The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-12
IRON AND STEEL ACTIVE
DEMAND, ESPECIALLY FOR sTRUC-
TURAL SHAPES, is VERY LARGE.
Textiles Show the Only Evidence of
Hesftatfon-Increased Exports of
.CereaIs-Leather Products.

NEW YORK, Jan. II. r. q. Our &
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade tomorrow
will say: Only In the textiles Is special
hesitation shown Staple products are firm.
iron and steel prices are held without
trouble, boots and shoes and wool are
steady. and all with fair demand. so that
manufacturer are busy. In textiles. how
ever, the Improvement which seemed to be
promised with the new year is still de-
layed. and In cotton goods stocks are grow
ing In some quarters. though still not OPP
pressively heavy anywhere. Throughout
the country distribution Of merchandise
continues on a good scale and collections
are unusually prompt.
Construction of bridges and buildings. to-
.gether with contemplated track elevation.
crowds the capacity of all concerns max
ing structural shapes of iron and steel.
Orders for locomotives. cars. rails and all
forms of railway equipment are also album
dant. and there is no sign of reaction in
the industry. Plate and sheet mills have
large business and merchant steel Is in
brisk demand. Competition is keen, how
ever. and increased operations fail to. affect
prices. New schedules are promised in
the near future and lower freigh: rates are
anticipated. Stocks decreased slightly in
December, but there Is fear of accumula-
ton. and quotations at Pittsburg and Phil
adelphia have declined during the past
week.
Investment Of Wall street capital was
rumored as supporting cotton and wheat.
but the effect was not permanent. Cotton
advanced temporarily. only to react when
Liverpool cables failed to respond. Traders
express widely divergent views as to the
size Of the current crOn and ftG cuficfencv
Meanwhile, port receipts continue TO large
ly exceed last years figures at prices 30
per cent higher. Wheat was agitated by
reports OF a corner in the May option
and for a time exhibited strength. A sharp
reaction followed. holders parting readily
with their contracts. Despite the advance
of about 10 per cent. over the price OF
a year ago. Atlantic exports show an in
crease OF 3.255.053 bushels, -four included.
against 2.3l5.5SS bushels in 1900. Even more
remarkable is the comparison as to corn.
OF which abroad amounted To
4.543. l49 bushels. against :. 4OS. 79s bushels last
year. while the quotation is nearly 10 per
cent. higher.
Wool has ceased to decline and sales at
the three chief eastern markets increased
slightly to 3.30S. 100 pounds. against 3.121.000
pounds In the week preceding. a year ago
sales were considered remarkably small
Cor that season at 5,1SS. 900 pounds. Manu-
facturers purchase with extreme caution
and domestic fieeces suffer by Increased
competition OF cheap wool from Australia
and China. Makers OF boots and shoes
insist on fun prices. and as a result ship
ments from Boston have declined $50
cases for the week. Jobbers in this vicin-
fly are doing well and wholesalers orders
are urgent Sales of leather increase. with
hemlock sole fairly held. although conces-
sions are made in upper stock. While the
<hide market I'm Chicago is unchanged. the
tone IS irregular.
Failures for the week were 324 in the
United States against PA last year, and 81
IN Canada against . last year.