Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-25
TRADE MORE ACTIVE.
Speculation, However, Is the Only
Cause Which Prevents Com
paratiVe Dullness.
REACTION FROM BUILDING BOoMS
Belief in Short European Crops Raises
the Price of Wheat Despite
the Decreased Exports.
MONEY EASIER, COLLECTIONS BETTER.
The Changes IL the Prices Of Commodities Show Slight
Average Advances.
REACTION FROM BUILDING BOeMs
MONEY EASIER, COLLECTIONS BETTER.
The Changes the Prices Of Commodities Show Slight
Average Advances.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH !

trade. ST. Paul, Minneapolis, Cleveland
Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City ant
Omaha have all felt their influence, anc
better country roadways and improving
mercantile collections are noted in conse
quence. Seasonable drygoods, notions
clothing and hardware sales have been rela.
tively the more active, although leather has
been in better request in some instances.
At Boston boots and shoes are in better
demand, and leading sugar refining center.
report a sharp request, with prices of re-
fined quite firm. Raw wool is more active
at Boston, but at St. Louis new clip is held
too high to meet the views of local buyers
Cattle have been dull, and hogs are 10 cent,
lower per hundred weight. Whisky is
cents higher In Western wholesale markets.
Improved weather has not aided the general
demand for dress goods materially, trade, as
q whole, being quiet and unsatisfactory.
The State of the Drygoods Trade.
G1nghams and woolen' dress goods are
most active. Print cloths are selling al
l5-16c, as low as ever known. A drive in
prints this week was at the lowest prices on
record. Low grade cottons are weak. Cot
ton speculation is active but Irregular.
Actual cotton is Lice lower.
The industrial situation becomes more
disturbed as May approaches, that being
the date set for general demand for fewer
hours of work daily by 175000 bituminous
coal miners. 1t is doubtful, however,
whether that number will strike. No trouble
is anticipated in the anthracite region.
Several collieries have resumed already on
full time. The eight-hour movement is
progressing in the building trades, in which
strikes are numerous.
The coke strike nominally continues Pig
iron is as depressed as ever, Notwithstanding
reports of more confidence as to the future.
Steel rails have been very quiet this week.
The total orders to date equal about one
quarter of 1905 production.
Failures, Money Market and Clearings.
Business failures in the United States
number 1S1, against 166 last week and 174
this week last year. The total from Janu-
ary to date is 4,o73, against 4,0O5 last year.
Leading money markets are somewhat
easier, ana less anxiety is caused by contin-
ued exports of gold. Call and loan rates
are easier and collections are made more
promptly.
Bank clearings at 81 cities for the week
ended April % amount to 81, 100, Ga, I'll, a
decrease from this week last year OF per
cent. At Sc cities (New York's total e1-
cluded), practically no gain is shown.
Share speculation shows increased activity
and strength, the favorable crop outlook
creating very bullish speculative DISPOSE
tlon. The participation is widening, and
gold exports and other unfavorable incl
dents dc not seem to check the advancing
tendency.
Wheat has been excited and per cent
higher during the week, chiefly on specula-
tive operations, heavily backed for the time
by cables from England, France and
Portugal. Later a disposition to realize,
together with rather more favorable crop re-
ports from the Continent of Europe, caused
q reaction which swallowed up all the ad-
vance. More than 100, ,0O0, 900 bushels were
traded in at New York, against 45, 900, 900
bushels in the preceding week.
The Movement of Grain Abroad.
Exports of wheat and -four as wheat this
week fell away at San Francisco, as else
where, owing to the excessive advance in
pIice, the latter touching 81 05, as COM
pared with 81 2555 bushel at New York.
The total OF exports equals 2,222, S95 bush
els, against 2, 456, OS0 bushels last week and
. 259. $50 bushels in the third week of April.
1890. The total exported from July 1 to
date (from the United States exclusively is
20, $50. ll6 bushels, as compared with S.
$50, 233 bushels in a like portion of 1890
~, ,S35. 5S5 bushels In 1889, and 1O7, ,2l1, 975
bushels in 1888.
General trade throughout Ontario, in the
Canadian Dominion, is rather better than in
ha Of
be unsettled. owing to expected tariff
changes and to Smuggling across the bor-
der" The Dominion reports 80 business
failures this week, against 80 last week. and
3S this week last year. The total number
from January to date is 705, against 675 last
year.
Activity Not of the VIII oIesome Kind.
R. G. Dun s. Co.'s weekly review saws:
But for speculation this would have been a
comparatively dull week, but sales o. 1l2,-
10000 bushels in this market and 6S, 600
bales of cotton and 9. 242, 600 shares Of stock
have supplied a certain activity. though not
OF the most wholesome kind. In the interior
business has been somewhat improved, but
many causes combine TO prevent great
activity. Prominent among these is the re-
action from excessive real estate specula-
tion and building which has prevailed for
years in some quarters. Thus at Philadel-
phia depression is explained by the tact
that 90, 600 new houses have been added in
eight years.
The strikes in building trades tend to
cause dullness where activity had been e1-
pected, and the threatened strike of coal
miners in several States also retards opera
tions; but on the whole, the volume of busi-
ness is large for the season-in amount of
bank exchanges close up to that of corre-
spending weeks last year. Eastbound ship
ments from Chicago for three weeks have
been 200, OIL tons against 213, 1OS for the
same weeks Of 1899. The symptoms are
those OF waiting rather than reaction.
Reports From Leading Cities.
The merchandise business movement at
Boston has been fair in wool, slightly
larger without much change in drygoods
and boots and shoes, with better reports
from agents, while leather and hides are
quiet. Philadelphia and Ohio trades
are more active. Worsted mills are run
ming full time at good prices. At Hartford
II is noted that goods do not Justify the
creased clip OF wool. AT Baltimore trade is
only fair, but the manufacturers
are active, and at Cleveland better
weather brings some improvement,
with unusual activity in manufactured
iron. Cincinnati also notes improvement
and great activity in building and materials
and better trade with better country roads
At Chicago wool receipts gain third over
last year, and wheat receipts are larger, but
decrease appears in -four, corn, meats, lard
and. hides. Drygoods;sales equal last wear
for the week, and sales Of clothing and shoes
show increase. The grip retards trade at
Milwaukee, but further improvement is
seen at st. Louis. Trade is fair at Kansas
City and Omaha and better at Denver.
The South and Its Products.
Cotton is quiet and lower at New Orleans