Show NO o LACK OF GOiTtTS Steady Prices in the Countrys Leading Industries I PROGRESS IS THE WORDb No Alterations Has Occurred in the Quotations of Iron and Steel Products Pro-ducts All Finished Products Aro Eagerly Sought After Market for Textiles Is Featureless Wool Has Again Declined Jobbing and Retail Re-tail Trade Is Brick in Boots and Shoes I New York Jan 4R G Dun Cos Weekly Review of Trade tomorrow will say In spite of the Interruptions of the holidays and of the usually heavy annual settlements In all lines oC business busi-ness the new year opens with Indications Indica-tions of further progress There is no lack of contracts offered at steady prices In the Countrys leading Industry Indus-try and in some departments of cotton goods there is a bctter movement I though speculation has depressed the I price of the raw material Otherwise a decline in wheat Is the only noteworthy move instanced It Is explained by a reduction In the flour output at MInne apolls some mills shutting down while the foreign demand at Atlantic seaboard sea-board i cities is not brisk The ordinary measures of business make gratifying exhibits No alteration altera-tion has yet occurred in quotations of iron I and steel products and this industry in-dustry Is on sucli a firn foundation that most large concerns have maintained wages at the old scale instead of making ma-king I the reductions anticipated Iron ore prices are also unchanged and no action Is now expected until March al though a lower rate was looked for early in January Coke is firmly held at Conneilsville and there arc fewer idle i ovens while the muchdiscussed fall in prices seems confined to Inferior qualities at outside furnaces Pig iron 1 sells freely for delivery up to April and there is no Indication of weakness All finished products are eagerly sought many large contracts having been placed for structural material and others are under consideration An American company is the lowest bidder for the large bridge at Sydney harbor Australia The purchase of 700 acres near Plttsburg1 by a leading steel company com-pany indicates great enlargement of its plant Outside of a reduction of wages at blast furnaces in the Mahonlns and Shcnango ValleyS the weeks news is 1 most encouraging in this the greatest of American industries The market for textiles has been featureless as the holidays and stocktaking stock-taking reduced business to limited dimensions di-mensions Wool has again declined making the average ot 100 quotations 1926 cents according to Coates Brqth ers circular Sales at the three chief Eastern markets amounted to only 3 121000 pounds for the week and there Is I much uneasiness over the statements of stocks at the end of the year while recent failures have not tended to improve im-prove the tone Cotton goods have not the same dinicullies to contend with but an abnormally high price for raw material acts as a check on this in dustry Local jobbing and retail trade is brisk In boots and shoes and many manufacturers arc behind with orders yet uneven distribution of buslneashas left l some shops ready to make concessions conces-sions Shipments from Boston fbi the week were S2143 cases against 91605 a year ago Sole leather is purchased freely but less activity In uppers tends to weaken prices IDxpbrts of solefrom this city were heavier in December than In any previous month last year but the total for boo fell 306936 sides below 1S99 For the first time In many weeks there was some recovery in hides at Chicago i BRAHSTREETS QPINIO Trade Quiet in All Trades S Interest Centering in StockTaking New York Jan Bradstrocfs tomorrow to-morrow will say Trade has been quiet in all lines Interest being concentrated con-centrated largely in stocktaking and contemplation of 1900 results Colder weather has proved a slight stimulant to retail trade in winter goods but stocks In retailers hands are reported large Cereals and provisions have advanced ad-vanced this week while stocks have declined but the upward movement has been one of those familiar of late a short selling with small fluctuations limited by a feverish desire to bag profits Railway earnings hold up well for the season and the greatest dividend payments on record were reflected In the largest days bank clearings ever reported at New York Failures show the usual large crop of small dlKeasters a feature of the turn of the year but the results for 1000 aa a whole are not all discouraging December bank clearings hold the record rec-ord although the total of 1900 as a whole Is CG per cent behind 1S99 Cotton is rather quiet und unchanged un-changed on the week while cotton I goods are without much movement except I ex-cept as to slightly weaker quotations for gray clothK at Boston Fall River mills have paid 7J4 per cent for 1900 and an average of 600 per cent for eleven years past Spring trade in prints and ginghams has begun in fair volume al J3oston Wool is dull and rather easy Outside Out-side of the United States however the situation Is a strong one as Indicated by tOe linn Melbourne and London quotations Manufacturers will only buy sigalnst orders and except in plain dress woolens nothing special is doing All branches of the leather and kindred kin-dred trades are in apparently cheerful moodLumber Lumber Is rather quiet but it Is to be noted that pine stocks are slightly smaller than Just year War is reported broken out In rubber goods and quotations quota-tions have certainly been cut Sugar prices are also lower while coffee roasted has been advanced which is charged to readjustments The feature of the week in iron and steel has been time largo sale of steel mils reported Chicago particularly reporting re-porting 25000 tons sold In one lot This spirit of activity contrasts strongly with the quiet reported in nearly all the finished lines and also In raw pig Structural material makers have been getting good orders and bridge makers are looking for a heavy business busi-ness This month may witness the settlement set-tlement of the vexed ore situation and also some readjustments of wages to lower costs Bessemer irpn producers have reduced wages 15 per cent Export Ex-port trade Is still quiet and it is n table ta-ble that for the first time in years exports ex-ports of manufactured goods In November No-vember were smaller than the year before be-fore i What looked like a real bull movement move-ment in i wheat developed n1 the close of last week Realizing by the bulls lost most of the advance but there is a feeling in the trade that a strong operator op-erator could materially affect prices In tin present condition ot lime market Corn arrivals are still of notably poor grade and quotations arc higher in sympathy with wheat and on largo export ex-port movement Wheat Including floiu > tihipjnonts for the week aggregate 3J11iO1 bush Z ts els against 3GGS1G5 last week 2609652 lu the corresponding week of1 1300 6SG0268 in 18S9 IVlSlJJiG In 159S and 310SGSS In 1 ISOT From July 1st to date this season wheat exports arc 9S065B76 against 106503 87C last season and 12S 38SU77 In IS9S09 Corn exports for the week aggregate 4470521 bushels against 1011105 last week 1019030 Jn this wrek a year ago 4522238 in 1SD9 3455416 in 189S and 4819261 1 ir i807 From July 1st to dale this season corn exports are 95710600 I bushels i against 11DCOC1S1 last season and S579ii27 in 183SU9 Business failures for the week number num-ber 2G6 In the United Suites against 213 last wcek229 In 1900 23f in 1899 333 in i 189S and 488 in lEO |