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STOCKS ARE LOWER IN LIGHT TRADING Rails Especially Weak in Quiet Market-Leaders Sell Off. BY GEORGE T. HUGHES. Special Dispatch to The Star. NEW YORK, October 13.-In quiet and almost featureless trading, stocks reacted in today's opening session of the week on the exchange. The losses were due not so much to any increased liquidation as to indifference on the part of buyers. News over the week end was not calculated to arouse enthusiasm for the stock market. The foreign situation discouraged buying and disappointment was expressed at the delay in reaching a decision on the freight rate case by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Finally, the failure of an old and highly respected brokerage house, announced soon after the opening. had a depressing effect on sentiment. although it is doubtful whether it materially affected prices. The rails were especially heavy, with losses that up to noon ran as high as 3 points. Baltimore & Ohio, New York Central. Northern Pacific, Pennsylvania and others sold off easily. Pullman started in at a new high on the move, but reacted with the railroad shares afterward. Corn Products, supposed to be heavily interested in rainroad securities, was weak. The industrials and utilities were not quite as depressed as the rails, but nearly all the leading issues were lower. U. S. Steel ruled under 70 with a loss of a point or two. The Street is already discussing probable action on the Steel dividend on October 27. In any event, the third quarter statement is not likely to be cheerful reading. The opening was fractionally lower. The rails showed fairly wide declines. thereby expressing disappointment over the fact that no announcement on rates or wages came out over the week end. United States Steel at 703/4 was off 1/8, General Motors at 26% was down 1/4, General Electric at 31 1/4 lost ½ and Standard Oil of New Jersey dropped a shade to 31%. Chesapeake & Ohio opened at 30% off 134. Southern Pacific at 56½ was down 1½. Northern Pacific at 24% was off 2½. American Tobacco common rose 3/4 to 87. but the B shares opened off 1³₄ at 89½ American Telephone gained 5/8 at 13814 and American Water Works was up 3/4 at 31% but Columbia Gas & Electric lost ½ at 20³₄ and Consolidated Gas was off 14 at 72%. North American was down 1 point at 36% as Public Service advanced 3/4 to 64½. Du Pont lost 7/8 at 61½, as did Electric Autolite at 26⁷, Food and chain shares were little changed. President Whitney announced from the rostrum immediately after the opening the suspension for insolvency of Kountze Bros., one of the older private banking houses of Wall Street. The partners included Herman D. Kountze. the floor member. and Charles T. Kountze. Stuart Sidney Furman, William H. Gregory, Denman Kountze. Palmer D. Kountze and Frank Edgar and Russ. Trading dried up on the decline and after the list had dropped fractionally to 2 points, a partial recovery set in. During the first half hour volume amounted to only 200,000 shares. the same as on Saturday. Call money renewed at 2 per cent. this being the first time since April it had opened higher than 1½ per cent. Supplies of money were small and demand comparatively small. Active issues like United States Steel. J. I. Case, Columbian Carbon, and Westinghouse rallied fractionally The rails did not rally at all. The market for these issues was almost nominal, however, so small was the trading Utilities, motors and oils were barely steady.