PRICE CURRENTS. A Price Current is a printed form issued periodically by dealers, brokers, merchants and others to customers in their trade, showing the present current or ruling prices of goods they deal in. The specimen shown on the previous page is a form used in the Metal Trade, and, as will be seen, it shows the day's prices, the discounts and the usual places where delivery is made, so that intending buyers may see the tendency of quotations-whether upwards or downwards of all articles they are interested in. CIRCULARS AND MARKET REPORTS. A Circular or Market Report is a letter, printed in the form of an address, sent out daily, weekly, or at other regular intervals, by dealers, brokers, merchants and the like, to all their customers, showing the ruling prices of goods and indicating the general trend of the market or the prospects of the articles dealt in, and the probabilities of any rise or fall in values. The following is a copy of the sort of circular used in the Metal Trade: Since the issue of our Quarterly Circular of 11th July there have been important changes in the IRON and STEEL trade, not only in this country, but more especially in the UNITED STATES. The tide of prosperity which had been running so long appears to have touched high water mark about the month of April, as prices receded after that period. In America the fall was much more rapid than in England, and this quickly brought them into position to compete for business against our English makers. The price of Pig Iron fell between April and September from $25 to $142, whilst in England the fall did not exceed 15 shillings, as against over 40 shillings in the United States. Steel in the form of Blooms, Billets, and Tinplate Bars suffered even a greater fall, and prices nearly approached those ruling in 1898. WILLIAMS & GRANT. CONTRACT NOTES. Contract Notes are issued when one person has bought goods of or sold goods to another, and they are issued so that the terms and conditions of the purchase or sale may be definitely stated and agreed upon. The three following examples contain the wording generally used by merchants and brokers here, but the printed forms will of course vary somewhat for any special trade: I have this day (Bought of or Sold to) you on We have this day (Bought of or Sold to) you on customary terms and conditions:- Quantity Description Price Delivery Discount Prompt Payment The Prompt means the time fixed for payment. prompt date varies in all trades according to the goods dealt in, and when the prompt date arrives a delivery order or a warrant will be tendered for the goods by the seller, when they must be taken up and paid for. |