The Washington times., 1912-04-28
Still a Mystery Market.

difficult, and It is likely to become more
so, II both fuel and transportation IL to
cost more.
Still Mystery Market.
With prices advancing and maintain
ing an upward course for many weeks,
with Virtually-no setback, 1t seems we'll
nigh foolish to say that the public is
playing only a very small part in the
market, but such, according to many
OF the most prominent commission
houses, is still the case, and the course
or the money market and the state
ments Of the leading money brokers
In the city all go in the way Of con-
frming this. 1t would really seem as
though Wall Street were dealing with
new forces and new factors, which 1t
ness, according to all accounts, is
limited to very few houses and usual
to comparatively few stocks, at any
one time, but activity shifts quickly
from group to group SO that in the
course Of the week there Is a fair rep
resentation OF practically all issues.
The mystery of the market, for II can
be called by no other term, will be
cleared up. no doubt. some day, but
whether for good or for i'll remains to
be seen. What, naturally enough, con-
fuses opinion Is the fact that the great
majority of big men" are clearly not
In the movement at all. and very many
of them profess as deep mystification
as the rest of mankind, concerning the
maneuvering. No doubt, however in
some cases their animadVersions arise
from the fact that they have been
caught bare OF stocks This of course
has suggested the theory that these in
terests may be reClaiming their lines OF
securities quietly which might explain
the failure of the market to experience
any reaction. But, on the other hand,
mi 81 nD
houses assert that they are actually
selling more stock than they are buying.
Politics and General News.
The developments of the week were
OF a mixed variety. but aside from the
features already noted. In connection
with the coal strike settlement and tho
arbitration agreement between the rail-
ways and the engineers. 1t was difficult
to trace an influence from any specific
news in the market. Naturally, wall
Street was deeply interested in the turn
Of political affairs as illustrated by
President Taft's attack on Colonel
Roosevelt and the latters singing re-
ply, and the charges and counter
charges, concerning the immunity which
the Harvester trust has enjoyed, but
the financial district seems in nowise
alarmed over politics. This was further
eXemplified by the scant interest shown
in the financial and definite outlining of
the program for the Money trust in
vestigatio which was scarcely COM
mented upon. though now definitely as
sured, and apparently upon "A broader
scope than was at one time believed
likely.
Nothing of very Illuminating nature
came from the districts of the grow
ing crops, and adviCes were highly con-
fiicting. Continued reports Of damage
and predictions of a reduced wheat
in a
and these in turn were pronounced eX-
aggerations in commodity circles, but
wheat, while irregular, was generally
strong and advanced sharply on ocCa-
siOns, thus lending some confirmation
to the crop damage reports. While rail-
way gross earnings made excellent
shOwings in the main. there were some
rather unsatisfactory reports for March
from lines in the tranScOntinental and
Southwestern territory. 1t is scarcely
necessary to say that this is largely the
result of the breaking up>Of an un-
usually severe winter, the flooding Of