The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-02
DUN'S REVIEW OF TRADE.
No Scarcity of orders for Goods and
Tendency to Rise in Prices
Excepf in Textiles

New York, Feb 1.-R. G. Dun & Co.'S
Weekly Review of Trade tomorrow will
say:
The week in general business had been
without striking new feature, but in this
respect the outcome has been favorable.
Not one of the great industries finds any
scarcity of orders for goods and bust
ness is done at prices which show a
slght tendency to rise, except in textiles,
which have been affected by the reduc-
ton of 10 to 20 per cent. in the seasons
opening prices by the American Wooden
Company. This cut is expected to be in
definitely continued. Developments in the
money market. however, Indicate that the
dry-goods trade Is preparing for sea-
son of activity and the new wooden
prices are not lower than most buyers ex-
pected. There is nothing discourag.ng in
the slight decline in commodity prices
from January to February l, and rail-
road earnings +'conttnue large, increasing
Ill per cent. for three weeks of January
over last year, and 26.2 per cent. over
1899
While steel mills have contracts on
hand for their output from three to six
months ahead, prices naturally rule firm.
Few actual advances are recorded. but
there is expectation of a higher figure
soon for Bessemer pig iron, while rumors
are numerous as to rise in billets, plates
and structural materials. All these lines
show brisk demand. Wire nails and
barbed wire were advanced 81 per ton, ow-
ing to heavy orders from the West. and
1t is expected that the few mills still idle
will shortly resume Activity i'm Texas
oil fields has an influence on the sales of
pipes and tanks. Expert orders decrease,
and the Russion armor-plate contract may
not go to an American although his terms
were the best.
Boot and shoe shops receive more or
ders, and although quotations are nomin-
ally unchanged, many makers refuse new
contracts without a small advance. The
upward tendency is so general that pur-
ehasers are eager to do business at the
current level Jobbers have arrived at
Boston in great number, and inquiries in
dictate that liberal sales will result Leath-
er sells freely particularly of Union Seal,
but the large transactions were probably
at slight concessions. Glazed kid fac
tories are running at fun capacity but
fail to meet the demand. The market is
irregular, with more quotations advancing
than declining.
A sudden increase in sales of wool at
the three chief Eastern markets to 5,4l2,-
| 900 pounds, against 2,S93, 400 in the previous
week, is merely the recovery following
such an unusually dun season. For five
weeks sales were 1S,6S7.700 pounds, against
Is, SIS, $50 i'm the same weeks of 1896, which
was the smallest aggregate in five years.
These figures indicate present conditions
in this industry. Heavyweight suitings
were opened at the expected reduction.
Cotton vagaries have not been regarded
with alarm by spinners. since temporary
corner cannot have any important effect
in tine commercial world. Some mills
sent their raw material to the aid OF
short-sighted individuals, who had sod
cotton they did not possess, although local
stocks were known to be light and the
manipulation of the January option was
rumored. For a few days middling up
lalids sold at II cents surprising all rec
ords for many years, but with the end of
the January deal there was a sharp de
cline to a more rational position.