The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-01
LITTLE ACTIVITY
 IN STOCK MARKET Price Movement Is Shifting and of Uncertain Tenor
TRADING IS NERVOUS
Brokers Seem to Avoid Any Great in' ycsfment on Either As They Are Waiting Developments in Ger
 tain News Events

New York. March St.-The stock marke' today further disclosed it's narrow hmi- ! tations. The professional operators who made up their market were timid aoou' vent,,rine far and movement in either direction to any extent seemed to carry with it the necessity for counterswing like a pendulum. The traders operated on one side of the market for time, and then shifting to the other side, while real buyers and sellers apparently re- trained from taking any action at all. The course Of events may be assumed
 to be insufficiently defined to induce speculative operations when market is 70 nearly rigid as that body.
 Great uncertainty exists as to the sig nfficance of the decision Of the supreme court not to accompany the body of the late Justice Brewer to it's resting place in Kansas. The desire to avoid delay in the public business. expressed by the chief justice in explanation, gives rise 10 a supposition in the financial district that the American Tobacco case may be decided on Monday. The opinion is uni versal in stock market circles that the handing down of that decision will be followed by a pronounced movement or the market in one direction or the other. The subject was much discussed with oppressive effect on activity.
 Another matter receiving much atten- ,fon was the number of railroads follow inr the example of the Pennsylvania by advancing wages of employees This ac- tion was of mixed effect on speculative sentiment. The views expressed by labor representatives ascribe motive of eau fion to the action as designed to weaken prospective demands for larger increases than those recorded. That the step would s facilitate agreements, however, was as- sumed. The large increases in expense of operation involved received grave con alteration in view of the high ratio of op- erating expenses already shown by mohtil- fy railroad reports and the consequent inroads on the net returns. The inten- ton of the railroads to make the situation . rround for contention for higher charges for service came into view through the announcement Of increased passenger rates by the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and throughout the circulation of printed arguments In De- half of higher freight rates.
 ITneasiness over the crop conditions was revived by the failure of predictions or general rains in the southwest and by the cooler weather reported there.
 Another wave of depression emanated from the Granby mining episode in the Boston market. The gravity of the incl dent was inferred from the news Of It's influence in so remote a field as the Paris bourse.
 The completion of theA demand for ca ble renlittances to London to meet the pavn1euts tomorrow for stock market set dement's was followed by some reaction ip cable transfers. London sent reports however. of confident expectations of an carly movement of gold from New York to that center.
 An easing of discount rates In London today was attributed in fact to that pros meet. The local money market was un- Affected by the preparations for the heavy April payments. .,, The resistance encountered during the declines in prices left an impression at fhe end of the day of a support In the 2 market such as it has lacked for several days past.
 limited States bonds were unchanged bn call.