The age-herald., 1902-01-04
IRON AND STEEL
 MARKET ACTIVE Satisfaction With the Old and Confidence in New Year CAR SHORTAGE A DlSTURBER The Only Exception to the General Quietness of the Week Is the Iron
 and Steel situation-Dun
 and Bradstreet Hopeful.
CAR SHORTAGE A lSTURBER

New York. January s.--Bradstreet's to- morrow will say:
 Satisfaction with the old and confidence in the new year are the dominant feat ures of the entire industrial commercial and financial situation. conspicuous exception to the general quietness of the week is found in the iron and steel sit uation, which gains activity Here, how ever, the car shortage question cuts disturbing figure and one which, in view of the advanced stage of the season bids fair to continue to unsettle both produc- tion and consumption considerably. Sup plies of coke at the ovens are piling up but the blast furnaces are shutting down because of the necessary link between the two. an abundance of cars not being forthcoming.
 Southern pig iron has advanced 50c per ton and the Western trade is getting its chief supplies from this source. At the East pig iron Is also firmer. Plentiful or ders are offered but none is expected for delivery before July l. Mesaba iron ore has been advanced in price. The only ap- petI dTCt Ol WtdkuSSS III lhS hiioiiNN produces is in wire and nails. which are s2 per ton lower owing to increased com petition of outside makers. Heavy rail orders for Mexico are reported pending, and international competition promises to be keen in this respect.
 Floods interfere.
 Floods in the mining regions have inter fered with production and the car short age still accentuates the scarcity of coal. particularly bituminous. Anthracite sup plies are smaller notwithstanding a total production last year in excess of 53,OOO,OOO tons. a total of 12 per cent larger than ever before produced
 Prices show few changes on the week. The cereals are, on the whole higher, due mainly to the strength of wheat, which still supports the coarser grains. Some deliveries and firm cables, with some better export buying early, checked later by the advance. coupled with good buying by the country, are the strength ening features. Winter wheat crop re- ports are, in the main. favorable Pro- visions are steady except lard which has weakened slightly.
 Cotton has been shaded little because of larger receipts, which are, however, claimed to really represent good buying TOT export. cotton goods are quiet as usual at this date but closed the year 1901 much better than they began it. Fall River dividends are slightly lower than the average in 1900, with the mills pro- ducing the better class of goods, show ing the best returns. Ginghams are in specially good shape, being largely sold ahead and firm. Woolen goods, though less active, are in good shape. and mills are busily employed. Wool Is steady and a good movement is reported Higher prices are looked for at the next London sale.
 Leather Trade Is Quiet. Quietness is the feature in the leather and kindred trades but an access rather than a loss in strength of prices is looked for. Shoe shipments are smaller than of late, but still in excess of a year ago. Complaints of small profits in shoe manu- featuring continue, and prices apparently must advance if present rates for leather are to be paid New Prices of rubber goods show an advance of per cent on a year ago.
 Copper has been again cut, this time to 12 cents for lake. and tin is also lower, while lead is unchanged. Brass has been lowered to meet the decline In copper.
 Wheat, including flour, exports for the week aggregate 4,S18,471 bushels, against 4291,143 last week and 3.914.3O1 in this week last year. Exports from July to