The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-09
REVIEW OF TRADE.
Cotton Goods aud Raw Cotton
Sagged Heavily.


day says:
Reports. as a whole, continue quite
cheerful. Most lines Of distriputiVe
spring trade are active, and leading IN
dustries are actively employed Soll
spots are stin in evidence il the textile
industries, particularly in cotton goods
and raw cotton has again sagged heav-
lily. The cereals. too, lack snap, ana
dairy products are weaker. When TINS
is said, however, about al that is IN
favorable has been enumerated
'-The season of winter wheat crop
scares is now approaching, but the mar
ket is duh, narrow and Irregular spec
ulation is almost nil. Corn has weak
ened but slightly on better weather ana
bearish statistics of farm reserves lssueu
and expected. Pork and LAID are hlgA-
ar, in sympathy with hogs, receipts 81
which are light; milder weather mas
lowered butter ana eggs, but coffee IS
quite steady. large purchases recently
having led to hopes OF De1Ierlng &c
mand- Cotton goods are working rover
at nearly all markets and now COTTON
is 5-16c off on the week Of poor trace
reports and pressure of southern interior
holders to realize. leading to the Delleh
that the crop is larger than expecteo-
The numerous predictions OF a ram
inc in cotton supplies made some months
ago by the leading authorities CONTRAST
sharply with the reports Of reduced con
sumption now coming to hand Wooi
is moving more freely and the tone IS
more cheerful, apparently on me iuea
that prices cannot we'll go much lower;
Heavy sole leather is in demand ~ al
markets and talk OF 40 cents for oak
tanned comes from Boston. Shoe snip
naentS are still below year ago.
Iron and steel may properly De de-
scribed as buoyant- Prices or plglron
are frmer as a whole, despite smaller
sales, and Bessemer pig IS 90 cents a
ton higher a Pittsburg. AS an example
s. Do COL /
be noted that 50 advance on the pool
prices is paid for Bessemer billets ana
$4.25 advance for basic openheartn Dill
let's for prompt delivery FINISHED pro
ducts share the strength and plates are
bringing 81 a ton above the scale, Wnlle
the rail, bar and structural mills are
well occupied Iron ore prices probably
win be fixed today and opinion ravors
a quotation Of $3.50 per ton, against So.9o
r. g. Dun g. Co.'S weekly review OF
Little change was developed this
week in the condition of general BUSH
ness. The ground recently gained
seemed to be held without dlncoity'
without good distribution Of merchan-
disc by jobbers in most directions, ana
with entire absence Of speculative ac-
tivity There has been a further de-
cline in cotton, which does not help the
goods market. still the most backward
and disappointing of all the great IN
dustries. but in mechanical lines the
progress being made is noteworthy
F4IiIdiner materials, including lumber,
are IN especially urgent demand and
dealers who can deliver stock have no
difficulty in securing advanced prices
In this, unlike most other lines OF busl-
ness the east leads the country, ana
inst At this season it is of particular
significance. Collections are reported
good all through the west, and are bet
ter than usual at the south
Conditions in iron and steel begin TO
similar
Of 1893 Prices have moved up Iaploiy
since the upturn was made. and pios at
current rates for distant delivery are
often refused. Manufacturers are
unanimous in reporting a great demand
for domestic consumption. while export
contracts for finished forms are stH
taken in competition with declining Ior-
efpn markets 1T is at such time. When
the outlook IS brightest and quotations
advancing sharply, that the conSerVa-
tive man becomes cOgnlzant or the Iact
that there is always danger or 1nnatloh
when optimism goes beyond pouhos-
Granting that there is not q cloud on
the horizon It is well to remember that
exports of iron and steel have been
smaller of late and yet the present pro
duction is far in excess of domestic con-
sumption even allowing a moderate in
crease over previous years Productioh
of coke expands, and shipments are only
limited by car shortage.
Footwear is steady at former prices
and while sales have decreased some
what, factories are assured activity LOT
a month or more There IS a good ue-
mand for low priced heavy goods from
southern jobbers, but many western
BUYERS have not placed their usual con-
tracts as yet. The local Jobbl1g trade
has improved. and city wholesalers nave
liberal orders from country retailers
large contracts have been placed with
western manufacturers, who report con-
ditions satisfactory The slight decrease
in shipments from Boston for the week
-, hut n
100 600 cases for the year thus far indi-
Gates the extent of which development
of this industry in the west and south
has reduced New England business
THE growth of domestic trade and ex-
portation has been so great, however
that with the exception of last year
and 1898 the current years shipments
to date exceed any other one record by
over &c, 900 cases.
.'Texile fabrics exhibit a little ANNA
ton. although the markets are still far
from a satisfactory position Knit goods
receive more attention for fail ines, nos
ier-v and articles for summer outing are
taken freely, mercerized goods OF ex-
pensive qualities enjoy a brisk demand,
and cheaper cottons are exported N
considerable quantities Some lines Of
silks find buyers without further cut,and
labor troubles at the mills are less dis
turbed.
Two large failures in wool occurred
abroad, and three Vermont concerns
We're forced to suspend. Sales of wool at
the three chief eastern markets decreas-
ed nearly 100000 pounds, compared
with the previous weeks business, but
this is a Favorable symptom as excess
sive operations Of late were due to fore
ed sales at lower prices
cotton declined still further. with op-
ton business active. Idle mills. esti-
mates of liberal receipts and Indications
that planters viii cultivate an enormous
acreage this season resulted in the lowest
price Of the season. With the exception
Of a weak spot early last June the quo
tation has not been as low as over a
year ago. but the present price is over
s. per cent above the cotton record of
1898 Wheat is in abundant supply with
quotations well above last years, owing
to reports that Hessian fly promises 20