The age-herald., 1901-12-14
HOLIDAY TRADE
 IN FULL SWING Iron and Steel Lead All Other
 Industries TRADE IS CONSERVATIVE Southern Iron Deliveries In November Were the Heaviest On Record and Still Higher Prices
 Are Predicted.
TRADE IS CONSERVATIVE

New York, Decente CT 13.-Bradstreets tomorrow will say:
 Holiday trade Is in full swing at all markets, while jobbing, distribution nat urally shows a quieting down prepara- tory to stock taking. Nearly all adVices touching these latter branches of busi- | ness are encouraging, and the years re- suits, so far as ascertained, are, on the | whole, very favorable
 Among the industries iron and steel are easily first in strength of demand ana prices, and the word buoyant about ac- curately describes the situation as re- gards the feeling in the trade generally. Though strong however, this trade is still conservative as a whole, as evil denced by the begging of iron ore (old range) quotations for the coming year at old prices in the face of temptation to advance that and finished products Probably never before was so much pusi- ness booked in advance as there is at present in pig iron, rails and finished products. The former Is in better demand and $16 can be had at valley furnaces, though $l5.25 is the nominal rate. Fro duction is at an unheard-of rate despite car shortage, stopping coke deliveries and stocks of pig are still decreasing. Southern iron deliveries in November were the heaviest on record, and higher prices for this and for bituminous coal are predicted. The crest of the recent rise in cereals was for the present about reached on Saturday last for coarse grains and on Monday, December g, for wheat and provisions. The proportions of the recent rise induced enormous real izing which for a time was offset by heavy new buying, but ultimately the size of the grain movement and increases | in visible supplies, added to the break | ing of the drouth in the southwest and | the tightness of money, left the bears masters of the field. The steady rise in wheat and corn prices shown since the early part of November had resulted in | a gain of about 13c each in wheat and corn, from which the fall this week is only about cents. Provisions sympa- thize with the movement and the high price of low-grade feedstuffs is still l feature of note
 Cotton alone of the great agricultural
 staples has strengthened this week on l continuance of the bullishnsss brought
 out by the low government estimate and
 in spite of a crop movement some of | which Is classed holiday cotton," in ex- | cess of last year. Exports nave reached | and passed last seasons record. Staple | cottons are on the whole firmer and sell l CTS are not as anxious as a while ago. l Woolen goods are in good demand, par | ticularly for dress wear, and many mills are busy on heavy weight orders. Wool 1 is strong, though unchanged on good de- | mand, with London slightly higher on | merinos and unchanged on cross breeds.
 Boot and shoe manufacturers are still
 busily employed and shipments still heavily exceed last year. Leather is | firm and while hides are easier, tannVrs | are not anxious to buy largely.
 Higher prices of coals check our ex-
 port trade in that direction, and ship
 'ments of breadstuffs, live animals, cot
 ton and oils all decreased from October
 until the last of November.
 Wheat shipments in November where
 on the other hand per cent. larger. For
 the calendar year 1901 shipments of
 breadstuffs, animals. cotton, oils and
 provisions aggregate per cent. larger
 than in any previous year.
 Wheat exports July 1 to date (twenty- four weels), aggregate 36,306, 7l5 bushels, | as against, 84960 729 last season.
 Corn exports aggregate 27S,307 bushels,
 as against 62,S44 last week, and 1858, 45S | last year. July to date corn exports are | 19.795,23S bushels, against S3,7O1,661 last l season.
 for the week number 233, as against 237
 last week, PAT in this week last year, 211
 in 1899, 237 in 1898 and 2S3 in 1897. l Canadian failures for the week number 21, or the same number last week, and 1 compared with 12 in this week a year
 ago, 2S in 1899 and 32 in 1S9S