Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-07
DUN'S REPORT.
Lack Of Transportation faci|i.
ties Is Proving Costly.
Plenty Of Business but Railroads
Can't Handle the Goods.
Staple Products Are Steadily Advancing.
Dominion Trade Very Fair.

New York. Dec s.-R. d. Dun x COS
Weekly Review of Trade. tomorrow
will say: Current trade is of ample
dimensions. but traffic congestion
grows worse and labor controversies
added to the embarrassment of ship
pers. OF ConSignments Of fancy good.
for ,h- holiday trade are delayed much
longer ther. will be serious loss. ~
though nominal quotations Of iron an1
steel are unc hanged. figures refer only
TO future deliveries and in most eases
prices for current shipment cumma nd
a considerable premium. Since tili>
margin il influenced by local conditions
IT III" various mills ana furnaces. be-
sides being further complicated by
scarcity Of freight cars and stocks. il i
almost Impossible To arrive at Il fairly
repre- sentative price level. IN general
however. the tone is distinctly firm
with especial scarcity of billcts and
further impurtations.
Activity ana strength are con4picu-
Gus in the markets for domestic wool
Coates Eros circular makes the aver
age of 100 grades l1.1l cents. which is
thu best price, recorded sine" May. con
ceSsiOnS are not secured by purchasers
but on the other hand. holders grow
morc confident. Despite recent phenom-
email sales 1T Boston there is steady
buying and stocks 40 not accumulate,
although arrivals are liberal Makers
Of heavy weight Wo"lens received good
duplicate orders, Will" contracts for
spring lines come forward freely. Cot
ton goods are in better request but
mill; delay new under takingS because
# th. sudden rise in raw material. ana
if Il is Sustained there viii probably
IL Il new price list of prints. Local
dry goods jnbbers report l'rC" mail
orders. Footwear factories arc nuS%
on spring goods.
staple products continue advancing,
corn aking the most sensational gain.
Wheat class also sharply advanced 10
the best price Of the season, largely
through sympathy with corn. for which
it was freely substituted. Poor weather
for the new crop of winter wheat and
liberal milling demands Were also
strengthening factors. Cotton was
aroused from its lethargy by an unex-
pectedly low official estimate OF the
current crop at only 9,61i,000 bales. An
advance Of over s" a bale CcCurret
when the low yield was announced.
OF Canadian trade the Review will
say: Christmas trade IS not as brisk
as usual at St. John. but freight move
ment to British ports is heavier than
heretofore. Wholesalers complain OF
dullness though improvement is an
ticipated with more seaSonable
weather Lumber mills have about
closed down for the season.
Lower temperatures created good
demand fur heavy clothing and holiday
trade is brisk at Halifax. Metal prices
are firm and the outlook encouraging.
Wholesale trade i active AT Toronto
and especially in heavy goods and furs.
Trade in heavy wear and fancy goods
improves at Hamilton.
Good sleighing has helped trad" at
Quebec. Business in heavy metals is
good for the season at Montreal. Man
ufaCturers of shoes have good spring
orders Heavy wheat trading makes
exceptional clearings at Winnipeg. At
Vancouver there is fair activity and
business conditions are satisfactory at
Victoria.