The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-04
ON .oLD-FAsH1oNED LINES.

X and featureless 1t is the same story, day
after day. of briskly moving merchandise large
.vApcrts, prices ard general commercial content
nent throughout the land. Even Wall street, which
the most sensitive spot in the country, has been
without ripple, if the recent decline in the copper
stocks be excepted. The great staples have moved
along smoothly passing from the farm to the mer-
chant, ard thence to the consumer to foreign
countries, without especial feature The labor
bles have been left in the wake, and the moment
the great commercial sea as tranquil mill pond
glance at the countrys bank clearings for the
past week tells the story. There was the usual
monotonous increase in the volume of trade last
year, the gain being 1858 per cent, not important
city showing decrease. The failures were 49,
against 16s last year. and were mainly small and ul-
important. The iron and steel trade sent III the old
stereoyped reports Of active demand for struc-
tural material, with the mills many months behind
their orders, and with business being turned
down because it cannot be attended to with the
desired promptness The manufacturers of footwear
intimated fortnight ago, have been obliged to
make small advance in their quotations. owing to
the higher prices for hides and leather both of which
are active and firm. The textile mills fully en-
poyed the wooden mills have all the orders they can
fiji in the future, and their purchases OF raw
wool keeping that product firm, the transactions
at Boston alone last week amounting to between
100000 and 100000 pounds.
If there be any distinctive feature to trade at the
moment it is the scarcity of cars, frequently men
toned of late This condition applies to all parts
OF the United States and is hampering trade every
where. California is calling for cars to move lis
grain hay and fruit, and the coal regions of the East
unable to meet the enormous domestic and large
foreign demand for this fuel in consequence of this
1octr ~ A..
best, but cannot supply any faster than the
mills rushed with all sorts of ORDERS can get the
material and build them. This condition shows the
general activity in trade throughout the country
Were there sufficient cars to carry ali the freight
offered the business of the country would be phe-
nomenal
Another feature is the improvement in wheat and
corn, the latter leading in point of activity. The
Southwest seriously short of this important staple
and the shortage is affecting wheat and provisions.
The farmers in the Mississippi and Missouri valleys
are feeding large quantities of wheat to their stock
in lieu OF the usual yellow staple and provisions are
also feeling the effects of the shortage Kansas is
buying in Missouri, and the latter State is
buying it in Iowa, and much of the usual flow of
this grain to Chicago is being thus diverted to the
Southwest Germany is short 100000 bushels of
wheat and' 81 900 bushels of rye and France is
snort OF Wnedt SO between all these conditions the
grain market has been steadier than for some time
though there is excitement. There is plenty Of
wheat in the world, apparently, for the English mar
Kels decline to get excited over the current bulls
reports and fuctuate but little
This is the general condition of trade, and it is
satisfactory. The major part of the world seems
to be carrying on business on old-fashioned lines.
without any more speculation than is necessary with
plenty OF money to meet its bills and with fair
profit on the goods. What more does it want?