Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-19
THE STATE OF TRADE.
Spring Sales by Country Merchants Slow
Increased Failures.

Spring Sales by Country Merchants Slow
Increased Failures. -
New YoRx, April lS.-Special kilograms
to Bradstreet's from principal distributing
centers report that the demands from ooun-
try merchants have thus far been dissp.
pointing. Spring trade is declared to be .
fortnight late, every where the demand is
most active. The dry goods trade is mol
erately active from jobbers hands, but
manufacturers agents report it dull. Bos-
ton sdvices report prices in some lines OF
cotton goods as low as ever before, and the
outlook for an improvement is uncertain.
Seasonable fabrics are in best demand. The
four weeks stoppage Of production of FsI
River print cloth mills prior to July coV-
ers "a factories and affects II, 225 employees,
earning $4,000 weekly. The weekly pro-
duction of these mills is l36.500 pieces.
Stocks will thus be reduced about 5O,OOO
pieces. Some Rhode Island mills will stop
also. The volume Of sales of wool at East
ern markets are no better. Manufacturers
refuse to stock up in advance of nearby re-
auirements. The industrial situation is
practically unchanged, except for the strike
of 1900 fax spinners at Paterson, N. J.
The iron and steel trades are unimproved.
There is no material increase in the de-
mand for pig iron and the competition be-
tween the mills render nominal quotations
subject to reductions. Orders for steel
rails are light and prices are as low as ever.
The dissipation of war probabilities destroys
the supposition made by the Iron and Steel
Association representative, who recently
based probable improvement in the iron in
dustry on the railroad demand which was to
be contingent on the increased movement
of grain and merchandise to be called into
existence by by foreign war. The excess.
lively cold weather during February and
March benefited the anthracite coal trade,
and stocks have been reduced 60 per cent.
But trade at present is only moderate.
The reaction in the prices Of wheat and
other grains las continued since Wednes.
day, owing to the declining probability of
war abroad. TIE quotation for Nc. = red
at New oIk las, night was 96!c against
96;c a week ago Indian corn has gained
ic net the fual quotation being 521c last
night, as compared with 81 C week ago
EQer STIMULUS OIL du dlNaUCe VI OuV9IoC
per barrel for flour, the mills are crowding
production. Our St. Paul correspondent
telegraphs that every week of war outlook
adds to the wheat acreage in the Northwest.
This is conspicuous in the unusual exer-
tons making in the Red River valley. Min
nesota and Dakota wheat acreage will be
hesvierit ithan had been anticipated.
Prices of hog products have not been
benefited by the war news proporionstely
with grain, and the closing for pork last
night was Sl3, against Sl3 week ago, and
for refined lard $7.45, as compared with
$3.50, the closing price April 10. Grocery
staples have been quiet Tea is lower and
coffee easier. Others are nominal. Dairy
products have moved in larger volume beth
for home and for export.
There were l95 failures in the United
States during the past week, as compared
with ia in the preceding week, and with
l85, 100 and Sc respectively in the CORES;
ponding weeks Of 1884, 1888 and 1882.
About 81 per cent. were those of small
traders whose capital was less than $1,000.
Canada had l9, decrease of 7.