The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-20
RECORDER BUSINESS
IS MUCH LARGER
Low Prices on Grain Are
Restricting Sales
IRON SUPPLY STILL SHORT
Feature of the Trade Is the Pressure
to Produce Sufficient Quantities
to Meet the Require
ments.
IRON SUPPLY STILL SHORT

New York October 19.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say; Trade continues of
large volume and while the ordinary rush
of fall trade Is over and next spring
is receiving attention, active retail de-
mand has induced IA heavy volume of re-
order business from iobbers. Except in
Il few sections supplies are not excessive.
Hence a continuance of recorder trade is
likely, weather conditions allowing Per-
haps the most active branch of whole
sailing and jobhing Is cotton goods, which
are in heavy demand. with slow deliveries
still complained of. There is also a bet
ter tone In wooden goods, worsted lead
ing as heretofore. Prices are steady as
a whole and the high range of all quo
tations does not seem as yet to be re-
Elected in reduced sales In general dis
tributive lines the reports are almost uni
formly favorable. Industries return re-
ports of great activity
There is complaint that low prices Of
fered for grain are restricting sales by
farmers at the northwest. but lack of
motive power and of cars is credited with
holding back deliveries. There is complaint
of slow trade In flour on domestic account
but that the export inquiry seems to have
improved. Speculative deals in staples.
such as cereals and cotton, are rather
quieter than of late. In the case of cot
ton, such a feeling is natural after the
rapid advances, which have induced SELL
ing and fresh short sales especially as
frost damage is minimized in late re-
ports
The feature of the iron and steel trades
is the pressure to produce sufficient
quantities to meet requirements. High
prices and premiums for prompt deliv-
cries seem to be the rule. Pig iron is
higher, and as high as $25 a ton has
been paid for No. ? foundry in eastern
and western centers for spot supplies
Bessemer pig commands very high prices
in the central west. In the Chicago dis
trict furnaces are sold ahead for the
first quarter of 1907 and nearly so for the
first half of the year. Steel billets are
scarce everywhere.
Demand for structural material and
plates continues good with car builders
figuring largely in the tonnage ordered.
Steel and iron bars are firm. New orders
for steel rails are only moderate.
Merchant pipe Is up S4 a ton on black
and galvanized pipe and 81 on casing.
Premiums for sheets and tin plates are
becoming more prevalent. Coke is in ac-
tive demand. Copper is firm, though buy
ing is limited. The fall trade in shoes at
the east has been and is still smaller
than last year. Leather markets are quiet
/ but strong. Buying is just about sufficient
| to cover orders.
Business failures for the week ending
| October IS, number 10 against 1872 last
week and 17S in the like week of 1906.
Wheat, including flour exports from the
United States and Canada for the week
ending October Is, aggregated 4,931,SH
bushels against 3,257SS6 last week and
1881, Az this week last year For the past
sixteen weeks of the fiscal year the eX
ports are 52,9S476S bushels, against D.
705, $40 in 1905
Corn exports for the week are 1,3l9,S60
bushels against Loo, 400 last week, and
776, 435 year ago. For the fiscal year
! to date the exports are 11,S2l ,Sf bushels
| against 17,269,S25 in 1905,