Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-28
small at I2&
SUGAR--weak: coarse. xranuinted. fne. A
LOCAL FINANCIAL NEWS.

The financial writer OF the New York
Tribune makes the following summary of
the situation:
Conditions in the stock market present
a far more encouraging outlook than they
did In the last week OF 1902 while the bust
ness situation throughout the country 10
really sounder than 1t was q year ago al.
though the current volume of trade may
be smaller. Reports from the commercial
agencies. railroad earnings and the observa.
tons made by business men who have trav-
eied from one end OF the country to the
other attest the strength OF Industrial af-
fairs In the United States and warrant this
predietion that there will be no Industrial
collapse In 1904.
Despite the adverse Developments In the
losses suffered from the hong decline OF
securities values and from the breakdown
In many Industrial concerns, as. for in
stance. the shipbuilding trust and the Con-
soiidated Lake Superior Company the
country has handled enormous business
IN the year a profitable prices. The labor
situation may grow worse in the coming
year. war may break out In the far east
the crops may fail and the iron and steel
trade may go to pieces. These are possi-
pintieS that people may consider II they
WISH. out there are so many strong factors
IN the situation that the development of
these alleged possibilities into facts would
not drive the country into bankruptcy
- 90 SO qudhtsty VI sdS CSTtiuCdteS COul1
have been sold today at the meeting of the
stock exchange, but the only circumstance
that Favored a sale was the demand. The
PR Price oHered was not enough. as lls was
the highest bid for a block of $50, 600. There
was a slight advance over this figure for
lots of $1,000. as 113N was bid But none
or the certificates were offered at that fig
ure. and the best asking price made was
ll5 for fractional lots and 1l6 for quotation
lots. No indication was given that there
were any of these securities for sale ana
tne demand was not particularly insistent
one.
The prices for Washington Street Rail-
way Company preferred stock are stiIl on
Inc upward course, and today 4si. wss
freely bid without avail. There was nova
offered at less than 81
one hundred shares of the common stock
were offered for sale, and u was bid, but
the asking price was b.
IL was apparent before the call was end
ca that there were but few buyers or sell
e,s. Inc asking price for Union Trust and
storage stock was T. but the highest MD
was "a. and there was no trading
Three-quarters of a point was all that
Serara ted the bid from the asking nrica az
gas stock. Only one-eighth of n point kent
the buyers and sellers of MergenthaIer
apart, and as result two lots of ten shareS
each were sold at 1T6N, but the stock was
still offered at III
Inc same lack Of a market was shown
IN the case of Washington Railway bonds
when 71ts was bid by a broker. who also
oHered the bonds at ~. He took three
bonds at II. Then another broker hid 71Ts
and the first broker sold and the bid being
again repeated he sold another 81, 600 bond.
Inc bonds continued to be offered at that
figure, but no more were sold.
one hundred shares of National Union
ffe insurance Company stock were sold
at 6$4. and the stock was still offered at
that price. The best bid was So.
1t was stated on the hoo I'd ti,at a.,
annual dividend, due In January, would
not be paid, in pursuance of the noIicv
Wplch caused the directors TO pass the div
idend in July last NV