The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-05
DEALING IN STOCKS GROWS APATHET|C. Prices Drift Idly With a Down.
 ward Trend RUBBER SUFFERS ACUTELY Political Conditions Come In for Con. siderable Discussion In View of Statements By Rival candl-
 dates for Governor.
RUBBER SUFFERS ACUTELY

New York, October 4.-Dealings in stocks became apathetic today and the dullness of the trading approached stag nation. Prices drifted idly and uncertain ly with downward trend in the dullest periods more from hamilton than from any active selling pressure. The demand was feeble at all time, and there was no response to developments except in in- dividual stocks immediately concerned. One such stock was United States Rub- Der, which suffered acutely from doubts thrown out regarding persistent reports for long time past that dividends on a liberal scale were to be inaugurated on the stock. There was an opinion in the market which held that the paralysis of interest was largely due to revised views on the general prospect for dividend in- creases as exempliied in the case of United States Rubber and more noticea- bly in the conservative dividend action of the Atchison directors yesterday in put ting that stock on a 5 per cent basis, in stead of 6 per cent as was widely ex- pected.
 Ever since the Union Pacific dividend in crease speculative sentiment has looked for sensational developments along those lines. The assumption was made that the Union Pacific action represented a policy fixed on by extensive interests amongst the controlling powers in the railroad world for the payments of dividends more nearly commensurate with current earn ings. It was supposed that decision was thus reached that work of betterment had proceeded far enough to warrant smaller expenditures out of earnings for that account and less insistence on the accumulation of treasury surpluses. The Atchison decision has had material ef- feet in disturbing the assumption and has awakened surmises of differences of opin- ion amongst powerful capitalists over choosing the method of large dividend in- creases to stimulate an active market for securities.
 What part political considerations play ed in the halt of the market was not so clear, but some influence was allowed to be a factor by common consent The pre- sentation of the issues by the opposing candidates in the state of New York threw the subject into prominence and the large attention given by both sides to questions of corporation abuses and means for their control struck the at tention of Wall street anew. The inn pression was emphasized by the publica- tfon during the session of the Presidents address at Harrisburg. Holders of shares in corporations feel some trepdaton when the power and profits of those organiza- tions are presented as q menaeesto the public welfare and the action of today's stock market was not without refer- ence to this subject
 The money market continued to relax both here and abroad. Discounts yielded in London and Paris in spite of the weak returns of the governments banks owing to the strain of the October settlements. The financial community was favorably impressed by the plan of currency reform presented by the committee of the cham Der of commerce. Intimations that ad- ditional portions of the s260o0,oO0 of gov ernment deposits would be available to the New York banks were accepted as an additional safeguard for the money situa- ton here. Neither the early strength nor