Show CAUTION SHOWN BY Movement of Prices Sluggish and Irregular With Corn Com Comparatively Few Sales New York Feb 27 Tho stock markets of last week In New York lapsed into a statement of inactivity equal to the dull periods of midsummer and February of last year The movement of prices at atthe atthe the same time became sluggish and ir irregular irregular regular and manifestly prompted by noth nothing nothing ing more than the board room ventures of time the professional traders timidly pur pursued pursued sued in view of the lack of any more substantial operations to carry the tide of the market The passing of the effect of factors late lately lately ly influential was Indicated by the in indifference indifference difference shown to the public address of the attorney general reiterating tile the policies of legal restraints on corporations The importance of this subject is not changed in financial estimation It is ex ox expected that revival of its influence will vill now await the decision of the supreme court in the American Tobacco and Stan Standard Standard dard Oil cases The large attention paid to the news from the winter wheat region is significant of the direction in which the next ef cC effective forces in the speculation are ex cx expected to move Will Be Closely Studied The state in which the winter sown crops shall have come through the rigors of the season closing will form a subject for close clone study In the stock market from this time on The controllers abstract of national bank reports as of January 31 shows a credit position still extended In spite of the severe deflation to stuck stock market values and liquidation of stock market borrowings which had occurred at that time The existence of large outstanding bills on old cotton and wheat would imply a need for further deflation in that field The continued shortage of foreign de demand demand mand for cotton and wheat marks the holding of prices at an unattractive level The sustained volume of current redemption redemption tion of banknotes by the United States treasury although not fully up to the tho unprecedented level of January Is sig significant significant of redundant bank conditions and andis is an agency in keening up prices Labor disputes to be adjusted are kept in mind by the Philadelphia riots and by demands upon various railroads to which answer must be made Authorities In tIle the iron and steel trade trad express hopeful views for the demands in these products but the price of Iron iroil stil declines |