The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-05
STOCK MARKET
 IS MORE ACTIVE Trading Not Yet What Il
 Should Be LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT Slight Advance In coalers on Assump- ton That the Bituminous Coal
 Strike Would Help the
 Anthracite Business.
LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT

New York, March 4-Activity was slightly stimulated in the stock market today but without effecting any more ap- preciable movement of prices than on the dullest days of the week. Up to noon the number of shares traded in was not far below the days total of yesterday and the day before From that time the mar ket dropped back into it's dull rut. There was nothing in the days news to explain clearly the spurt in activity. Traders were seemingly impelled by the idea that permanent inactivity is impossible, and the longer it continues, the more like ly is an attempt to put an end to it to prove successful.
 Todays demonstration although con- ducted with a little more confidence and determination than for some time past, was still purely professional The move ment of individual stocks had good deal to do with the general tone. Advances in Brooklyn transit and In the other local traction stocks in sympathy, were attri- buted to the prospect of the new Wil- liamsburg bridge across the East river being opened to street railway traffic at an early date.
 There was slight advance in the coal CTS on the assumption that bitumnous coal strike would help the anthracite bus mess in the same way that the anthracite strike stimulated the soft coal business. Delaware & Hudson enjoyed the benefit of the strong showing of it's annual re- port. The settlement upon terms and method of the Panama withdrawal from the sub-treasury, and from government bank Repositories, was regarded as satisfactory clearing up of a doubtful matter, and as offering a possibility of stimulation to investment here on the part of French and Panamaian benefi- charles.
 Some trouble was reported from Paris in the winding up of the settlement but the power for disturbance of this factor was felt to be about at an end. Reports of gross earnings of railroads for the fourth week in February although show ing a large proportion of loss, compared with last year, are relatively better than for preceding weeks and offer some en- couragement. The present indictment weather Is responsible for the greater part of the losses
 The progress of the cuts in freight rates towards the point of loss on traffic seems likely to sharpen the desire or the or ficials who are trying to fix up the dis pute A glance at the list of net changes for the day, however, will show that these various causes were not effective in bringing about the higher prices which those who professed to believe in their efficacy hoped for. A decline in Northern Securities on the curb was the reminder of the effect to be looked for from the supreme court decision on Mon- day.
 F The movement of currency has been firm in New York and a gainin cash hfor , the week Is indicated of s2,OO0,000 in spite of the outgo to South America, transfers to Chicago, and absorption by the sub treasury. This was regarded with dis satisfaction rather than otherwise, as showing interior use of money. All attempts to sell St. Paul on the favorable January statement and a report of a Burlington note issue, helped the late