some directions. Chicago iobbing business is the best on record and 10 per cent larger than last year, and the reports of cattle move ment are good from there and other packing centers The year closes with a burst of activity in iron and steel.
 Pig Iron Sales Enormous.
 Pig iron sales for the week have never been equalled at this season, and lack of adequate transport facilities alone is a bar to still greater volume of distri- button. The outlook is for production of 16,000 900 tons of pig iron, of 300O0,00O tons of ore and of 127,000.000 tons of steel in 1901 Prices have advanced of late and $15,75 to $16 is freely paid at Valley furnaces for Bessemer deliveries in the first quarter of next year. In finished products the mills are crowded with business. Wire rods have advanced 1 per ton. In the coke trade supplies are pilng up near the ovens, but furnaces are shutting down owing to the lack of cars.
 Wheat apparently cut loose from corn this week and displayed exceptional ac- tivity and strength for a holiday week. The winter wheat market took the lead in. this respect, buying being specially good at St. Louis. Reports of lack of snow over the winter crop have been re- ceived, but reports of a smaller surplus in Argentine, better cables, light re- ceipts west and northwest and smaller gains in the visible supply have all been features. Export business has rather been checked by the rise. Corn has been dull, though steadied by wheat while oats have frmed up a little. Provisions have shown more strength and cheese has been helped also.
 Wheat dncluding four) exports for the week aggregate 4291.543 bushels, against 4,3S2, S32 last week and 3,S6S 165 In this week last year. Wheat exports from July to date (twenty-six weeks) aggregate IA, ,090 bushels against 92, 952,A4 last sea- son. Corn exports aggregate 424, 336 bush els, against 330,9H last week and 4,011, 105 last year. From July to date corn ex- ports have been 20, 555O, 515 bushels, against 93 158, 344 last season
 Leather Shipments Are Heavy.
 New business in shoes and leather is naturally small but shipments are enor- nous. Hides and leather are stronger, the outlook being for higher prices for shoes. The cut in refined sugar of 10 to 25 points Is really reflection of the re- duction in raw quotations. though talk of the war" continues.
 Coffee Is stronger and in better demand. Quiet Is the main feature in the whole sale dry goods trade Cotton goods for future delivery are strong in sympathy with raw cotton, which has strengthened on good buying in the face Of a liberal crop movement Wool is stronger and tends higher. Receipts of wool at Boston for the year were 70 per cent larger than year ago, but stocks are no heavier at the close than at the beginning Supplies In the country are small also. Woolen goods are firm, with mems wear goods in excellent shape.
 Business failures for the week number 219, against 262 last week, 2l3 in this week last year, 220 in 1899, 21S in 1898 and 297 in 1897
 Canadian failures number 16, against "A last week, 15 in this week a year ago and 22 in 1899.