Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1899 — Business Situation. [ARTICLE]

Business Situation.

Chicago Correspondence: Nothing calculated to disturb the present favorable underlying conditions of trade and manufacture has occurred during the last week. Activity along nearly all lines is increasing rather than diminishing and the signs are pointing to the transaction of an enormous volume of fall and winter business. Money continues to show an easing tendency, and whilethe sterling exchange market at the moment seems to foreshadow an outward movement of gold in the next few weeks the opinion of the best authorities is that such shipments, if they occur, are not likedy to have any serious effect on the situation in this country. Although general business is enormously swollen by reason of the heavy domestic consumption of commodities, the export trade is increasing all the time. The statement for September showed the largest exports of mercha’ndise for any correspondingmonth on record. The stock markets have been affected somewhat by the decision of the Supreme Court of Illinois in the glucose case, but the disturbance caused by this has been confined mostly to what is known as the “industrial” department. Price of wheat has tended lower this week, while com rather favored some improvement. Holders of the former yielded reluctantly for a time to the influences that threatened the value of their property, but those became too obviously powerful toward the end of the week, and Saturday saw what had the appearance of a general surrender by the bulls. The final quotations Saturday showed a loss of 1% cents a bushel for the December delivery and 1% cents for May, the discount of December under May widening to the extent of the difference. The inference is that holders of wheat are so tenacious of their belief in ultimately higher prices to have the wheat carried for them until next spring. They are not unmindful of the most unsatisfactory yield of last season’s winter wheat crop or the heavy requirements of Europe. The week’s exports of wheat and flour from all American ports were over 4,000,000 bushels,, and the week previous they were in excess of 5,000,000 bushels.