Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1901 — COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

New York—No new features of any importance have come into the general business situation during the week. Trade interests continue to hold their own, which is about all they can bo reasonably expected to do at this season of the year. Merchants and manufacturers are looking forward with the utmost confidence to another large movement of trade as soon as the spring season opens. Meantime the demnnd is about equal to the production and prices as a rule are holding firm. Wall street continues to discount the expected improvement in general business during the coming year. Chicago—Considerable business was done the past week in the wheat market, and at one time it looked as if prices would have considerable advance; but the net result up to Friday afternoon was a decline of insignificant amount. The general situation includes the presence in the market of some wealthy Wall street operators who think current, prices too low. .aud that it only requires the absorption of a good-sized line of May wheat to make those who have sold it short buy it back at considerably higher than recently prevailing prices. From the standpoint of the regular wheat speculator It is impossible to advance prices’ materially while visible stocks remain as heavy as they are. and-ireceipts in the West are so large that there is no probability of any material lessening of the visible rtipply so long as they keep up their current volume. Business in com was of average amount or more, but ns was the case with wheat, the net change in price was insignificantly small. A large business was done in the speculative branch of the provision trade, with prices on the whole well maintained.