Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-12-16

HOLlDAY TRADE GOOD.
Comment by Dun's Review on the
Business Of the Week,
STEEL MILLS STILL BUSY.
F1rsnncss the Feature of the Textile
market - Great Activity Noted
In Cercnls-The Failures
Of the Week.

New York. Dec. 14.-R. G. Dun &
20. s weekly review of trade says:
II is most fortunate that the vagaries
u speculation are not always deleteri-
GUS to legitimate business. Railway
stocks fell sharply, yet full returns for
november show that earnings were
ITO per cent greater than in the same
month last year and 1871 per cent over
those OF 1899. Industrial and traction
shares were even more violently dis.
1urped, yet the manufacturing plants
OF the nation were never more fully oc.
cupied. Numerous labor controversies
nave been settled. and thu rate of
wages is at the highest point ever at.
tanned. Retail distribution is of mas.
slve proportions, with dealings in holi.
day goods the conspicuous feature.
Conditions in the leading industry
are still more strikingly promising. De.
spite the full engagement of most steel
mills well into next year, the week has
brought large amount of new bust
ness, particularly in railway equip
ment. Stability of prices continues the
best feature, imitation being wisely pre-
vented by controlling interests. Ore
quotations have been fixed for the new
year on the old basis Of $4.25 at lower
lake ports, while beam and plate asso.
Citations renewed the expiring arrange.
ment.
Reports from the great iron centers
during the closing week Of November
dwelt ON the scarcity Of cars and mo.
tive power, implying that furnaces
could not secure coke and were going
out Of blast, while pig iron could not
be moved from the yards to the mills
hence it was generally expected that
the output would show a material de.
crease, while furnace stocks of iron
were thought to be somewhat aug
mented. Instead The Iron Age has is.
sued most encouraging report.
The Textile Industries.
Raw material in the textile industries
has developed distinct. firmness. Cot
ton not only retained the spasmodit
gain that followed the government re
port, but made further advance, and
indications of continued strength at
tracted liberal purchases by spinners
The goods market is quiet. with no ur
gency to force sales, and prices OF
some lines are higher. Wool is readily
taken at unchanged figures. Raw ma
terials in the footwear industry adj
vanced still further while the poorer
quality of hides at this season makes
the actual difference greater than the
mere alteration of a fraction ~oult
indicate.
Western grain producers and dealers
have expressed great faith In the fu
ture of prices, many announcing theil
intention to hold supplies until spring
when the scarcity would be marked
and quotations reach 12ore profitable
point. Speculative operators, as usual
anticipated this tendency of Legitimate
business and inaugurated vigorou:
campaign. The upward movement Of
option prices eliminated on Monday
when May deliveries at this city com
manGRd SSK cents. Profit taking was
enormous and when the advance seem
ed checked there appeared the usua
shifting to the short side. Exports Of
wheat, including flour, from all ports Of
the United States We're S,663,611 bush
els during the last two weeks agains
1917 ,2O5 last year and 7,362,279 two
years ago. Corn at 1874 cents was {
new high point for nearly a decade, ex
ceeding the price year ago by 80 pei
cent and approaching close to the quo
tation commanded by wheat last year
when the yield was short. Naturally
exports are Insignificant from Atlantic
ports fer two weeks amounting to but
586OlS bushels against 10, 4A9, SOL last
year.
Failures for the week numbered ~:
in the United States against o40 last
year ana ~ in Canada against % last
Ye%r.