The sun., 1901-02-16
'THE STATE Of TRADE. /
Comment by Dun's Review on the
Business of the Week.
DEMAND FOR MERCHANDISE.
In the Metal World Structural Ma
terial and Railway Supplies
Are In Request, Orders He
ing Given mt Full Prices.

New York, Feb. 15.-.R. G. Dun &
Co.'s weekly review of trade says:
Business continues of good volume IL
nearly all parts OF the country. Heavy
orders come from agents IN the road.
There is no important change IL prices
i'll any department of manufactured
goods, and some staples rise. while 9th
crs decline. But the longer the situation
remains as Mt present the sarcr the bnsi-
ness world feels about n rise in prices IN
the future, for the demand fer merchan-
disc for prompt consumption does not
decrease.
Some progress has been made i'll the
direction of settlement of labor dlffer-
ances in the far west, and the temper of
soft coal miners is more amicablc, while
there is little concern among steel inter
rsts over the sensational stories of organ
ization at the mills to enforce demands
for higher wages.
At some points there are evidences OF
an inclination to delay operations in iron
and steel until something definite is
known regarding the proposed combina-
tion, but this applies only to small under
takings, which are insignificant in COM
parison with the urgent dealings that
cannot be postponed. Purchasers ind
difficulty in securing even approximate
dates for delivery of goods in many
products, and mills are SO far behind or
ders as rule that no new contracts are
sought. Structural material and railway
supplies are in greatest request. numer-
alis heavy orders being accepted this.
week at full prices.
There is no inclination to shade quo
tations of finished forms, and zig iron ut
pittsburg again advanced. Recent re-
ports of resumption at many Idle fur-
naces had given reason TO expect an in
crease in the output of pig iron. so there
was no surprise over The Iron Ages
statement which showed III furnaces in
blast on Feb. |. with Il weekly capacity
of 21S.2JS tons These are the largest
figures since July, when 2S4 furnaces
were making 2S3.4l3 tons weekly. Never
thcless there was II decrease of l,S!B9
tons in furnace stocks during january.
Cotton and Wheat.
Cotton fabrics continue uurt, ANA do
nrstic mills are not fully occupied
l.vcrpool cables have given no support
while Manchester is securing raw cotton
from India IN unusually large quantities.
Thcs,. influences caused II further de-
cline in mid,ling nplarls. taking the
price to The lowest point in three
months. Exports in January were valued
ut S31.S3192l. against 27,0S9,251 in
1900: but the increase was entirely due
to advance Of - cents 4 pound III the
1 price, rs the quantity was l.Si2 bales
smaller. Wheat was advanced this week
by reports Of receipts AT the mills unit
/ for grinding. Flour output 1T Mime
apulis is much smaller than II year ago,
\ and Il further decrease is expected. At
\ Iantc exports of wheat including flour,
| for the week were 2.4TS,52l bushels,
against. l. ,-J,l:5,3 last year.
9.lgia returns of foreign commerce
/ tor January show IN excess of mCrchan-
disc exports over imports of SIT 100
and including net exports of gold aud Sil-
4 yer there was IN increase in foreign in
debtedness for the month Of $12,S!)S.312
Exports were Sl3G.31 .:i5l, IN amount
exceeded only in four other months, OF
which three were those immediately pre-
cedng. Exports for the week from Tho
port OF New York were SS45.4G5 larger
than the same week last year, while I'M
ports were Sl,To5.3lO smaller.
Exchange was dull and steady, closint
at small decline. Arhitragr honsr'
were sellers. but III" supply of CONNER
cial bills was small Considerable cx
change is expected 10 be made againS
bonds to be placed abroad in connection
with pending railroad deals.
Failures for the week numbered 2JI il
the United States against 21S last yea
and in Canada ~ against II last year.